Board of Governors

[Bluedabbadie]

I am part of a governing body for my son's school. So far, I'm not particularly impressed.

Is our role really to spend our meetings praising the head for paperwork that we actually have no evidence for the practicalities behind it, when in reality, I know certain things are being glossed over? There is nothing serious to worry about, but as I'm friends with a TA at the school, I know that they are being used to teach and plan lessons in absence of teachers for no extra pay. I know that they are frustrated and unhappy. Yet, we only get to read the positives about referrals to mental health courses etc for anyone who is struggling and "there are only 2 people having difficulties." I know this isn't true.

If I question anything that doesn't read true, not only do I get a defence from the head, but a defence from the other governors on the board also.

Are governing boards all so pretentious?

In my experience they can be. But when I was a governor we were very active in the school, meeting parents, teachers and pupils getting a feel for things. In fact, it was so much more than attending just the board of governors that after 2 years I had to give it up as they needed me in the school at least one day a week.

Wow. That is a lot.
I haven't been asked to go into school for anything other than meetings. Is this something I ought to instigate?

Governors are supposed to be 'critical friends'. It sounds as though the Board you are part of are leaning too far towards the 'friend' part. I bet they've all been on the Board for years?
Have you got a specific role? Do you visit the school to review any aspects?

But to answer your question, no. I don't think all Boards of Governors are pretentious. The Board I am a member of are questioning and challenging while being supportive. And everyone's views are listened to.

Are there any other Governors you feel comfortable chatting with outside of meetings? When you joined, where you matched with a buddy or mentor?

The role of a governor is to be a "critical friend", so it is absolutely fine to ask questions. It is not OK to just rubber-stamp everything the Head does.

You should certainly aim to visit the school at least once a term during the school day. What does your school's governor guidance say about governor visits? Have you looked at the national guidance?
I think basing opinions on what you hear from one member of staff can be tricky.
Have you talked with the chair of governors ?

interesting, may I ask I side bar question, My friend works in a primary school. One governor is trying to push through gender neutral loos for the children. The two public loos at the main entrance now sport gender neutral signs, having previously been one female, one male.
My question is on her behalf, can the board push through the changes without informing parents ?
There is a school news letter, not often read if it even manages to get home.
What are the rules now regarding loos in schools, its been nearly 20 years since I was a Governor, boy are things changing

Sadly this is my experience of being a governor, hence my at people on education threads suggesting that if everyone became a governor there'd be no more poorly performing schools.

As a school governor, your role is to ask questions and challenge the Head (in a positive way). You are there to make sure that things are being done properly, so
How are we doing on xyz issue? Followed by
How do we know that? (Show me some evidence) and
What are we going to do next?
are all really important questions.
For the really crucial aspects of school life eg safeguarding, governors should be visiting the school regularly to see did themselves that standards are being maintained - speaking to staff eg asking questions about their recent training and understanding of KCSIE, talking to pupils eg are there are any areas in school where you don't feel safe.
Being a governor is an active, involved role and should not be reduced to nodding things through at meetings. Your instincts are correct!

You should be doing monitoring visits as a governor.

Do you a wellbeing governor with a particular responsibility around staff and pupil wellbeing? Governing boards are being encouraged to have people in this role now. If you already have someone in this position, then talk to them about how they are monitoring this area. If you don't have one, why not volunteer for the role yourself?

As a governor, you absolutely have to act as a critical friend. You are not there to rubber stamp the head's decisions. However, you're also not there to give airtime to grievances from individual members of staff who may not be following the proper grievance process. Your TA friend may be right about what's going on in the school, or her perspective may be a bit skewed and unique to her personal situation. You need to separate out what you know from your role as a friend and as a governor. If you have concerns, then ask the questions by all means. That's your job. Just don't take everything that you hear from your friend at face value as that may not be the complete picture.

Yeah I think it often becomes that. I find I'm they only one that ever asks questions. I have to stop them increasing head pay yearly (above the inflation pay increase) as head is already top of his band and only been in for four years!

The school had huge issues with fraud under previous head and now doesn't challenge anything. The chair is a lovely woman but, I realise this is going to sound terrible, but is highly uneducated and struggles with literacy and basic skills, she's is quite easily manipulated and every time the new year comes around the head says due to challenges with covid etc it would be better to leave everyone where they are as change is stressful and therefore chair stays.

It's all very concerning and really makes the entire purpose of a governing body redundant. I'm a governor at another school too and it's very different there. Questions are welcomed.

I have asked a few questions which haven't been invited or weren't part of meetings and they appeared to be surprised by this. As if I was overstepping the mark/my role. It's difficult to understand what I'm supposed to be doing. Other, long standing members of the board are very hands on, but these are both ex teachers of the school who also appear to be friends with the Head and have been for a while as the Head has been Head for some time.

Sometimes, my emails don't get responded to either and then I'll get a random email saying what a wonderful job I'm doing.
Very odd.

I have been mentored by two members of the board who have suggested school visits but then told I couldn't due to Covid.

You can ask questions absolutely and you should. You can suggest a governors visit.

Presumably there’s a resource / finance committee? Have you asked to join it. It might give you the other side of the financial challenges that your TA friend won’t necessarily know about - lots of schools are struggling financially and it’s not going to get better. Plus with covid there are few supply teachers available at the moment.

@Bluedabbadie

I have asked a few questions which haven't been invited or weren't part of meetings and they appeared to be surprised by this. As if I was overstepping the mark/my role. It's difficult to understand what I'm supposed to be doing. Other, long standing members of the board are very hands on, but these are both ex teachers of the school who also appear to be friends with the Head and have been for a while as the Head has been Head for some time.

Sometimes, my emails don't get responded to either and then I'll get a random email saying what a wonderful job I'm doing.
Very odd.

I have been mentored by two members of the board who have suggested school visits but then told I couldn't due to Covid.

Do you send in questions in advance of the meeting? Copied to the Clerk?

We receive our meeting papers 2 weeks before a meeting and are encouraged to raise any questions beforehand, for answering during the meeting. Do your meetings follow a similar format?

Who is your Clerk? Are they independent of the school?

Have you attended governor induction training?

Have you and other governors read the Governance Handbook which guides all of the work of the board? This is your bible.
www.gov.uk/government/publications/governance-handbook

The NGA (National Governance Association) has a wealth of information. Some free, some boards are members.
www.nga.org.uk/Home.aspx

Are you in an LA maintained school? Is there an adviser to the school? If so have you spoken to them? Has there ever been a review of governance to support the board to meet the statutory duties.

The board is in danger of being judged ineffective by OFSTED as you don't seem to be gaining your own evidence to triangulate the information the school is providing you with.

If it is not LA maintained but an academy, then slightly different under a trust.

This was my experience of being a governor and a key reason I gave it up

As a governor you need strategic oversight of the school. You need to challenge the head's reports by questioning how the governors can be sure of the information - ie, ask for evidence.

Also ask, 'What's the next step?'

Receiving reports is the start, you need to know what action will follow and you need to ask questions to understand the reports.

Monitoring visits should take place with link governors for different areas. They don't need to be every term, but as often as is appropriate for that area of strategic monitoring.

You are there to hold the school leaders to account. Up until 2019, you were expected to be a 'critical friend' but that is no longer the case as it confused the relationship between governors and headteachers. The term 'critical friend' no longer features anywhere in the Governance Handbook.

This guidance, which is updated as changes take place, should be helpful:

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/925104/Governance_Handbook_FINAL.pdf

As a clerk, I'd have serious concerns about the effectiveness of your governing board and their ability to hold school leaders to account. I have supported many schools in trouble and advised many Independent Executive Boards and I would be intervening as a clerk. If yours isn't, then I'd have concerns about their effectiveness too.

"Critical friend" is a rather outdated term in governance.

I'm assuming it's a Primary school?

I've been a governor in both primary and secondary and far too many primary governing boards are just "yes people" who nod along with the HT and so not challenge the data and decision making.

Link Governors are important. They should be doing regular monitoring visits now post covid restrictions.

Not replying to your e mails is unacceptable. Copy in the clerk and vice chair. If it continues raise it at the meeting.

You don't need to send questions in advance unless its for AOB on the agenda and thats at chairs discretion.

The Board should also do regular 360 reviews of their strengths/weaknesses.

Self evaluation to pin point gaps in experience.

All governors should do regular training relevant to their link/committee role (this should be in your code of conduct)

Governor input should be strategic not operational but I do think any good governor would regularly (say termly) be in school doing visits and reporting back to the board.

Meetings definitely should be only about praise for the HT (although that's is important when it's due) but governors need to show that they challenge the HT robustly.

It is a frustration of mine, actually, that our board don't challenge me enough. I'm always well prepared and ready for what I see as obvious questions, but they don't get asked. OFSTED will pick this up as a problem.

Yes.
The lack of challenge/questioning will show in the minutes and ofsted will pounce on it

Sigh....meetings shouldn't be only about praise

@DetailMouse

Sigh....meetings shouldn't be only about praise

Yeah I gathered that was a typo ☺️

It’s not universal, but it is widespread.

I gave up being a governor after a decade because I felt so uncomfortable with the culture. All the training you receive as a governor is about being a “critical friend” to the school, but the majority view on our governing body seemed to be that we were there to applaud the headteacher in all situations.

@TalesOfDrunkennessAndCruelty

It’s not universal, but it is widespread.

I gave up being a governor after a decade because I felt so uncomfortable with the culture. All the training you receive as a governor is about being a “critical friend” to the school, but the majority view on our governing body seemed to be that we were there to applaud the headteacher in all situations.

This does happen... Far more common at primary ime.

Sadly, finding Governors with the relevant experience and knowledge (finance, H&S for example) can be very difficult and - frankly - the level of responsibility (especially during the past 2 years) on a governor is huge.

Make no mistake, ofsted WILL look at the minutes. If the SLT aren't being challenged they will flag it.

Tis always a chore. Like Farnham Parish Council.