Category: Governance

On 12 September, Ofqual released information on how the Progress 8 performance (external link) measure will be calculated and how the 2016 results will be taken forward to 2017 and beyond.  The document reminds governors and trustees that the headline measures for KS4 in DfE performance tables and RAISEonline will be:

• Progress across 8 qualifications
• Attainment across the same 8 qualifications
• Percentage of pupils achieving the threshold in English and mathematics (currently a C grade, grade 5 when new GCSEs in English and mathematics are first reported in performance tables in 2017)
• Percentage of pupils achieving the English Baccalaureate

The 8 qualifications that will count in the measure are mathematics; an English qualification; the three highest scoring EBacc qualifications in science subjects, computer science, history, geography, and languages; and the three highest scores across other subjects, including non-GCSE subjects.
The document gives worked examples of how progress 8 and attainment 8 will be calculated, including information on how the old GCSE scores will correlate with the new number system.
 

Fischer Family Trust, the school performance evaluation expert, has released its new 2016 KS2 governor dashboard. As this is a key tool for governors, the National Governors’ Association and the Wellcome Trust were also involved in its development.

The online analysis tool has a number of key features, including:  

• Summary of your 2016 performance including key strengths and weaknesses using new DfE indicators
• All the latest 2016 DfE measures – scaled scores, expected and higher standards
• Grammar, punctuation and spelling now included in dashboards
• Calculate whether your school is at risk of being below the new DfE floor standards using the latest 2016 attainment and progress data
• Your performance over time compared to the national average for all pupils or any group of pupils
• Comparative analysis of key pupil groups (pupil premium, low/middle/high attainers and SEND)
• Performance analysis and review of each individual KS2 subject, together on a single page
• Compare the context and attendance of your Year 6 cohort against the national picture (external link)

See the KS2 dashboard (external link) for more information. Talk to your senior leadership team to obtain log in details for this useful resource.
 

FFT Aspire (FFT’s reporting and data tool) is available for schools, local authorities and academy trusts and includes the FFT Governor Dashboard.

FFT is inviting school governors to access free webinars (covering all key stages), taking place on:

• Thursday 24 November at 8pm
• Friday 25 November at 12 noon
• Thursday 26 January, 2017 at 2pm and 8pm

Click here to book a place (external link).
 

A new tool from SchoolDash, an independent website exploring education data, allows governors, parents, and other stakeholders to visualise the education provision in a region or local area.

Explorer allows users to sort schools by various characteristics, as well as attainment, progress, inclusiveness and Ofsted rating.

Find out more on the SchoolDash website (external link).
 

Nominations for the  National Governors Association 2017 Outstanding Governance Awards are open until 1 December 2016. The awards celebrate the unique and inspiring contribution that school governors, trustees and clerks make every single day in schools around the country.

To find out more, including how to nominate an outstanding governing board or clerk, visit the National Governors Association website (external link).
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Justine Greening, Secretary of State for Education has stated that she does not intend to follow through on her predecessor’s proposal to remove the required places for elected parents on academy trust boards.

Governors are reminded that the annual governor training programme starts this term and includes exciting new topics as well as  and regular topics, including Running your Headteachers Performance Management, Converting to an Academy, Premises,  Ofsted Preparation.

For bookings, please visit the website and book online (external lilnk). 

We are very keen to promote our new service schools:  we are offering support and advice around website compliance for governance and we are also offering a package of support tailored to  all non SLA Clerks to meet their particular training and other requirements. 

Please contact Governors Services for further details.
 

Governors are reminded that the Department for Education (DfE) has announced (external link) that from September 2016 the details of those governing in maintained schools and academies must be uploaded to Edubase (external link), the DfE’s database of all schools in the country.

For academies, this requirement is stipulated in the updated Academies Financial Handbook 2016 (external link) but the DfE has pre-populated Edubase with the current information they hold about those governing in academy trusts. However, trusts will need to check the details held on Edubase for accuracy, make any updates and complete any empty fields. Going forward, trusts will be required to update Edubase as vacancies arise and new appointments are made.

For maintained schools this requirement is found in section 538 of the Education Act 1996 (external link), which sets out that governing bodies must submit such information to the Secretary of State as s/he requests. As the DfE does not currently hold information about those governing in maintained schools, this information will need to be filled in from scratch. As with academies, Edubase must be updated regularly where information about those governing changes.

Information regarding the exact details that will be collected and published on Edubase is outlined in the DfE’s press release (external link). Governing boards will need to also continue  to publish details on their websites.

Please could Heads and Chairs of Governors ensure that these requirements are actioned and noted as part of their governing body minutes as appropriate.

The National Governors’ Association (NGA), in collaboration with the National Foundation for Educational Research (NfER) and the Future Leaders Trust (TFLT) has published research into the role and responsibilities of executive headteachers.

Although the number of executive headteachers has grown nationally, there is no common understanding about the role and its responsibilities and this can lead to blurred lines of accountability leaving schools and governors open to challenge.

Governors and trustees who have appointed, or are considering  the appointment of an executive headteacher are strongly advised to read the full report. In particular, pages 16-18 outline the governing and accountability structures that the researchers identified from case studies.