Poor behaviour and attendance may be linked to personal challenges that pupils may be facing or, in some cases, influences from outside the school. School Governors should be aware of any impact these may have for individuals/families or groups of pupils and of how to look at how these could be addressed. Behaviour and attendance could be addressed as part of a resources/finance/staffing and/or teaching and learning/curriculum committee meeting.
What is your school’s agreed attendance target?
What is the overall level of attendance?
Does the school have an Attendance Policy and when was it updated?
What is the level of persistent absence (children with attendance of 80% and below)?
How many persistently absent (PA) pupils are there?
ool
Who are the PA pupils? i.e. SEN, CIC (LAC), Behavioural needs.
What resources are in place to support them and how frequently are they monitored?
What strategies/interventions does your school use to improve attendance?
How is the impact of these interventions measured and how often are they reviewed?
Are all staff aware of their responsibilities regarding attendance in school and is there a senior member of staff allocated to attendance?
The governing body should be aware of the attendance levels and the level of persistent absence
in school.
School Governors should be familiar with their school’s agreed attendance target and should monitor the progress the school is making towards it.
The governing body should consider having a named governor with special responsibility for attendance.
Advice & Questions from Manchester's Great-Governance.org at http://great-governance.org.uk/governance-tools/ask-the-right-questions/#leadership
Sunday, 3 April 2011
Saturday, 2 April 2011
Induction Policy for New School Governors
Model Induction Policy for New School Governors
The Governing Body and Headteacher believe it is essential that all new governors receive a comprehensive induction package covering a broad range of issues and topics. There is a commitment to ensure that the new governors are given the necessary information and support to fulfil their role with confidence. The process is seen as an investment, leading to more effective governance and retention of governors.
PURPOSE
• To welcome new governors to the Governing Body and enable them to meet other members
• To encourage new governors to visit the school to experience its atmosphere and understand its ethos
• To meet the Headteacher, staff and children
• To explain the partnership between the Headteacher, school and Governing Body
• To explain the role and responsibilities of governors
• To give background material on the school and current issues
• To allow new governors to ask questions about their role and/or the school
• To explain how the Governing Body and its committees work
• To allow new governors to join the committee(s) of their choice
New governors will:
• Be welcomed to the Governing Body by the Chair
• Be invited by the Headteacher to visit the school
• Have the opportunity to tour the school and meet staff and children
• Receive an informal briefing on the school from the Headteacher and/or Chair
• Be asked to complete a CRB check and declaration
• Have the opportunity to meet informally with an existing governor who will then act as their mentor
• Be accompanied by their mentor to their first full Governing Body meeting (if required)
• Have the opportunity to review their first meeting with the mentor
New governors will receive:
• The DfE “Guide to the Law for Governors”
• The school’s “Induction Pack/Welcome Pack for School Governors”
• The School Development Plan
• The Local Authority Governor Services’ Welcome Pack and governor training programme
• Minutes of the last full Governing Body meeting and details of the Governing Body committees including their terms of reference
• Dates for future governors’ meetings including committee meetings
• Details of how to contact the other governors
• Details of how to contact the school including the e-mail address
• Recent school newsletters
New governors are also recommended to read:
• The latest Ofsted report
• The school prospectus
• Policy documents relevant to committee membership
• School Website
• The Governor Monitoring Visits Policy
• Governors Expenses Policy
Areas that the Chair of Governors/mentor will cover include:
• Background to the school
• Current issues facing the school
• Visiting the school
• The relationship between the Headteacher and Governing Body
• An overview of the governor’s role (including a mention of confidentiality and acronyms!)
• How the full Governing Body and committee meetings are conducted
• How to propose agenda items
• Governor training
New governor checklist
Induction procedure
Welcomed to the Governing Body by the Chair
Invited by the Headteacher/Chair of Governors to visit the school
Toured the school and met staff and children
Completed identification process for CRB check or declaration
Received an informal briefing on the school from the Head or Chair
Assigned/met informally with an existing governor (who will act as mentor)
Have you received?
DfE “Guide to the Law for Governors”
Induction Pack/Welcome Pack for School Governors” (including school map)
The School Development Plan
The Local Authority Governor Services’ Welcome Pack and governor training programme
Minutes of the last full Governing Body meeting and details of the Governing Body committees including their terms of reference
Dates for future governors’ meetings including committees
Details of how to contact the other governors
Details of how to contact the school (including the e-mail addresses)
Recent School newsletters
Latest Ofsted report
Web address of School Website
Governor Monitoring Visits Policy
Governor Expenses Policy
Financial Regulations and Scheme of Delegation (Resources Committee)
Has Chair of Governors or Headteacher covered?
Background to the school
Current issues facing the school
Visiting the school
Overview of the governor’s role
Relationship between the Headteacher and Governing Body
Completion of Business Interests Form
Have you had the opportunity to review your first GB meeting with the mentor?
The Governing Body and Headteacher believe it is essential that all new governors receive a comprehensive induction package covering a broad range of issues and topics. There is a commitment to ensure that the new governors are given the necessary information and support to fulfil their role with confidence. The process is seen as an investment, leading to more effective governance and retention of governors.
PURPOSE
• To welcome new governors to the Governing Body and enable them to meet other members
• To encourage new governors to visit the school to experience its atmosphere and understand its ethos
• To meet the Headteacher, staff and children
• To explain the partnership between the Headteacher, school and Governing Body
• To explain the role and responsibilities of governors
• To give background material on the school and current issues
• To allow new governors to ask questions about their role and/or the school
• To explain how the Governing Body and its committees work
• To allow new governors to join the committee(s) of their choice
New governors will:
• Be welcomed to the Governing Body by the Chair
• Be invited by the Headteacher to visit the school
• Have the opportunity to tour the school and meet staff and children
• Receive an informal briefing on the school from the Headteacher and/or Chair
• Be asked to complete a CRB check and declaration
• Have the opportunity to meet informally with an existing governor who will then act as their mentor
• Be accompanied by their mentor to their first full Governing Body meeting (if required)
• Have the opportunity to review their first meeting with the mentor
New governors will receive:
• The DfE “Guide to the Law for Governors”
• The school’s “Induction Pack/Welcome Pack for School Governors”
• The School Development Plan
• The Local Authority Governor Services’ Welcome Pack and governor training programme
• Minutes of the last full Governing Body meeting and details of the Governing Body committees including their terms of reference
• Dates for future governors’ meetings including committee meetings
• Details of how to contact the other governors
• Details of how to contact the school including the e-mail address
• Recent school newsletters
New governors are also recommended to read:
• The latest Ofsted report
• The school prospectus
• Policy documents relevant to committee membership
• School Website
• The Governor Monitoring Visits Policy
• Governors Expenses Policy
Areas that the Chair of Governors/mentor will cover include:
• Background to the school
• Current issues facing the school
• Visiting the school
• The relationship between the Headteacher and Governing Body
• An overview of the governor’s role (including a mention of confidentiality and acronyms!)
• How the full Governing Body and committee meetings are conducted
• How to propose agenda items
• Governor training
New governor checklist
Induction procedure
Welcomed to the Governing Body by the Chair
Invited by the Headteacher/Chair of Governors to visit the school
Toured the school and met staff and children
Completed identification process for CRB check or declaration
Received an informal briefing on the school from the Head or Chair
Assigned/met informally with an existing governor (who will act as mentor)
Have you received?
DfE “Guide to the Law for Governors”
Induction Pack/Welcome Pack for School Governors” (including school map)
The School Development Plan
The Local Authority Governor Services’ Welcome Pack and governor training programme
Minutes of the last full Governing Body meeting and details of the Governing Body committees including their terms of reference
Dates for future governors’ meetings including committees
Details of how to contact the other governors
Details of how to contact the school (including the e-mail addresses)
Recent School newsletters
Latest Ofsted report
Web address of School Website
Governor Monitoring Visits Policy
Governor Expenses Policy
Financial Regulations and Scheme of Delegation (Resources Committee)
Has Chair of Governors or Headteacher covered?
Background to the school
Current issues facing the school
Visiting the school
Overview of the governor’s role
Relationship between the Headteacher and Governing Body
Completion of Business Interests Form
Have you had the opportunity to review your first GB meeting with the mentor?
Friday, 1 April 2011
School Governor Visits
Every Governing Body has a statutory responsibility to establish and monitor its school’s policies and evaluate the effectiveness of the school and its curriculum.
School Governors are also held to account for their own school’s performance.
Ofsted assumes that Governors know the strengths and weaknesses of the school, and will test that assumption during a school inspection.
One of the best and most effective ways in which a Governor can get to know about their school is to visit during the school day and see it at work, talking to staff and pupils and finding out what happens in the school and the classrooms.
If school and classroom visits are done well they will add immeasurably to Governors’ understanding of their school, its staff and its pupils.
WHY VISIT?
It also allows Governors to focus on particular areas, eg:
• the management of the school’s resources
• the condition of the building and its use
• the development of teaching and support staff
• a specific subject area
• a particular year group or class
By visiting school and becoming better informed Governors will be:
• more aware of the needs of the school
• more able to approach staff to meet those needs
• well placed to bring to the Local Authority or Diocese any matters of concern
• in a good position to support the school in its community
WHAT ARE GOVERNORS’ VISITS NOT ABOUT?
The main point to emphasise is that Governors’ visits to classroom are not a form of inspection in terms of making judgements about the professional expertise of members of staff, especially with regard to the quality of teaching.
A school visit is also not about:
• Checking on the progress of your own or known children
• Monopolising staff time
• Arriving with inflexible or pre-conceived ideas
• Pursuing personal agendas or issues.
More details about School governor Visits together with a model policy, a model visit form and do's and don't can be found here from Doncaster Metropolitan Council
http://www.doncaster.gov.uk/Images/School%20Governors%20Visits%20to%20School_tcm2-62421.pdf
School Governors are also held to account for their own school’s performance.
Ofsted assumes that Governors know the strengths and weaknesses of the school, and will test that assumption during a school inspection.
One of the best and most effective ways in which a Governor can get to know about their school is to visit during the school day and see it at work, talking to staff and pupils and finding out what happens in the school and the classrooms.
If school and classroom visits are done well they will add immeasurably to Governors’ understanding of their school, its staff and its pupils.
WHY VISIT?
It also allows Governors to focus on particular areas, eg:
• the management of the school’s resources
• the condition of the building and its use
• the development of teaching and support staff
• a specific subject area
• a particular year group or class
By visiting school and becoming better informed Governors will be:
• more aware of the needs of the school
• more able to approach staff to meet those needs
• well placed to bring to the Local Authority or Diocese any matters of concern
• in a good position to support the school in its community
WHAT ARE GOVERNORS’ VISITS NOT ABOUT?
The main point to emphasise is that Governors’ visits to classroom are not a form of inspection in terms of making judgements about the professional expertise of members of staff, especially with regard to the quality of teaching.
A school visit is also not about:
• Checking on the progress of your own or known children
• Monopolising staff time
• Arriving with inflexible or pre-conceived ideas
• Pursuing personal agendas or issues.
More details about School governor Visits together with a model policy, a model visit form and do's and don't can be found here from Doncaster Metropolitan Council
http://www.doncaster.gov.uk/Images/School%20Governors%20Visits%20to%20School_tcm2-62421.pdf
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