Hampshire Governor - Winter 2001. No. 22
This Edition of Hampshire Governor
All the articles from the Winter 2001 edition of Hampshire Governor have been reproduced on this page. You can also view Hampshire Governor in its original format using the following link:
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WHITE PAPER HERALDS SHAKE-UP FOR SCHOOL GOVERNANCE
The devil is in the detail of the Government White Paper "Schools Achieving Success". Where have we heard that before! There is much to be commended in the White Paper: achieving high standards for all; promoting excellence, innovation and diversity; valuing and supporting teachers in schools, and modernising structures. Among the more contentious proposals are:
to change rules concerning the expansion of individual schools and the establishment of sixth forms;
to give some schools greater autonomy and some flexibility over some elements of teachers pay and conditions;
to welcome more faith schools where there is clear local agreement;
to introduce more specialist secondary schools.
Alongside the White Paper are five separate consultation papers, all of which carried the same deadline for responses of 7 November. Ranging from early years to 16-19 organisation and inspection, they propose a number of changes. Governors will be particularly interested in the proposals for a modernised framework for school governance:
parent representation to increase from about a quarter to 'at least a third';
minor authority governorships to disappear (a repeat of an earlier proposal which was dropped and for good reason!);
grouping schools under one governing body;
minimising regulation to allow governing bodies the maximum possible amount of freedom and flexibility.
The bottom-line judgment of the success of these proposals will be whether they help governors to achieve better governance and more effective decision making, and raise standards in teaching and learning.
Roger Mead, Assistant county education officer
See our special feature inside.
HOLD ON TO YOUR GOVERNORS!
A recent analysis of governor data shows that on average 19 per cent of governors give up the role every year. That means more than 1,300 new governors need to be recruited annually merely to maintain the current position, let alone reduce existing vacancies. That's a lot of work for schools and governors, as the biggest vacancies are among parent and co-opted governorships. Across the county over a quarter of all co-opted places are vacant. Although Governor Services has been carrying out a wide range of recruitment activities targeting the worst-hit areas (Basingstoke, Aldershot, Fareham, Gosport, Havant) applications coming in are insufficient to meet the ongoing demand. We need to do better at keeping the governors we've got if we are ever going to make headway in improving the overall vacancy situation. In the last four years 10 per cent of governors left in their first year of office and a further 15 per cent went before the end of their second year. Only half the governors appointed completed their four-year term of office - with no significant differences among governor types.
Governor Services will be carrying out further research through exit interviews with a sample of those leaving in their first two years of office. The results of this survey may help governors and the LEA find ways of holding on to more people for longer.
Hazel Round, County governor services co-ordinator
ANOTHER GCSE SUCCESS STORY
Hampshire pupils once again exceeded national standards in the 2001 GCSE examinations.
Results published by the County Council show that 56 per cent of 16-year-olds achieved five or more A*-C grades - maintaining the record level achieved last year. This is more than 6 per cent higher than the national figure.
Sixty-one per cent of girls achieved this standard, compared with 52 per cent of boys. This differential, though a continuing cause for concern, was slightly narrower in Hampshire than in the country as a whole.
CRIMINAL CHECKS ON GOVERNORS
The Government is setting up a Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) which will be a 'one-stop shop' for checks against police records and lists of prohibited staff held by the DfES and the Department of Health.
It will replace existing systems for checking school staff and volunteers. However, implementation has been delayed and is not expected before summer 2002 at the earliest.
It is expected that CRB checks on school governors will become mandatory.
All new appointments and reappointments of governors will be subject to checks before they join their governing bodies. Governors already in post will be unaffected.
Hampshire County Council is currently in discussion with the CRB about who will be able to authorise checks.
Janet Sheriton, Head of governor services
FOUR PERFORMANCE CATEGORIES
How well are our schools performing? Where should we target the limited additional resources available to the LEA?
These are key questions that Hampshire County Council is able to answer through categorising schools by performance. In recent years, all schools have been placed annually into one of 36 categories. Now these have been reduced to just four categories and there are much clearer criteria for determining them. Hampshire schools will be identified as:
highly effective; or
effective; or
needing some improvement; or
needing substantial improvement.
As in the past, the category will be arrived at in discussion with the headteacher and will be shared with the governing body. To be judged effective, a school will need to:
1 achieve results that are comparable to those of similar schools;
2 enable pupils to make satisfactory or better progress;
3 set and meet appropriate statutory performance targets;
4 have a satisfactory Ofsted inspection;
5 have the capacity for self-improvement.
Statistical data continue to be important as evidence for determining a school's category and the focus remains firmly on outcomes for children. However, increased importance is being placed on the school's self-evaluation. The annual visit of the attached inspector to discuss the school's performance, targets and categorisation will also serve as an opportunity for external validation of its own evaluative procedures.
The revised categorisation process will help the LEA fulfil its statutory duty to monitor standards in Hampshire schools. It will enable us to avoid unnecessary visits to effective schools and to focus support where it is most needed. The process is now simpler to understand and less bureaucratic to administer.
Gerry Price, Area school improvement manager
SUPPORTING UNDERACHIEVERS
Monitoring of pupil performance in Hampshire shows that certain groups are not making as much progress as others.
Among these are pupils from ethnic minority and traveller groups, who are likely to do less well than they should. Several LEA services are involved in developing support to these groups. The Bilingual Learners Support Service (BLSS) has worked since 1992 with pupils learning English as an additional language but now also supports ethnic minority pupils at risk of underachieving.
Six groups have been identified for particular support: Bengali, Cantonese, French, Portuguese, Turkish and Urdu. In 2000/2001, 242 children in Hampshire were new to English or to this country. Each newly arrived pupil receives 11 hours support from BLSS.
The Traveller Service provides help for travellers children. In summer 2001 there were 254 of these in primary schools and 56 in secondaries. Many others did not go to school at all. Hampshire Inspection and Advisory Service (HIAS) is involved in training school staff and will be collecting and analysing data on ethnic minority and traveller pupil performance in all schools. Governors will want to look carefully at the data when available and be aware of what is being done in their school to ensure children in these groups get support.
MICHELLE MEETS HER MATCH
The first Governor Services wedding took place on 6 October when Michelle Cawte, assistant co-ordinator at Havant local office, married David Stephens at St Luke's Church, Winchester. The couple flew to Nice for a two-week honeymoon.
TIME TO TAKE A FRESH LOOK
After the strains of introducing performance management last year, governing bodies will be hoping things are settling down. This year there are no deadlines for introducing new policies, nor a national training package to keep us busy. However governors should keep an eye on how to help performance management to become an effective part of their school.
First, your governing body will probably need to have another look at its Performance Management Policy, particularly if like many it adopted the model policy provided by what was then the DfEE. Take a careful look at the way the policy is working and how it supports the overall management and development of the school.
Some suggest, for example, that if a school is working as a team, one objective should be shared by everybody or the number of objectives should be lowered to three or four.
The needs of your own school will determine this. The policy needs to take on board staff joining the school in January or April, and how they can be incorporated into an annual cycle based on the school year.
Secondly, all schools should have held in the autumn term a review meeting between their appointed governors, the headteacher and the adviser from Cambridge Education Associates.
Finally performance management training has been incorporated into the overall Hampshire governor training programme. Look out for course dates in the summer and autumn of 2002. The principles of performance management will also be incorporated into other courses.
Phil Hand, Local governor services coordinator
SPECIAL FOCUS: THE BIG ISSUES FACING OUR SCHOOLS
GOVERNORS PROMISED A MORE FLEXIBLE WORKING FRAMEWORK
The DfES has been consulting this autumn on a range of important issues. Hampshire Governor focuses on three: school governance, admissions policy and appeals against exclusion.
Many of you responded earlier in the year to the Green Paper consultation on the constitution and responsibilities of governing bodies. After receiving more than 6,000 responses, the Government set up 'The Way Forward Group' chaired by a Minister. Despite the intervention of a general election the group made recommendations some of which are contained in a White Paper consultation document published in early September.
It is proposed to repeal much of the existing legislation and regulations covering school governance. The intention is to provide in primary legislation for a general enabling power for the Secretary of State to make regulations and issue statutory and other guidance on the governance of schools. It is claimed that these proposals will:
give governors greater scope to choose arrangements that suit their school;
free governors from activities incidental to their strategic role;
create a legislative framework for school governance that can be more easily adapted to changing circumstances.
Many of the original proposals reappear in this document, albeit couched in terms of 'freedom to choose'. Reconstitution, grouping, changes in personnel responsibilities all feature.
It is suggested that minor authority governorships disappear as a distinct category. Powers to remove weak and failing governing bodies and replace them with interim executive boards are proposed.
New this time are proposals to deregulate governing body procedures, leaving governing bodies to determine their own working arrangements, with regulations establishing minimum requirements.
Details are on the DfES website at www.dfes.gov.uk
The County Council's response reflects the lack of desire in Hampshire for further constitutional change, its opposition to grouping schools under a single governing body, and its wish to see parish and district councils' rights to nominate governors in primary schools maintained.
Some simplification of the currently very detailed regulations will be welcomed by many. However, we will all need to guard against upheavals that threaten to lead us to spend scarce governing body time on organisational issues to the detriment of further school improvement.
Although this consultation closed on 7 November, we expect continued debate over the next few months and further consultations as the details of the Bill, regulations and statutory and other guidance are developed and published.
Janet Sheriton, Head of governor services
PARENTS WANT A MORE PREDICTABLE ADMISSIONS SYSTEM
Possible changes to the law and regulations associated with school admissions have been the subject of consultation by the DfES. Many of the proposals are based on research undertaken for the DfES by Sheffield Hallam University, including studies of the systems and processes operated by LEAs and a survey of a representative sample of 3,000 parents of children transferring to secondary school.
Our view is that the research has an urban and metropolitan bias. One simple illustration is that on virtually all the indicators used by the researchers, Hampshire, as a `shire' county, comes out much better than average.
For example, the research suggests that nationally only 25 per cent of parents who went to appeal over admissions decisions were satisfied with the process (as opposed to the outcome). Research in Hampshire shows 74 per cent of parents at appeal were satisfied with the process. Similarly the number of parents going to appeal varies significantly: in London it is 12 per cent, nationally it is 4 per cent, among 19 LEAs in the South West (including Hampshire) it is 3.54 per cent, while in Hampshire alone it is 1.23 per cent.
Perhaps the most important outcome of the research is the clear understanding that what parents want is a system strongly co-ordinated by LEAs, where decisions about applications are relatively predictable (i.e. parents want the information provided before making an application to give them a clear idea of the likelihood of success for any application to a particular school) and where decisions are made quickly.
New Forest Governors' forum meets at Lyndhurst to receive a briefing by Janet Sheriton, head of governor services, on the DfES proposals for legislative changes.
The main issues covered by the consultation are therefore:
Giving a much stronger role to the LEA in coordinating admissions - for example, establishing a common set of closing dates for applications. This has gone some way in Hampshire but there is more that could be done.
Clarifying the law on parental preference. The consultation document is not clear itself on some of the points raised. However, the law does need clarifying in terms of how the LEA treats preferences as all being of equal status or, as in Hampshire, asking parents for a clear order of priority.
Making admissions forums compulsory. Hampshire has had an admissions forum since 1999 and this has played a vital part in simplifying admissions policy and developing an approach to co-ordination.
Doing away with standard numbers and introducing a new system for calculating the capacity of schools. Hampshire favours this change. The standard number has long been an out-of-date concept and the new method of calculating capacity is more transparent and better reflects the physical capacity of buildings than present methods.
Changes to the way in which the admissions adjudicator operates.
Relaxing the requirement to consult every year about admission arrangements. The current requirement is bureaucratic and time-consuming.
Changing either the time limit or consulting only when changes are proposed seems a sensible step.
As well as these issues, which are dealt with in detail, a number of other changes are dealt with in an annex. Some of these could be important, so it's regrettable they have not been treated in more detail. For example, there are proposals relating to deferred entry into Year R, reserved places, directions and the role of the headteacher in admissions.
David Robotham, Principal admissions adviser
EXCLUSION APPEAL PANELS TO CHANGE
Changes to the legislation on independent appeals against exclusion are expected.
First, the Secretary of State proposes to make it a legal requirement for an appeal panel to balance the interests of the excluded pupil against the interests of all the other members of the school community. The key question is: how can the interests of other members of the school community be represented before the panel?
Second, the new legislation will make it clear that an appeal panel's remit is not to review procedure but to consider afresh the question of whether the pupil should be reinstated. The reason for proposing this change is that a number of panels have reinstated pupils on technicalities relating to procedure, even though they were persuaded that exclusion was justified.
Thirdly, it's planned to change the composition of appeal panels so that they contain a majority of people with direct teaching experience - serving or former heads, deputy heads, members of the senior management team and senior class teachers.
On a separate matter, the DfES proposes that the duty on a governing body (through its discipline committee) to meet to consider fixed-period exclusions of more than five school days in any one term should be changed - to exclusions of more than 15 days in any one term.
DfES INDUCTION PROGRAMME
The DfES has launched a national induction programme for governors, developed and piloted in consultation with governor training co-ordinators across the country. LEAs are being encouraged to use all or parts of the programme but it is not compulsory.
Hampshire's own induction for new governors is long-established and has been evaluated well by delegates, but we are reviewing our material alongside that from the DfES. We expect to produce a programme incorporating the best of both, which will be delivered from the spring term 2002.
Sue Baxter, Governor services co-ordinator, Havant
HELPING HAND
Hampshire County Council's Education Department has been asked by the DfES to provide support and expertise to Swindon Borough Council in addressing issues identified by Ofsted.
Between now and Easter, John Clarke, deputy county education officer, and Ann Begley, area school improvement manager, are being seconded for part of their time to help Swindon's director of education and other County Council staff are also likely to be involved on specific issues.
Arrangements have been made to ensure services to Hampshire schools are not disrupted. The full cost of Hampshire's work will be covered by Swindon.
Andrew Seber, county education officer, points out: 'Hampshire schools will benefit from the extra dimension this experience brings to officers' work in the county. It's clear from the offers of help we've had from headteachers and governors in the county that they also feel we have a moral duty to support an LEA going through difficult times.'
GOVERNORS ACT OUT REAL LIFE IN AM-DRAM VIDEO PROJECT
West Meon Players' Mick Keegan and Jennifer Jenkin, centre, are filmed with the boy actor who plays an excluded pupil.
The last time amateur dramatists Mick Keegan and Jennifer Jenkin took the stage, Mick starred as Malvolio in Shakespeare's 'Twelfth Night' and Jennifer played in the panto 'Dick Whittington'. This time their roles are much more realistic - as school governors on a pupil discipline committee.
The two are among nine members of the West Meon Players recruited to make a video of the disciplinary process, which will be used to train clerks and governors. In real life they are both governors. Jennifer is a foundation governor at West Meon CE Primary and Mick is a member of the governing body of nearby Meonstoke Primary.
The West Meon actors were asked to provide the action for the video by one of their members, Hazel Round, who is a governor training co-ordinator with Hampshire Governor Services.
The storyline is of a Year 10 boy excluded following a catalogue of discipline problems including shouting abuse, failing to do homework and assaulting a teacher. The headteacher maintains that permanent exclusion is justified and the pupil and parent claim mitigating circumstances. The cast list consists of the chair of the committee (Jennifer), two other governors, the pupil and his mother, the headteacher, the head of year, a representative of the LEA and the clerk.
'The advantage of using the video for training', explained Hazel, 'is that, whereas you can explain in writing what governors should do in such a situation, actually seeing how people react enables you to address the emotional issues. You can also see that simple things such as the way you sit around a table can give powerful messages.'
The 'playlet' was directed by Mary Dawson, director of the West Meon Players, and filmed by Steve Miller.
LOG ON TO OUR OFSTED ACTION PLAN
Following its successful Ofsted inspection, Hampshire County Council published its Ofsted action plan in September. This is a statutory document, setting out how the LEA will act on Ofsted's recommendations.
The action plan details activities on behaviour, exclusions, attendance, the role of attached inspectors and the Education Development Plan. The Education Department Management Team will monitor progress against the plan on a termly basis.
The majority of activities will be completed by the end of the 2001/02 academic year, although a few will not be completed until 2004, or are new processes to be embedded in the system.
The Ofsted Action Plan is available on the web at http://www.hants.gov.uk/education/ ofstedactionplan/index.htm or ask Hilary Ellery for a printed copy (tel 01962 846261).
PROMOTING RACE EQUALITY
The inquiry report into the death of the black teenager Stephen Lawrence spoke about 'institutional racism' which results from old-fashioned policies, practices and procedures. In response to that report, the Race Relations Amendment Act was enacted in April 2001.
The Act expects local authorities to take a lead in promoting race equality and all other forms of equality of opportunity. Schools are seen as playing a crucial role.
So what does the Act mean for schools and governors? You need to make sure your school's curriculum promotes good race relations. Hampshire's intercultural adviser, Ian Massey, can provide guidance. All other advisers and inspectors will be trained to support schools in this.
You will be asked to monitor the ethnic origin of staff and to collect data about pupil achievement in terms of ethnic origin as well as gender and disability. You will be expected to report annually. Guidance will be available from the DfES in the spring.
The SEN and Disability Rights Act will become law in the autumn of 2002. This will make it unlawful to discriminate against a disabled pupil in providing education services. SEN advisers will be able to help and you will receive further guidance from the DfES - another code of practice! - next year.
To find out more on this and other equal opportunities issues, ask Governor Services about training opportunities. If you have queries on specific cases, contact Jane Goodwin or Cheryl Martin of the equalities team on 01962 846458 or 845125. For current Hampshire County Council policies on equality matters, visit the web page www.hants.gov.uk/equalities
WHY I STILL BELIEVE IN PARTNERSHIP
Don Allen, Hampshire County Council's executive member for education, gives assurances about the council's new style of management
One of the great strengths of Hampshire Local Education Authority over recent years has been its commitment to partnership working. By working together, elected members, officers, headteachers, teachers, governors and parents have achieved considerable benefits for schools and their pupils.
For elected members, this partnership has been achieved primarily through the decision-making Education Committee and its sub-committees. These have disappeared with the County Council's recent, reluctant introduction of a 'modernised' form of management with a Leader and a Cabinet as the prime decision-making body. So is the important tradition of partnership working going to disappear as well? The answer is an emphatic NO.
The new Education Policy Review Committee, chaired by Councillor Mel Kendal, includes representatives of governors, headteachers and teachers. I am asking that committee to review the major items on which I have to make decisions. Their deliberations and advice will be an important factor in my subsequent decisions.
In addition I have established a Youth Service Panel which includes representatives of governors, young people, the voluntary sector and district councils. They will advise me on youth matters.
I will continue to chair the County Governors' Forum. This includes governor representatives from across the county and provides an opportunity for open discussion between governors and elected members and education officers.
I will also be continuing the budget consultation meetings with governors, headteachers, teachers and parent representatives.
These meetings ensure that we understand and can reflect the priorities of these groups in developing our budget proposals for Cabinet and full County Council approval.
Partnership working is essential in my opinion - and I am determined that it will be strengthened, not weakened, in the months and years ahead.
OUR QUEST FOR `BEST VALUE'
Hampshire Governor Services, holder of a Government Charter Mark and commended by Ofsted for its 'very good' support to governors, is not being allowed to rest on its laurels. It is part of this year's statutory 'Best Value' reviews by the County Council.
The service is using four Cs to review its performance: Challenge, Compare, Consult and Compete.
The review started at the beginning of the year and has focused on three areas: the administration of governor appointments;, working with partners outside the County Council; the LEA clerking service and the role of the clerk.
The review team includes county councillors, governors, representatives from outside the LEA with wide experience of working with governors, a staff representative and members of Governor Services. Comparative data has been gathered from other LEAs through a questionnaire and a consultative meeting. Consultative meetings have also been held with a representative group of stakeholders and with Governor Services staff.
A final report and action plan will go before county councillors at the end of the year for approval.
Governors will be kept informed of progress. Where the improvements require changes that will impact on the way services are provided to governors, further consultation will take place.
Bob West, Best Value project manager
THE VIRTUES OF VIRTUAL SCHOOLS
The 'Virtual Schools' project has been set up to improve the way the County Council communicates with schools - while reducing the bureaucratic burden on schools.
Governors, heads and officers have been involved in identifying where improvements can be made. For example, where possible, information sent to schools should be structured in a standard format.
Proposals being considered by headteachers and governors for introduction during the next three to six months include:
a monthly summary sheet listing all communications issued to schools;
a dedicated website for schools for policies, plans and guidelines (paper versions would still be available where requested);
professional writing courses for officers;
a review of how the LEA organises data requests and more general questionnaires to schools.
A pilot will be run in the second half of the autumn term to test the new processes.
For further information or to contribute your ideas, please contact Sarah Kingston on 01962 846390 or email sarah.kingston@hants.gov.uk
The text of Hampshire Governor can be made available in larger size on request to Governor Services, tel 01962 845706. Hampshire Governor is also available on the web at www.hants.gov.uk/education/governors
Hampshire Governor, Hampshire Governor Services, Hampshire County Council Education, The Castle, Winchester SO23 8UG. Tel 01962 845706.
Prepared and published by
Hampshire County Council
Education Department.
Edited and produced by Bob Poulton, WordWright, Fareham.
Mailed to governors in Hampshire LEA.
Views expressed do not necessarily coincide with those of the LEA. Publication of Hampshire Governor is helped by a government grant specifically directed at the training and information needs of school governors.