For all Kent and Medway Governors, Trustees, Clerks and School Leaders
Welcome to our May Monthly Bulletin
Please ensure this bulletin, also published on GovernorHub and The Education People website, is a standing agenda item for both your Full Governing Board, Trustee and Committee meetings.
Dear Governors, Trustees, Governance Professionals and Clerks
I hope you all enjoyed the Coronation weekend and the celebrations that followed. The Big Help Out was something I really enjoyed and as volunteers doing amazing jobs in our schools I would like to reiterate my thanks to each and every one of you.
I wanted to share some feedback with you from the recent conferences which were enjoyed by all who attended both face to face and virtually.
“Some truly eye-opening insight's to the challenges faced by many families today and good practical steps we can take to save money in school.”
“Ruth and Lorna both shed light on the wider community impact of our economic climate, and about the judgments we bring to our observations of community conditions and our children within them. They challenged our assumptions and pointed out common blind spots.”
“Great breadth of topics with clear focus, lots of take aways. Excellent speakers, great pace and time management.”
“Loads of information. More insight into a critical subject. Questions to take away and challenge.”
“How from a strategic role of FGB in ensuring phonics is delivered and children are enabled to be competent readers.”
I would like to take the opportunity of wishing you a restful half term break at the end of this month and look forward to working with you all again in Term 6.
Assessment and Moderation
When reviewing and taking account of information shared by school leaders, boards should assure for clarity and subsequent questioning, that assessment moderation arrangements have been reviewed and are robust.
It has come to our attention that the assessment and moderation relationships between some schools and collaborations have been in operation for a long time.
When did your board last question these arrangements?
Is it time for your school to review its arrangements, perhaps moving from a long standing, potentially comfortable group?
Headteacher Performance Management Training for Governors
Thursday 13 July 2023 6pm - 8pm
It is recommended that all governors undertaking the appraisal of their headteacher should have received appropriate training.
Whether you are a new to the performance management panel or just feel you would benefit from a refresher session this training is for you!
This live webinar will take a step-by-step approach so that you know how to effectively conduct your headteacher’s performance management review and target setting meeting.
The tutor will be Jenny Jones, Improvement Adviser, South Kent
May 2023
Governor Services
Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) - DBS and 128 checks
Further to a number of enquiries, we would like to draw your attention the requirements for both Disclosure and Baring Service and 128 checks detailed in full in KCSIE 2022
Secretary of State section 128 direction p68 -
256. A section 128 direction prohibits or restricts an unsuitable individual from participating in the management of an independent school, including academies and free schools
260. A person subject to a section 128 direction is also disqualified from holding or continuing to hold office as a governor of a maintained school.
Maintained School governors p78
313. Governors in maintained schools are required to have an enhanced DBS check.
315. Schools should also carry out a section 128 check for school governors, because a person prevented from participating in the management of an independent school by a section 128 direction, is also disqualified from being a governor of a maintained school.
Actions for Boards:
review KCSIE 2022 for full information and requirements seek clarification that all checks are in place regularly monitor that checks are in place, especially when new members join the board ensure all Governor Statutory Information and Legal Declarations are complete
review Academy Trust Handbook- Being transparent about your governance
review GovernorHub, resources, Clerk and Governor resources doc. 011 - Governor Statutory Information and Legal Declaration Form
ensure all requirements for statutory governance information is in place on both the school website ( LA maintained schools Academies, free schools and colleges )and GIAS
Ofsted Inspection Information and Feedback
We are pleased to be able to provide information about and from Ofsted inspections; we hope that this will be helpful to you when considering actions and areas of focus for your governing board:
Ofsted strategy
There is an accelerated inspection cycle so that all schools are inspected by July 2025
In 2022/23 academic year, Ofsted are likely to inspect good schools only 6 to 8 terms later than usual (around 5 years after their last inspection)
The first inspections for Requires Improvement and Inadequate schools since the pandemic began, are currently extended by 10 to 12 terms (around four years from their last inspection)
There is a shift in how Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is reviewed. The EYFS (educational programmes) provides the framework that leaders build on. Leaders decide what they have identified as essential knowledge and skills that children need to learn and develop.
Focus on reading fluency in both primary and secondary
In Addition to Reading and Phonics the Following Issues have been Identified
Staff keeping records of concerns separate to safeguarding records e.g. FLO/ SENCO; All concerns must be held in one single record
Concerns around attendance e.g. records of concern linked to Persistent Absence of disadvantaged pupils, should be held in the single safeguarding record. Check leaders know how they are ensuring the safety of pupils not in school.
Not all safeguarding is followed up in a timely manner and recorded, including chasing other services and recording outcomes or incomplete records
In the curriculum, leaders have not identified and mapped the essential knowledge and skills that children need in a sequential order that builds year on year. In addition, there is a lack of planned ambition (mapped sequence of learning milestones) in EYFS to help pupils learn and develop and this links to the wider curriculum progression
Schools should have processes for recording low-level concerns about staff
All governors should receive safeguarding training before they ratify safeguarding/child protection policies
Evidence of training in safer recruitment, safeguarding and prevent is undertaken; course certificates should always be available
Weaknesses have been identified in governance monitoring and accountability – 2nd core role of school governance
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Governor Services - Training Opportunities
The Role of the Training and Development Governor - Wednesday 17 May 2023
This role will assist with how the Governing Body will evidence for Ofsted the effectiveness of Governors in discharging their core statutory functions and how committed they are to their own development as governors in order to improve their performance.
Complaints: The Clerks' Role in Leading the Process - Friday 19 May 2023
This course will go through the governance and regulatory advice role of the clerk required throughout the complaint process. Including organising the panel meeting, preparing and distributing the panel pack, managing the panel meeting, documenting and circulating the minutes.
Monitoring Visits - Tuesday 23 May 2023
This course will enable governors to understand why monitoring is important, monitoring for different structures, how visits should be undertaken and the importance of recording evidence and impact.
The Clerks' Role in Managing a Panel Hearing - Thursday 25 May 2023
The aim of this session is to provide clerks with an understanding of the Clerks' role in preparing and managing governing body panel hearings such as exclusion, disciplinary, complaints panels etc. and to support the development of competence and confidence in managing the process.
County Clerks' Briefing - Tuesday 6 June 2023
Updates on legislation, regulations and governance news for both academy trusts and maintained schools
A development focus
Networking and sharing good practice with other clerks
Vision and Values - Wednesday 7 June 2023
This course will explore governing boards’ role in determining a vision and strategic priorities for their school/s in collaboration with senior leaders.
Be Prepared and Knowledgeable for Ofsted (two sessions) - Wednesday 7 June 2023 and Wednesday 14 June 2023
Part 1: Theory - The Ofsted Inspection Framework on Wednesday 7 June 2023 at 12.30pm – 1.30pm.
In this one hour session we will explore the Ofsted Inspection Framework including the different types of inspection.
Part 2: Practical – The interview on Wednesday 14 June 2023 at 6pm - 7pm. Having completed the theory, this practical session, with activities, will focus on the governance Ofsted Interview.
Complaints: What Governors need to know - Tuesday 13 June 2023
Our complaints training has been developed to cover all you need to know. On this course you will gain an understanding of the statutory requirements as well as the practicalities of investigating the complaint and being on a complaints panel.
Questions and Challenge - Thursday 15 June 2023
Focusing on the second core function of governance - holding executive leaders to account for the educational performance of the organisation and its pupils. The efficient and effective performance management of staff.
Introduction to Chairing Skills - Tuesday 20 June 2023
The session gives helpful information to support governors to understand the role of chair within the governing body. It is suitable new and aspiring chairs, vice chairs, committee chairs and any governor interested in learning more about the expectations of the role and how good chairing supports effective governance.
For Governors: An Introduction to Supporting Refugees and Newly Arrived Pupils with English as an Additional Language (EAL) in School - Thursday 22 June 2023
The learning outcomes will be to have a raised awareness for the needs of this group of pupils and to have looked at theory and tools to support good practice.
School Finance: The Role of the Governor in Maintained Schools - Monday 26 June 2023
The session will involve a practical exercise in analysing a school’s budget and how monitoring can be used to plan for the financial future of the school.
The session will also look at the importance of ensuring sound financial management and effective financial planning.
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Department for Education
School Website Updates
In terms of diversity, the membership of each Governing Board is expected to reflect the community it serves. A section has been added regarding what must be published on websites - collecting and publishing governing board diversity data.
What maintained schools must publish online
What academies, free schools and colleges must or should publish online
Academies regulatory and commissioning review
As we move towards an academy trust-led school system the DfE has worked alongside the academies regulatory and commissioning review advisory group to consider how it can change its approach to managing the academies system so that it: supports trusts to realise their full potential delivers better outcomes for children
Ofsted
Securing good Attendance and Tackling Persistent Absence - Ofsted Webinar
In this webinar (50 minutes), the presenters discuss how inspectors look at attendance during a school inspection. They give an overview of the findings from research into how schools secure good attendance and some of the things that schools do when they tackle persistent absence well.
How Multi Academy Trusts are Involved in School Inspections
Further to the press release ‘Trusts an integral part of school inspections’, this report explores multi academy trusts’ responsibilities and how Ofsted evaluates their work in inspections. It presents a picture of how inspectors and trust leaders view the role of the trust in the school inspection system.
National Governance Association (NGA)
Tackling Educational Disadvantage – FREE Resources
Disadvantage in education is consistently reported as one of the biggest challenges that schools and trusts face. Having a clear focus on meeting the needs of disadvantaged pupils, who may need additional support to fulfil their potential, is fundamental to raising standards for all pupils in your school/trust.
NGA has open access (membership not required), to a guidance document and webinar - Widening the lens on disadvantage, together with a suite of toolkits – Ethnicity, Poverty, SEND, Vulnerability, Mental Health and Wellbeing
NGA has launched its 13th Annual Governance Survey. All governors and trustees are invited to take part – NGA membership if not required.
The survey is open until 9am on 30 May, it takes approximately 30 minutes to complete and needs to be completed in one sitting.
Governor Services - General Enquiries 03301 651 100
Governor Services: governorservices@theeducationpeople.org
The Clerking Service: clerkingservice@theeducationpeople.org
Training: governorservicestraining@theeducationpeople.org
Head of Governor Services
Suzanne Mayes
Email: suzanne.mayes@theeducationpeople.org
North Kent and Medway (Dartford, Gravesham, Sevenoaks, Medway)
Jude Johnson
Email: jude.johnson@theeducationpeople.org
03301 651 058
South Kent (Ashford, Dover, Folkestone and Hythe)
Tina Gimber
Email: tina.gimber@theeducationpeople.org
03301 651 057
East Kent (Canterbury, Swale, Thanet)
Lorraine Monkhouse
Email: lorraine.monkhouse@theeducationpeople.org 03301 651 061
West Kent (Maidstone, Tonbridge & Malling, Tunbridge Wells)
Julia Durcan
Email: julia.durcan@theeducationpeople.org
03301 651 055