Governors observing lessons

[Mumsymumphy]

What is union guidance on governor visits?

We had governors come into a lesson last term to get 'a feel' of the school - approx 20 mins, all very informal but we did get written feedback.

This term they are coming into lessons for a full hour.

I've googled 'governor guidance' but it's sketchy.

[ineedaholidaynow]

OP I am a governor and I have done school visits like you describe the one you have had. I have never sat in a lesson for a whole hour. Is it possible the school have adopted a new methodology for teaching a particular subject eg Maths Mastery programme, and this has been discussed in the Governors' meeting? So for the Governors to understand more about the programme they are going to sit in a lesson and see it in action, so to speak.

Although a whole hour does seem a waste of the Governor's time. When I have visited I normally drop in to a few classes (accompanied by SLT) and then possibly have a chat with a few children outside class and look in their books, while we discuss the specific reason for my visit eg to check whether the children understand and learn from the new marking scheme

[HexagonalBattenburg]

Been very very clear in every bit of guidance and training I've been on as a governor that if you're visiting the school you are NOT doing so to make any judgements about teaching quality. We had a day in-school recently and it was very much to just get a better feeling of how the school functions day to day, see the policies in action and get to know some of the kids and how they talk about what they're doing in school... nothing more than that. So yes, governors sat in on some lessons but only really to further their own understanding of things like how Maths mastery lessons progress and similar - not to judge the teachers at all.

I know that there are schools where the lines have been blurred and heads that are taking the piss asking governors to fill out teacher observations though - but they shouldn't be doing so at all.

We do get things like examples of learning walks, curriculum audits, book scrutinies and similar passed on to us - but passed on to demonstrate how the in-school monitoring systems are functioning as they should be - not to facilitate governor axe-grinding - if that makes sense.

As for reporting back on the staff - I know in our school when we do periodic review meetings with the staff who are curriculum leads for the areas we're link governors for we always send draft reports on what has been discussed to the individual staff member for clarification or anything they want adding to demonstrate their own levels of awesomeness prior to it going to the governors at all. I think the only teacher-related observation I've made has been that I'm bloody well sick of seeing our superb teachers have to waste so much time gluing fucking layered target slips into pupils' books!

[Mishappening]

There are an awful lot of things that I am heartily sick of seeing excellent teachers having to do. But nobody is listening - Gove has a lot to answer for with his back-of-the-envelope policies. And everyone who followed him has stuck to the same line. It is an insult to all the good and dedicated teachers out there; and a danger to the mental health of young people.