December 2021
For all Kent and Medway Governors, Trustees, Clerks and School Leaders Please ensure this newsletter, also published on GovernorHub & The Education People website, is a standing agenda item for both your Full Governing Board, Trustee & Committee meetings. Welcome to our December Newsletter
Dear Governors and Clerks I find myself reiterating messages from the previous pinch points in the school year yet again at this time. We are still facing the challenges of the pandemic with it continually taking on new forms and the old adage of “the only constant is change” is never more pertinent. Alongside challenges in your personal and professional lives, Ofsted are back adding their share of challenges to your governance life. We put together in November’s newsletter some excerpts from recent Ofsted reports which identify gaps in governance, please do take another look; we hope you find these useful in your own preparation especially if you are in the Ofsted inspection window and if not, these are areas of development that may provoke discussion in your future meetings. Thank you for your continued support, for now training will remain virtual and we hope that we will be able to introduce some face to face contact as soon as possible to allow for the blended offer. In the new year we will have news on our conferences; Chairs, Clerks and Governors so keep an eye out for those messages. I hope you all have a safe, healthy and peaceful Christmas and I would like to thank you and all of my team at Governor Services for all they continue to do in supporting education and young people in Kent, Medway and beyond. With very best wishes for Christmas and 2022, we are stronger together. Suzanne Mayes
INSIDE THIS ISSUE Teachers’ Pay ............................... 2 Governor Training ........................ 2 DfE - School Governance ........... 2 DfE - School Uniforms ................... 3 DfE - School Attendance ............ 3 DfE - Support Directory ................ 3 DfE - Self Assessment Checklist ... 3 DfE - Covid-19 Update ................ 3 DfE - Pupil Absence ..................... 3 CYPE - Parent Governor Representatives............................ 3
Department for Education School Governance Update
School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document 2021
These updates contain important news and communications from the DfE relating to governance in maintained schools and academy trusts in England; they are for anyone involved in school and trust governance who wants to know the latest messages from the DfE, such as: - governors - trustees - chairs - governance professionals members - anyone else involved in the governance of schools and trusts in England
STPCD 2021
Ofsted Updates
Any pay recommendation or decision should only be made after the completion of the appraisal review meeting and any pay award should be backdated to 1 September.
Amanda Spielman at the 2021 Schools & Academies Show
The 2021 School teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document (STPCD) has now been published by the DfE. In line with the government’s decision outlined in the STPCD, the pay freeze for teachers has resulted in no increase to the minimum and maximum of the ranges contained within the document. The exception to this is the bottom of the unqualified teacher range which has increased by £250. There has also been no change to the values of TLR’s or the value of the SEN allowances. Although there has been no change to the minimum and maximum of the other teaching ranges there is still the opportunity for teaching staff to receive a pay increase based on evidence of performance and in accordance with the schools’ own pay policy. Cantium Service-Now customers can find the latest pay policy here. Schools should ensure all pay decisions are informed by evidence of performance as provided by the appraisal process.
The Education People Governor Training – face to face sessions - update We are very much looking forward to a return to face-to-face training where possible; in order to keep everyone safe, please could we remind you of the following: - Please wear a mask if/where possible. - You should carry out a lateral flow test (LFT) the evening before or morning before attending any training. - In the event of a positive LFT, you must not attend. Please contact the CPD team as soon as possible to discuss alternative training arrangements/options. - If you have any symptoms of Covid-19, including a new and continuous cough, a temperature or a loss and taste and/or smell, you must not attend. Please contact the CPD team as soon as possible to discuss alternative training arrangements/ options. This checklist aims to help everyone work safely together during the COVID-19 pandemic. Regardless of completion of risk assessments or preparation, face-to-face training should not be undertaken if you or someone in your home has symptoms of COVID19, or if you have been advised to self-isolate by the NHS Track and Trace protocol. You are responsible for your own safety. If additional arrangements are needed, please raise them as appropriate with either your employer or the venue, or please contact us to discuss further. Please ensure you are complying with the latest, most relevant government COVID-19 guidance (as applicable). This will include government guidance for schools and public events. Please note and follow the venue’s COVID-19 requirements, including those for track and trace.
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Children, Young People and Education (CYPE) Parent Governor Representatives Kent County Council are pleased to announce the names of the two new Parent Governor Representatives on KCC’s Scrutiny Committee and Children’s Young People and Education (CYPE) Cabinet Committee. Anthonia Moses and Grégoire Godin will be joining the committees in 2022, subject to confirmation from KCC’s Selection and Member Services Committee in January 2022. The CYPE Cabinet Committee considers relevant items and provides advice to the Cabinet Member, the Scrutiny Committee is a statutory committee at which elected councillors hold the Cabinet to account for policy decisions they have made. Further details on both committees can be found on our website.
Department for Education Covid-19 guidance update The DfE frequently updates the covid-19 guidance; the update includes contact tracing and isolation, travel and quarantine, face coverings and vaccination of under 18 year olds to reflect new measures announced on 27 November 2021.
Department for Education School Uniforms - Statutory Guidance action required The cost of school uniforms statutory guidance provides information on school uniform policy and managing uniform suppliers to ensure the cost of school uniforms is reasonable. This school uniforms guidance sets out how schools should develop their school uniform policy; it may be of interest to parents, school uniform suppliers and retailers; it should be read alongside the statutory guidance on the cost of school uniforms (link provided above). - Governing board must have regard to this guidance when developing and implementing their uniform policy. - Governing boards will also need to ensure that in developing and implementing their uniform policy, they comply with the Human Rights Act 1998 and Equality Act 2010 and take into account key considerations such as safeguarding requirements and the health and safety of their pupils.
School-to-School Support Directory There are now many opportunities for school leaders and governors to work with and receive support from their peers; system leadership school-to-school support can be provided by: - teaching school hubs (TSH) - teaching schools (TS) - national leaders of education (NLEs) - national leaders of governance (NLGs) - local leaders of education (LLEs) - specialist leaders of education (SLEs) More information is available at the following links: Get school-to-school support from system leaders School to school support directory
Pupil Absence: New Measures Announced to Reduce Pupil Absence The Education Secretary has committed to make school attendance a top priority; new expert attendance advisers with decades of first-hand experience are to begin work to reduce pupil absence.
School Resource Management SelfAssessment Checklist The self-assessment checklist for academy trusts has been amended; the date shown in ‘submit your checklist’ has been changed from 15 April 2022 to 15 March 2022.
Schools’ Views: Benefits and Obstacles to Joining Academy Trusts This DfE report presents the results of a survey designed to understand the experiences and perceptions of schools about multi-academy trusts (MATs); it was designed to answer 3 key questions: - what are the experiences of
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schools or academies that have joined a MAT in the last couple of years? why have maintained
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schools decided not to convert to join a MAT? why have standalone academies not joined or formed a MAT?
School Attendance Guidance – updated This guidance has been updated to enable the recording of pupils who are a close contact with someone who has
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Governor Services We can support all of your governance needs through our shared values; - Moral purpose - People first - Stronger Together - Excellence - Spirit of Innovation - Integrity
This is why we are “Better Together”
Head of Governor Services: suzanne.mayes@theeducationpeople.org
Governor Services Room G83 Sessions House Maidstone ME14 1XQ Tel: 03000 417979
Area Governance Officers: North Kent & Medway (Dartford, Gravesham, Sevenoaks, Medway): jude.johnson@theeducationpeople.org South Kent (Ashford, Dover, Folkestone and Hythe): tina.gimber@theeducationpeople.org East Kent (Canterbury, Swale, Thanet): lorraine.monkhouse@theeducationpeople.org West & Senior AGO, (Maidstone, Tonbridge and Malling, Tunbridge Wells), Clerking Service Strategic Lead: julia.durcan@theeducationpeople.org Governor Services: governorservices@theeducationpeople.org Clerking Service: clerkingservice@theeducationpeople.org Training Enquiries: governorservicestraining@theeducationpeople.org