Governor Services

Hampshire Governor

Winter 2004. No. 28

This Edition of Hampshire Governor

All the articles from the Winter 2004 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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OUR BOND WITH GOVERNORS REMAINS AS STRONG AS EVER

The close relationship between Hampshire schools and the County Council will continue to flourish and is in no way put at risk by the new DfES five-year strategy for children and learners. The strategy, published in the summer, prompted alarmist media headlines about the future of LEAs and comprehensive schools. But the reality is that comprehensive education will remain alive and well in Hampshire and that the local authority will continue to lead and support the education service, writes county education officer Andrew Seber.

`The County Council's own position is clear, based on its vision of a comprehensive and inclusive education system' Andrew Seber

The DfES sees local authorities as strong strategic leadership for children's services and education; acting as brokers of powerful local partnerships through Children's Trusts; commissioning and developing new services, such as extended schools and `educare'; and acting as the champion of parents and pupils. The role goes across the age range including, for example, making the 14-19 phase work for parents and pupils, in close partnership with local Learning and Skills Councils. Schools will continue to be funded by the LEA, not directly from central government. There will be a move from the mixture of central government block grant and council tax (and some other income) being allocated across all services to one where the block grant is focused on school funding with council tax making up a higher proportion of the money supporting other services.

A great deal has been written and said about `independent specialist Schools'. All schools in Hampshire enjoy independence in the way they operate. Delegation of budgets and responsibilities already means that all categories of schools are responsible for decisions about organisation and management, particularly (and most importantly in terms of finance and impact) staffing.

Much is made of the facility for schools to become foundation schools, but this already exists. The local reality is that there is already a mixture of different categories of school and schools are increasingly working together to raise standards for all.

There have been anxieties about new proposals creating a culture in which some schools might want, unfairly, to shift responsibility for certain groups of pupils on to other schools. However, the DfES says the concept of independent specialist schools is `not a free-for-all in which more state schools are allowed to ban less able children from applying and to turn themselves into elite institutions for the few'. There is no proposal to encourage or extend selective education. The proposals for specialist schools follow what is happening already. The emphasis remains on specialist schools working together and supporting other schools.

The County Council's position is clear, based on its vision of a comprehensive and inclusive education system in which every learner is valued and supported.

USE YOUR WEBSITE

More information about most issues covered in Hampshire Governor is available on the A-Z index of the Governor Services website, www.hants.gov.uk/education/governors If you do not have access to a computer and would like a paper copy of any documents mentioned, contact Claire Bailey on 01962 845846.

PREPARE FOR THIS NEW FREEDOM

How good is your school's records and information system?

Its robustness may be tested under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) which comes fully into force on 1 January 2005.

From then, any individual will be allowed to ask whether a school holds information and also to see it unless an exemption applies. Responses to requests for information have to be made within 20 working days.

Governing bodies will need to:

- ensure that they have a freedom of information publication scheme and policy in place;

- ensure that all staff at the school are aware of the requirements of the FOIA and how the school handles requests for information;

- delegate to the headteacher day-to-day responsibility for implementing the school's policy;

- consider designating an individual to have responsibility for freedom of information;

- consider designating a governing body committee to oversee access to information and review the policy in the light of experience;

- ensure the management system in place for school records is capable of responding to requests within the time limits set.

In relation to information held by governing bodies, they need to note that designating part of their records as confidential will only prevent disclosure of this information following a request if it is covered by one of the exemptions.

BOB WEST, County governor services co-ordinator

Further information on the Freedom of Information Act can be found under F on the A-Z index of our website.

INS AND OUTS OF RECONSTITUTION

Since 1 September 2003, 350 schools have had their new instruments approved by the LEA. That's 65 per cent of all Hampshire schools. The trend for a reduction in governing body size continues there are now 334 fewer governorships in the county than there used to be.

To minimise difficulties for schools over LEA appointments, councillors agreed in August to reappoint automatically to new constitutions anyone whose original appointment was less than 12 months before the new instrument came into force. But this can only happen where places remain for all the people in such positions and where governors concerned are not disqualified under the new regulations e.g. because they do paid work in the school.

During the summer holidays, guidance received from the DfES made clear that minor local authority governors in aided schools are not allowed to serve out their term of office when the governing body reconstitutes because there is no equivalent category of governor in these schools' new constitutions.

Would anyone displaced by this and still willing to serve as a governor please contact Governor Services.

- Earlier this year governors were reminded that anyone appointed or elected on or after 2 September 2003 would cease in law to be a governor when a new instrument came into force.

However, some people are still being caught out by this legislation.

To help those in this situation to continue as governors where a place exists, Governor Services is sending out letters warning their term of office is to end. The letters are generated automatically and cannot explain the particular circumstances. Would governing bodies and clerks please make this clear and reassure those affected that their contribution continues to be valued.

HAZEL ROUND, County governor services co-ordinator

HERE'S HELP ON EMPLOYMENT CHECKS

Is your school carrying out all appropriate pre-employment checks before appointing new members of staff?

Some of these checks are strongly recommended while others are legal musts. Failure to undertake them places heads and governors in a vulnerable situation and may compromise the safety and well-being of pupils and the integrity of teachers.

To help you, Education Personnel Services has devised three recruitment checklists (one each for appointing teaching staff, support staff and volunteers). These are being distributed to all schools with guidance on using them. They take account of the recommendations of the Bichard inquiry into the Soham murders.

Education Personnel Services will be offering workshops for schools in the spring term. Details of the pre-employment checks can be accessed through the governors' website. We are also incorporating into current and future selection and interviewing courses for governors information about undertaking necessary checks. If you have a query, contact lee.mathers@hants.gov.uk

MIND YOUR MINUTES OVER ADMISSIONS

The law requires each local education authority to draw up a co-ordinated admissions scheme, which must include the `national single offer date'. This means all parents applying for their child to be admitted to a Secondary School in September 2005 will receive written notification about their child's place on 1 March 2005 and not before.

Governors need to be careful in discussing these matters at meetings prior to the single offer date as they can inadvertently alert parents through their minutes to admissions outcomes. For example, if the February full governing body minutes record that there have been 200 applications for 220 places, a parent who asks to read those minutes will know before the due date that their child will get a place.

Clerks and chairmen should therefore ensure that any indication of the number of applications received for the places available is part of a confidential minute rather than being recorded in papers available to the public.

CLAIRE CAFRINE, Principal admissions officer

TREAT DISABLED PUPILS FAIRLY...

One Hampshire school has had to defend itself at a tribunal against a claim of disability discrimination. Another has been the subject of an appeal against a permanent exclusion on the grounds of disability discrimination.

So it's timely to remind governing bodies to be aware of their responsibilities under the Disability Discrimination Act and the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Act.

They have to ensure their school does not treat disabled pupils less favourably than other pupils, and to make reasonable adjustments to ensure a disabled pupil is not placed at a substantial disadvantage. There is a legal definition of disability and it is important that governing bodies are aware of this.

Areas which you might need to look at include: part-time attendance (for example, a child who is not toilet-trained or whose behaviour is difficult to manage); participation in after-school activities; school trips; administration of medication; exclusion (including lunchtime); relying on parents to provide support for their child in the classroom.

You are advised to get the code of practice, which is available through the Governors' website.

...AND HELP BUILD COMMUNITIES

Schools have been given statutory duties to help create cohesive communities by promoting race relations and eliminating discrimination.

To help governing bodies, the Home Office has developed the Community Cohesion Standards for Schools. These aim to close the attainment gap, develop a common set of values of citizenship and remove barriers.

SPECIAL FOCUS ON WORKFORCE REMODELLING

TACKLING WORKLOAD AND IMPROVING THE LEARNING PROCESS

Workforce Remodelling was billed by the Government as a way of `raising standards and tackling workload'. Improving teachers' work/life balance and enhancing the role of support staff are important elements in the programme. But the potential to improve the learning process is even more significant. Governing bodies have reason to promote remodelling because of the benefits for pupils as well as staff. Hampshire Governor visited two schools that are leading the way in implementing changes.

`IT'S NOT ABOUT AN EASY LIFE'

Norwood Primary School Eastleigh

Norwood Primary has set up a school change team to focus on workforce remodelling. It consists of headteacher Donna Shave, governor Tessa Margrie, a teacher, a member of the office staff, a learning support assistant and a parent.

It identified its first priority as better management of resources. In the widest sense this encompasses staff, materials and time. The team decided to start with the materials used in teaching and have been working on a `resources map' to plot where all items should be kept and how they should be accessed and returned.

`This will avoid the need to worry about whether there are enough pots of paint or whatever, and free up staff time to do the more important things,' said Tessa.

An example of the importance of resources came in Norwood¹s post-Ofsted action plan two years ago, which included motivating children more strongly to read. The school realised it was short of inspirational children's books. Remedying this was one factor in a 19 per cent advance in English performance at Key Stage 2.

Donna insists that workforce remodelling is about improving children's learning much more than making life easier for staff. `Life will never be easy,' she points out. `What we are talking about is transforming the way we work in school because teachers feel there are not enough hours in the day to really enrich pupils' learning.

`I have inherited a superb learning support team. One of my key aims has been to maximise their potential, so they feel fulfilled and are motivated to give more. For instance, our librarian now organises the school's Book Week and has been taking guided reading groups. Four learning support assistants have trained in raising children¹s self-esteem and have cascaded that to the rest of the support team. We have tried to create more time and space for teachers. All are already getting 10 per cent PPA [planning, preparation and assessment] time which allows them to think about the week ahead.'

Even more time has been created for teachers to train together in school time. So far this has been achieved by Donna taking half the school, along with learning support assistants, in family group learning projects, such as making robots from junk materials.

`I want to blow away the idea that education has to be about 30 children sitting in a classroom,' she says. `If people outside school have developed flexible working and different ways of doing things, there is no reason why schools should not do so too. There's no single model, no one size that fits all.'

`A CATALYST FOR CHANGES THAT WE WANTED TO MAKE'

Park Community, Havant

For headteacher Sean Dickinson and the governors of Park Community School, there are two aspects to workforce remodelling: first, what the law requires; second, the opportunities created by more flexible ways of working. And the second is vastly more important than the first.

Park Community School is introducing a raft of innovations including:

- Changing the shape of the school day, introducing staggered breaks and 75-minute sessions what Sean calls `creating a 21st-century working environment'. This results in less pupil movement, better order and the development of personal maturity and independent learning, which is especially important for students in the insular world of Leigh Park, created after the Second World War as the largest council estate in Europe.

- Being more creative in the deployment of staff, making the most of the expertise available an example could be putting one teacher in charge of two groups, aided by two support staff and in the process throwing open the debate on school improvement.

- Appointing cover supervisors to supervise activities and higher level teaching assistants to give teachers greater support; creating time for staff to meet and discuss and plan, including closing an hour early one day per week.

Sean prefers the word `development' to `remodelling'. `What this has introduced to the culture of the school is a greater team approach, involving support staff with teachers. For instance this term we will be reviewing marking and assessment; we are likely to move towards teachers assessing key objectives and support staff doing more tick-box marking.

`We have also enhanced the role of the school administrative officer to manage the site team and personnel functions, which frees up the leadership team to focus on the big picture.'

Fred Deeks, chairman of governors at Park Community, said workforce remodelling had acted as a catalyst for changes that the school had wanted to bring in.

`The vision has come from Sean and the leadership team,' said Fred. `The governors have supported their initiatives and been careful to ensure that both the ancillary and the teaching staff are comfortable with the changes.'

STATUTORY TIMETABLE

1 SEPTEMBER 2003

- No teachers doing clerical/ admin tasks.

- Time for teachers with management responsibilities.

- Provision for headteachers' work-life balance.

1 SEPTEMBER 2004

- Limit on teachers providing cover.

1 SEPTEMBER 2005

- 10 per cent PPA (planning, preparation and assessment) time for teachers.

- No teachers invigilating exams.

- Provision of dedicated headship time.

THE FAMILY KEY TO LEARNING

Families are the foundation of learning and parents are the first teachers of their children. Schools can help parents in this role through the Skills for Families project.

Skills for Families is being run in 19 local education authorities including Hampshire.

It aims to extend family literacy, language and numeracy. There are benefits for both parents and children.

Hampshire's Adult and Community Learning Unit supports and manages family learning provision. After the success of family learning in Early Years and Key Stages 1 and 2, it is now being extended into Key Stages 3 and 4 as part of the Skills for Families project.

Governing bodies can ensure this important area of work is part of the school development and improvement agenda.

For further information , contact Kerry Longhorn, family learning teacher adviser, on 01962 845470 or 077181 46326, email kerry.longhorn@hants.gov.uk

SPECIAL WEB PAGES FOR CLERKS

There's a new section for clerks to governing bodies on the governors' website. It includes information on the Clerks' Accreditation Programme. Click the bottom link on our homepage, `Hampshire governors click here', and enter your governor ID (if you do not already know your ID there is a link to `complete the governor ID request form'). Your `home' postcode may be that of the school if you have registered your address with us c/o school. If you have any problems in accessing the site contact claire.e.bailey@hants gov.uk or ring 01962 845846.

NEW WAYS TO RECYCLE WASTE

From April 2005, all Hampshire schools will be able to join a new contract, set up by County Supplies, for separate collection of waste and recyclables paper, cardboard, junk mail, cans and plastic bottles. This is an excellent opportunity to be part of a countywide initiative to use resources efficiently and reduce landfill; schools could make a real difference.

Detailed information will be with schools in November and governors are asked to encourage their schools to sign up. Schools should check current arrangements, to allow notice for the termination of existing contracts.

The new contract will give some protection against future increases in the cost of waste disposal resulting from new regulations and landfill tax increases. It will also meet the County Council¹s requirements on indemnity cover, health and safety.

For more information please contact Julie Price at County Supplies on 01962 826910 or julie.price@hants.gov.uk

DYSLEXIA EVENT

A conference on dyslexia, for heads and special needs staff, may also be of interest to governors. It's about `becoming a dyslexia-friendly school' and will be held on 14-15 March 2005 at Sparsholt College near Winchester. As this is not a Governor Services event, the cost of attendance will have to be met from the school budget. For information, contact Tracey Hunt on 01962 874805.

WHAT'S NEW WITH OFSTED?

The last issue of Hampshire Governor reported on how Hampshire schools were faring under the Ofsted framework that came into force in September 2003. Now that we have had a full year's experience of the framework, we can learn some lessons.

The table below shows how governing bodies have performed, term by term. VG is very good or excellent, G is good, S is satisfactory and U is unsatisfactory or worse.

Hampshire Inspections (all schools)

	Total	VG	G	S	U
Autumn 2003	42	12	14	10	4
Spring 2004	40	9	20	7	6
Summer 2004	37	15	11	11	0

Overall, governance is very strong, the majority of governing bodies being graded good or better. However, three out of 16 secondary governing bodies were unsatisfactory statistically a small sample but it serves as something of a warning.

Perhaps of most interest is the change through the school year in the number of governing bodies graded unsatisfactory falling to zero in the summer term. Early on, it was clear that inspectors were not letting governing bodies off the hook if they were failing to fulfil statutory responsibilities. This was mainly regarding the curriculum RE, Technology, ICT, and PE were often cited. The failure to provide a daily act of collective worship was reported but did not impact the grade for governance on its own. There were also schools that were not achieving, where the governing body was not providing challenge and support or holding the school to account.

There are two factors for the improvement by the summer. First, governing bodies have learned that they need to fulfil the criteria laid out in the Ofsted descriptors. Second, there is some evidence that inspectors have eased off somewhat in insisting that all statutory requirements must be met for governance to be satisfactory or better.

A new, shorter Ofsted inspection will be introduced next year. This will apply only four grades: very good (replacing excellent and very good), good, adequate (replacing satisfactory) and not adequate (replacing unsatisfactory, poor and very poor).

Some Hampshire schools have already piloted the shorter inspections. In these, there has been less focus on governance than under the present inspection regime. Governance is assessed within a broader field of leadership in the school rather than against descriptors of its own. It is nevertheless still advisable for governing bodies to work with the current descriptors in measuring their own effectiveness, as these will remain the best yardstick for some years.

PHIL HAND, Governor services co-ordinator, western area

FOCUS ON THE 14-19 LEARNERS

The Tomlinson report, published in October, calls on secondary schools and colleges to deliver `inclusiveness, challenge, quality and choice' for all learners aged 14-19. Hampshire County Council and the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Learning and Skills Council have already drafted a strategy to develop 14-19 education and training as a single phase. Schools were involved in the working party that drew it up; the draft went out for consultation last June, taking account of Tomlinson's interim report in February.

In Hampshire, just over 85 per cent of learners remain in education or training beyond the age of 16. Although this is slightly above the national figure, there are considerable variations between areas.

The two bodies believe the development of coherent, high-quality and effective education and training opportunities for all learners, wherever they live in Hampshire, has to be a shared responsibility.

There are already many partnerships between schools, colleges and training providers in the county. Programmes for learners between the ages of 14 and 19 have been stimulated by the development of nine Increased Flexibility partnerships, the award of 14-19 Pathfinder status by the DfES in 2003/4, an Education Action Zone and AimHigher partnerships.

The final version of the strategy, which will take account of feedback received on the draft and of the more detailed guidance in Tomlinson's final report, will be published early in 2005. It will be accompanied by an action plan for the next three years.

MELANIE SAUNDERS, Secondary education officer

REVIEWING EXCLUSIONS

Governors have an important role in setting and monitoring schools' behaviour policy and in providing support and challenge to the headteacher at governing body exclusion review meetings.

Revised guidance from the DfES stresses that `it is very important that governors who are called upon to review exclusions receive training to equip them to discharge their duties properly'.

After a change in the law last year, governors have a duty to review all permanent exclusions and fixed-term exclusions which add up to more than 16 days in any one term. If a parent wishes to make representations about a shorter exclusion, governors should also be prepared to meet to hear these.

Pupil discipline meetings can be subject to judicial review. A judge has said: `A pupil discipline committee is not a token committee. It most certainly is not there to rubber-stamp the head's decision.'

It is important for governors to act impartially at such meetings so that natural justice prevails. Exclusion paperwork should be scrutinised before the meeting so that appropriate questions can be asked on the day.

It is good practice for governing bodies to periodically monitor exclusion statistics, comparing with previous years and other local schools.

JULIA HAMLIN, Exclusions officer

RUN A CHECK

If you want to know how well your service is performing, go to the homepage of the governors' website. By clicking the last bullet point, you can see the results of customer surveys, statistical information on vacancies and training, and a summary of complaints

GET TO KNOW THE NEW RE SYLLABUS

The new agreed syllabus for religious education, Living Difference, is now the statutory basis for RE in Hampshire schools. Ofsted will make judgments on the quality of the subject based on this document.

It is important for governors to be aware how this syllabus differs from those that have gone before. It has a distinctive approach based upon conceptual enquiry. It will have to be implemented over a period of time, as teachers become familiar with the methodology for teaching and learning, gain ownership of it themselves, try it out with their classes, and start to alter their planning accordingly.

This approach needs to be supported by in-service development for teachers. Governors can help to ensure this happens in their schools by asking these questions:

- Has a member of the teaching staff been on an Implementing the Agreed Syllabus course?

- Has a presentation to the governors on the syllabus been arranged?

- Has your school started to construct a development plan based on the syllabus?

- Does the development plan include appropriate in-house training for all teachers of RE in the school?

- Does it include making links across primary and secondary to ensure coherent progression of pupils' learning?

- Is the development of religious education in your school being supported by calling on HIAS¹s dedicated RE inspectors to help with revised planning and observation of teaching?

The new agreed syllabus also identifies how much curriculum time should be given to RE at each key stage.

CLIVE ERRICKER, County inspector for religious education

CONNEXIONS DESERVES OUR SUPPORT

David Wiltshire, chairman of governors at Bay House School, Gosport, tells why governing bodies should support South Central Connexions, on which he serves as a governor representative.

Connexions appeared in the nick of time! One night a family with three young children needed help in moving to a single bedroom at a guest house. Soon clothes and plastic bags of food were being carried up a long flight of stairs. Bright and inquisitive, the oldest boy will soon be entering secondary education, with its demands and life choices to be made. The need for a `connected up' service to support and direct young people is starkly apparent.

As governors, we are well aware of the pressures facing young people peer pressure, bullying, even the expectations of parents and teachers. The wider scene outside of school, the scourge of binge drinking, and the role models offered through the media and internet have a disturbing influence on the behaviour of those in their teens, and below. The problems that arise in the lives of youngsters growing up in Britain today are the responsibility of us all. The Government¹s response to the communications nightmare of a fragmented array of agencies dealing with children led, in 2001, to the formation of Connexions.

Connexions offers careers advice as well as comprehensive guidance and help for young people, working through its team of personal advisers who visit schools to meet and discuss issues with them. The achievement of Connexions lies in its ability to identify the best help available to meet the specific needs of a child at any one time, and where necessary for this support to pass seamlessly from one agency to another. As a governor I am particularly appreciative of the concept of shared targets, such as school attendance and raising standards.

- Since 1 August 2004, South Central Connexions has been delivering services direct to young people, rather than through contracts with other agencies.

Connexions is available to everyone aged 13 to 19 needing information, advice or support to succeed in education, training or employment. For more about Connexions, go to www.connexions-southcentral.org

A TOOLKIT FOR CHAIRMEN

A national governor development toolkit called Taking the Chair, for chairmen of governing bodies, was launched by the DfES in July. It is built in five modules focusing on:

- the chairman and the headteacher;

- the chairman and the governors;

- leading and managing the work of the governing body;

- supporting strategic leadership;

- ensuring accountability.

Courses for governors in Hampshire already address these areas but a review of our training programmes is under way and Taking the Chair materials will be incorporated.

A distance learning workbook is also available as part of the Taking the Chair programme. This should be particularly helpful for new chairmen unable to attend formal training events.

We would like to evaluate the effectiveness of this workbook and are seeking a small number of new and existing chairmen to use it and provide feedback.

Please email claire.e.bailey@hants.gov.uk to participate in this pilot.

MIKE HISCOCK, Governor services co-ordinator, Fleet

The text of Hampshire Governor can be made available in larger size on request to Governor Services, tel 01962 845846.

Hampshire Governor, Hampshire Governor Services, Hampshire County Council Education, The Castle, Winchester SO23 8UG. Tel 01962 845846.

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.