Stockport Governor Association

Stockport Governors` Conference 2012

Saturday, March 24^th, Cheadle Hulme High School

RAISING STANDARDS, IMPROVING LIVES

If you haven`t put the date in your diary yet, do so now!  Registration will be open after Christmas.

Ofsted school inspections latest

Now that several Stockport schools have been inspected under the new Ofsted framework we can see that there are some changes we really need to take on board.  Firstly, as Phil Beswick, Head of School Improvement said at the recent Education Partnership Board meeting “the bar has definitely been raised.  Phil emphasised that governors have to be aware of the progress which children make in their school and where they are falling behind that appropriate action is taken to improve progress.  We need to be sure that adequate tracking is taking place and that the school is using the data to inform the necessary improvements needed in teaching and learning. Of course, we are not the professionals, but it is our job to ask questions and to support the professionals by challenging them with questions.  There will be more training for governors coming along, so keep your eyes open and make sure that someone from your school takes part.

Another area which Ofsted is targeting is the safeguarding agenda.  Lynn Perry, of the Stockport Safeguarding Children Board, said at the same meeting that Ofsted is looking at how governors monitor the safeguarding situation.  She particularly drew attention to

bullying issues.  So make sure that, as a governor, you are aware of the school`s anti-bullying policy and how it is carried out in practice.

It seems that schools are required to make considerable forward progress to obtain the same judgement as they had in their last Ofsted inspection.  Standing still is not an option. 

And remember that Governing Bodies are being examined in more detail than before.  So ask yourself some questions about whether you are really working as a team to support and challenge your school.   Have you reviewed your skills?  Are you up to date with training?  Have you carried our a Self-Evaluation of how you work?  There`s a useful Governing Body Health Check amongst the Modern Governor training choices.  Have a look at it and see if it would help you.  It would be good evidence for Ofsted that you take your own development seriously.

Knowing your school

In case you hadn`t noticed, we`ve put a link to a very useful document which NGA has produced.  Called Knowing Your School,  it`s a guide to using RAISEonline to inform yourself about how your children and young people are achieving, and how your school compares with others.  This information is very relevant to governors` understanding of pupil progress.

Ofsted inspection of the Local Authority

It isn`t just schools that Ofsted inpects.  Stockport`s Children`s Services have also been visited by Ofsted.  You can download their report at www.ofsted.gov.uk/local-authorities/Stockport

National school finances

For those who like to see the wider trends of how education is financed nationally, the Institute for Fiscal Studies has published a detailed look at the statistics.  It`s called Trends in Education and School Spending and you can find it at www.ifs.org.uk/bns/bn121.pdf   It`s called a ‘Briefing Note’, but this is a bit of a deceptive title – it`s a fairly dense document!

Stockport`s Services for Young People

Stockport`s Services for Young People have been undergoing a considerable change.  The new organization is now complete.  Young People`s Services includes several areas which are very important to the running of schools and the care and welfare of pupils and students.  So you will be interested to see where your school fits into the new organization.  Go to www.stockport.gov.uk/services/educationlearning/pupilsupportandinclusionservices/educationwelfareservice , where you can find out what services are offered and how to access them.

And finally . . .

GOVAS wishes you all a happy Christmas, and a successful 2012.

Gillian Stunell

Chair, GOVAS