Transcript pptPresTmplt_1_39347

Effective Governance –
through the lens of
inspection
Andrew Johnson SHMI
Lancashire Governors
17 May 2014
Some top tips in 45 minutes !
1. Read the inspection handbook –
http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/school-inspection-handbook
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Inspectors will always seek to meet with
governors, or members of the school’s local board during
the course of the inspection.
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Inspectors will expect governors to know about
the strengths and weaknesses of the school. Inspectors
will expect school governors to be familiar with, and
understand, performance data, including the information
that the school data dashboard presents for their school.
POST-IT NOTES EXERCISE
2. Read some inspection reports
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‘Although the school has implemented strategies to improve
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‘Pupils are not given sufficient time to consider teachers’ written
comments in their exercise books, some teachers fail to ensure
that pupils act on their comments and suggestions. Where this is
the case, the ……….. of teachers’ marking upon pupils’ learning
is weak.’
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‘All senior leaders recognise the need to improve pupils’
achievement. However, they do not demonstrate a focused,
united and consistent approach to their work. Consequently,
these leaders are currently having a limited ………… on ensuring
the school’s improvement.
ways in which pupils are taught letters and sounds (phonics),
and develop broader reading and writing skills, inconsistencies in
the quality of teaching have diluted their ………… .’
WHAT IS THE MISSING WORD
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The big picture: some positive news…
Schools are getting better – HMCI Annual report
8 out of 10 schools are good or better !
The proportion of schools that we judge to be good
or better is going up year on year, despite the fact
we are raising the bar and making our inspections
more challenging. Compared to three years ago
there are nearly half a million more pupils in good or
outstanding schools, nearly 1,000 more outstanding
schools, and nearly 1,000 fewer that require
improvement or inadequate.
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The big picture - variance of impact…
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However, despite this, there are huge variations in the
performance of schools in the same local authority and
differences between local authority areas.
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Why was it that a child living in Derby or Doncaster had
only half the chance of attending a good or better primary
or secondary school compared with a child living in Wigan
or Darlington?
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It is certainly not a matter of deprivation. We see primary
school children served well in some of our most deprived
communities in contrast to more affluent places like
Oxfordshire or the East Riding of Yorkshire.
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Why do children from financially deprived backgrounds have
much less chance of gaining 5 good GCSEs.
3. Ask some simple challenging questions.
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In our last inspection report it said
‘....’ about what we need to
improve. What is the headteacher
doing about improving this?
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What evidence is there that we are
getting better? Has the evidence
been checked out by external
experts?
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Who are the best teachers in the
school – how do we know?
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Do we have a plan, is it working ?
IT’S YOUR SELF-EVALUATION NOT
JUST FOR INSPECTORS.
How do inspectors evaluate the impact
that leaders are making?
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Achievement of pupils at the school
- The learning and progress across year groups of
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different groups of pupils currently on the roll of the
school, including disabled pupils, those who have special
educational needs and those for whom the pupil
premium provides support.
- Pupils’ progress in the last three years
- Pupils’ attainment
Quality of teaching in the school
The behaviour and safety of pupils at the school
Leadership
4. Ask parents what they think –
https://parentview.ofsted.gov.uk/
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Parentview – use it online or just use the questions
Talk to parents at the school gate
Talk to parents (without the headteacher)
What about the parents who are difficult to reach
Is your website easy to understand
Do governors have a page on the website
PARENTVIEW
5. Ask children what they think
about teaching and behaviour–
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Visit classrooms ( we don’t expect you to observe – just
use your common sense), are pupils on time, do they
settle quickly, do they have a pen, do they listen ?
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Talk to children – what is their favourite activity, who is
their favourite teacher ?
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Talk to children - are some children badly behaved – if
so why ? Track a group of children through the years.
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Look around the school – is it clean and tidy, graffiti on
walls or in books, are children wearing the uniform,
moving round the school sensibly, lunchtime is a
pleasure.
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Are their books marked ( ask to see the books), do they
get homework ? Presentation/spelling – getting better ?
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What do children think of the headteacher ? Visit an
assembly.
6. Look at the data dashboard
http://dashboard.ofsted.gov.uk/
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We don’t expect you to be data experts but you should
understand the dashboard.
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Data dashboard should give you the questions to ask
not the answers.
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Attainment = SATs or GCSEs.
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Key groups – those entitled to pupil premium (FSM),
more able, boys, girls, differences between subjects,
minority ethnic groups, looked after children, SEN….
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How do our attendance and exclusion figures compare
with other schools ( remember you can download the
dashboard and you can look up any school in England)
Progress = starting point to end point over time.
Are some groups under-achieving compared with the
national picture, if so is the gap closing.
7. Measure your own impact
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Do you set the strategic direction, are you happy with
the ethos of the school, moral purpose, standards
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What are you doing to strengthen leadership –
perfomance-related pay – headteacher and teachers.
Think about other areas of working life and use your
own experiences.
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Are you challenging enough ? Talk to governors in
outstanding schools, national leaders of governance.
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Do you know enough about the leadership of teaching?
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Are financial resources being used to best effect? ( How
do other schools manage)
Do you know your responsibilities in relation to
safeguarding children?
The Inspection Handbook: Governance
 Inspectors should consider the effectiveness of governance
including how well governors:
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ensure clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction
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support and strengthen school leadership, including by
developing their own skills
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provide challenge and hold the headteacher and other
senior leaders to account for improving the quality of
teaching, pupils’ achievement and pupils’ behaviour and
safety, including by using the data dashboard, other
progress data, examination outcomes and test results
contribute to the school’s self-evaluation and understand its
strengths and weaknesses, including the impact of their
own work
The Inspection Handbook: Governance
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use performance management systems, including the
performance management of the headteacher, to improve
teaching, leadership and management
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ensure solvency and probity and that the financial resources
made available to the school are managed effectively
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operate in such a way that statutory duties are met and
priorities are approved
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engage with key stakeholders
use the pupil premium and other resources to overcome
barriers to learning, including reading, writing and
mathematics.
Additional resources
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Getting to Good: how headteachers achieve success, Ofsted, 2012;
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School Governance : learning from the best, Ofsted, 2011;
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www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/120167.
www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/100238.
Ofsted Annual Report 201213 Schools
http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/annualreport1213/schools-report
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
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Thank you
and questions?