Requires improvement to good

[Jamrollypolly]

I'm a governor at a school which was judged requires improvement during the last OFSTED inspection. The school has made numerous changes and HMI were happy with the changes during their monitoring visit.

If you work/have worked in an RI school, what were the most effective changes that helped you become a good school? How did the governors make a difference?

All suggestions and ideas appreciated.

TIA

We went from special measures to good in under a year. What did we do? Got a decent headteacher.

Yep-head teacher makes all the difference. Encouraged staff to improve with carrots, not stocks, so opportunities for peer lesson observations, sharing good practise weekly, praising lots where things are good. Letting people be allowed to admit they are struggling and need help without stigma. Governors-taking an interest in your dept.

Same, new head teacher. Twice (two different schools).

We have a new head teacher and slt, unfortunately the previous head let the school coast and standards drop. I'm a fairly new governor, what would staff find supportive from governors? Haggisfish how did governors show support in your school? How did you make fast progress? How did your schools deal with those who were resistant to change?

I have been very involved with school since I started. Sometimes my passion for the school to be good/ outstanding makes me frustrated.

Please keep your ideas comming.

Some of those who were resistant and unable to keep up were put on competency procedures and ultimately left. One or two went part time to cope. Governors-it is still quite tricky actually as there is a big divide between staff and governors as they don't really have much interaction!

Have been in same position in my school. What has worked has been a supportive environment. A change in leadership strategies giving middle leaders more responsibility and a greater role in the school. All changes have come from middle leaders. An overwhelming emphasis on support, support, support. The staff have been valued and supported on the way too improvement by SLT. We have worked together as a team and have never been more as one as a staff than in the post requires improvement stage. I cannot fault out SLT on how they have handled it.

Governors have become way more involved in strategic decisions and the day to day running of the school eg done learning walks, getting in to school and seeing what goes on.

I think governors should be approachable to teachers as well as SLT. I have worked in RI school for 3 years with some horrendous issues that management has been unwilling to tackle and governors are unapproachable; if you want to keep good teachers listen to them.

Would a governor drop in session be useful? So staff could come and talk about there concerns. It does sometimes feel like we only get the slt version.

We went from satisfactory to good by reviewing the teaching and learning procedures, employing a brilliant head of English and a brilliant head of maths, data tracking the pupils from year 7 and setting flight paths for them so that if any intervention was required it was done well before year 11. Last year's GCSE results were outstanding at 35% above the national average. They were still 35% above average this year, but slipped back in line with all other school's results due to the exam changes this year.

New head teacher, higher standards, and SLT/governors not being afraid to use the actual systems available to them to deal with resistance and incompetence.

It is highly frustrating to be in middle leadership (HoD, for eg) and to flag up all issues, put in all the extra work, etc for it not to be picked up and dealt with at SLT level.