For all Kent and Medway Governors, Trustees, Clerks and School Leaders
Welcome to our July 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 and Clerks
The cycle of writing my end of term message to you all seems to come round more quickly every year! We have navigated our way through yet another year and I am sure you are all ready for a break from governance and looking forward to some down time over the summer break with your friends and families.
The annual Governor Services Survey has been released today and the deadline for responses is 30 September 2023, please take the time to complete this.
We are constantly reviewing feedback and because of last year’s feedback we have modified some of our sessions into smaller bite size sessions to focus on theory and practical. Our 2023/24 programme is scheduled to be available to book on GovernorHub next week, there may be additional courses added as we move through the year to allow us to respond to the ever-changing educational landscape, but we hope the early release of courses allows you to timetable your training to suit your commitments.
Following feedback from last year, our Term 1 County Briefing will be in two parts; the Area Education Officers will hold sessions on:
North & West - Tuesday 19 September 2023, 6pm-7pm
South & East - Wednesday 20 September 2023, 6pm-7pm
There will then be the updates from our Senior Improvement Advisers and Area Governance Officers on:
Wednesday 4 October 6pm – 7pm
Goodbye
Sadly, we have some goodbyes to say. The following clerks are leaving our service, all of whom are retiring from clerking and have been with us for several years before we became The Education People:
Lesley Hardwick Nicki Street Tracey Filmer Meg Carpenter Jacqui Wapshott
We wish them well with their new adventures
Hello
I am pleased to say we also have some welcomes to make; we would like to introduce the following clerks to the Clerking Service, and we look forward to working with you all. Our new starters come from a variety of skilled backgrounds including clerking and school governance.
Carly Parker Kate Caughlin
Jen Turner Rob Baldock Sally Weatherall Jaqi Underwood
Sue Buchanan Jenny Maydon
The benefit of being an employee of The Clerking Service is the support and resources available. Our USP is that we are a clerking family. We welcome expressions of interest at any time of the year to clerkingservice@theeductionpeople.org
We would like to recognise all clerks within The Clerking Service for their dedication, commitment and skills in supporting the governing boards they are allocated to, as well as providing cover when the need arises.
A reminder for those of you who are due Ofsted, one of the key focus areas is attendance. Take some time to reflect on your minutes; do they show challenge around attendance issues? Are you looking at attendance for those children who are SEND or disadvantaged? Are you looking at in-year admission data and ensuring there is no off-rolling? We will have a new training session next year that follows up on this delivered by one of our colleagues in KCC.
I wish you all a restful, healthy and peaceful summer break and look forward to supporting you in the new academic year. With my sincere thanks for everything you do and huge thanks to my entire team who are always on hand to offer advice and guidance and are an immense support to me as Head of Service.
July 2023
Governor Services
Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) – 2023 Update Released
A preview copy of KCSIE 2023 has been released by the DfE. Annex F provides a summary of the changes which includes a new section referencing published filtering and monitoring standards. The standards are to support schools meet their duty to have appropriate/effective filtering and monitoring systems in place - this is not a new burden.
Please note that this statutory guidance comes into force from September 2023.
Safeguarding Training for Governors
We have sought clarification from Kent Education Safeguarding colleagues: Safeguarding training should be undertaken by all governors to equip them with the knowledge to provide strategic challenge to test and assure themselves that the safeguarding policies and procedures in place in schools are effective and support the delivery of a robust whole school approach to safeguarding. This training should be regularly updated.
Should governors wish to attend whole school safeguarding training that is focussed on the operational day-to -day aspects of child protection within schools, they can. However, governors should understand that this would be to develop strategic safeguarding oversight, quality assure the content and/or to assure themselves that the training staff receive is adequate and fit for purpose; this training would not equip them for their strategic governance role.
An eLearning module specifically designed to support and train governors for their strategic safeguarding role has been developed and is now available for all governors and free to boards that subscribe to our Governor Training package (via discount code system). You will need to email Governor Services to request the discount code.
A more in-depth interactive course will be available for chairs and safeguarding link governors on our core programme from September. Further information is to be posted on GovernorHub.
Safeguarding - Ofsted Inspection Information and Feedback
In our last monthly bulletin, we mentioned that “All governors should receive safeguarding training before they ratify safeguarding/child protection policies”.
In the light of further enquires we would like to clarify that:
All governors should confirm they have read and understood Keeping Children Safe in Education before reviewing and approving the safeguarding/child protection policies.
Prevent Duty Self-Assessment Tool for Schools
This guidance published in October 2022, includes a self-assessment tool to help schools in England review their responsibilities under the Prevent duty.
This guidance is useful for governors when discussing, monitoring and evaluating how well embedded existing policies and practices are; it also encourages a cycle of continuous review and improvement.
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
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Governor Services
Maintained Schools – Local Authority Governor Nominations
Please note that:
Governor Services do not contact existing LA governors regarding reappointment it is the responsibility of the governor, governance professional (clerk) and the chair, together with the Governing Body, to pay close attention to governor vacancies and terms of office.
The next closing dates for nomination submissions 01 October 2023
Maintained Schools – Kent Scheme for Financing Schools
Section 48 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 requires Local Authorities (LAs) to publish a Scheme for Financing Schools.
The Scheme sets out the financial relationship between a LA and its maintained schools; it does not apply to academies.
KCC updated their scheme and the financial controls in March 2023. Governing Bodies are advised to familiarise themselves with Financial Control 4 “Guidance notes on the management of school finance”
School Policies: Do You Need Help Managing Your School Policies?
We are working in collaboration with a company who have designed a comprehensive online policy management system. The online portal allows easy tracking of policies and when they are due for renewal/ review; the system also offers a simple overview of the current policy position - no more difficult to manage Word and Excel databases!
If you would like more information, we have a short ten-minute demonstration video available, please email governorservices@theeducationpeople.org
The Annual Summer Reading Challenge in Kent Libraries gets under way on Saturday 8 July, and runs until 9 September - share with your school community
Children aged 4-11 will be able to visit Kent Libraries to join a superstar team and their marvellous mascots and get involved in “Ready, Set, Read!”, which is themed around the power of play, sport, games and physical activity.
Through taking part in the challenge, with free materials from all Kent Libraries and online via the Challenge website, children will be encouraged to keep their minds and bodies active over the summer break. The characters –brought to life by children’s author and illustrator Loretta Schauer – navigate a fictional summer obstacle course and track their reading as they go, rewarded by free incentives including stickers. Through activity challenge cards from the Youth Sport Trust and a themed book collection, the Summer Reading Challenge aims to keep imaginations moving over the school holiday.
The Summer Reading Challenge has been running since 1999 and helps to improve children’s reading skills and confidence over the summer holidays, ensuring they are ready for their return to school. With the help of local libraries, the Summer Reading Challenge is accessible to all and provides a fun, free activity for children.
Last year, well over 16,000 Kent youngsters took part in the Challenge by visiting a library in person, and a further 1,900 children took part online.
More information and details of Summer Reading Challenge events for families to enjoy can be found at bit.ly/ ReadySetRead2023
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Department for Education
Suspensions and Exclusions
The DfE has updated the 'Suspension and permanent exclusion from maintained schools, academies and pupil referral units in England, including pupil movement' guidance which comes into force from 1 September 2023. Updates include:
The headteacher’s ability to cancel an exclusion before the governing board has met to consider whether the pupil should be reinstated.
Governing board reinstatement meetings and Independent Review Panels (IRPs) can now be held via the use of remote access (for example, live video link) for suspension and permanent exclusions if requested by the parents, provided certain criteria are satisfied
A guide for parents on school behaviour and exclusion has also been published.
Consultation - Working Together to Safeguard Children: Changes to Statutory Guidance
DfE are seeking views on revisions to the Working Together to Safeguard Children statutory guidance. The consultation closes at 11:59 pm on 6 September 2023
Length of the School Week: Minimum Expectation
This DfE document provides information on the expectation for all state-funded mainstream schools to deliver a school week of at least 32.5 hours by September 2023 at the latest.
For those who subscribe, additional information, on the process of changing the length of the school day, can be found at GovernorHub Knowledge; contact Governor Services for membership information/costings.
National Tutoring Programme: Guidance for Schools, Academic Year 2023/24
The National Tutoring Programme (NTP) provides primary and secondary schools with funding to spend on targeted academic support, delivered by tutors and mentors. State-funded schools with pupils in years 1 to 11 who are eligible for the pupil premium will receive NTP funding.
For the academic year 2023/24, NTP funding can be used to pay for 50% of the total cost incurred by your school to deliver tutoring. Funding will be paid to your school in 3 termly instalments – schools do not need to apply for NTP funding.
Any unspent funding, or funding spent outside of grant conditions, will be recovered by the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) in the academic year 2024/25.
Conditions of the grant for 2023/24 academic year have been published explaining how the funding will be allocated and parameters for acceptable use.
Early Years Education Recovery Programme: Supporting the Sector
The government is providing a package of up to £180 million for workforce training, qualifications and support and guidance for the early years sector to help address the impact of the pandemic on the youngest and most disadvantaged children.
Early Years Child Development Training is an online programme designed to help practitioners improve their knowledge and understanding of child development so they can support children in early education settings.
School Buildings - Press Release
Over £450 million investment to improve school buildings
Over 1,000 school building improvement projects will receive the green light as part of plans to boost the condition of the school estate. 859 academies, sixth-form colleges and voluntary-aided schools will receive funding to improve their school buildings.
Academies - Budget Forecast Return (BFR)
The BFR form is now live and the deadline for submission is 31 August 2023
National Behaviour Survey Reports
This June 2023 report presents the findings from the National Behaviour Survey (NBS) Academic Year 2021/22. The NBS was designed to provide the DfE with termly survey data related to pupil behaviour in mainstream primary and secondary schools in England collected from multiple respondent groups (school leaders, teachers, pupils and parents/carers).
An executive summary and key findings can be found on page 10.
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Ofsted
Changes to Ofsted’s Post-Inspection Arrangements and Complaints Handling: Proposals 2023
This is a consultation on proposed changes to post-inspection arrangements, including how complaints about Ofsted’s work are handled.
Consultation closes at 11:59 pm on 15 September 2023
Ofsted Inspection Timings for Schools
This blog post sheds light on when schools could expect their next Ofsted inspection.
Changes Made to School Inspections - Press Release
Ofsted has announced changes to improve aspects of its work with schools
Independent Review of Teachers’ Professional Development
Teachers’ professional development remains a work in progress - Ofsted press release
The Department for Education commissioned Ofsted to carry out an independent review of teachers’ professional development; the interim (phase 1) findings focus on experiences of training and development engaged in since April 2021.
National Governance Association (NGA)
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