Transcript PART ONE - Portsmouth Diocese

Catholic Diocese of Portsmouth
DEPARTMENT FOR SCHOOLS
Briefing Session for Governors
St Joseph’s Catholic School, Bracknell
on Tuesday 1st March 2011
Park Place, Wickham
on Thursday 3rd March 2011
Session Content
Discussion of issues raised by
participants
• Receive briefing information
• An Activity: consider the
implications of the recent
Education Bill for our Governing
Bodies
•
Revisions to Ofsted Inspection
Inspection of core educational purpose: ‘a proportionate’
approach to be taken
 No requirement to complete SEF: schools choose how best
to evaluate their work and record outcomes
The inspection focus will be:
1. The quality of teaching
2. The effectiveness of leadership
3. Pupils’ behaviour and safety
4. Pupils’ achievement
 Inspectors will continue to make full use of the SEF in
inspections during the current academic year
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The Equality Act
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Replaces all previous equality legislation such as the Race
Relations Act, Disability Discrimination Act and Sex
Discrimination Act
Job offers should be made conditional pending checks on
health and fitness
‘New Positive Action Provisions’ allow use of target
measures to alleviate disadvantage
Reasonable adjustment duty will be extended to require
provision of auxiliary aids and services to disabled pupils
Admissions: permissible to give priority to those of other
faiths after the Catholic criteria.
Governors should monitor the actions of the school to
ensure that their obligations under the Act are met
The Education Bill - Part 1
Takes forward the proposals in The White Paper –
The Importance of Teaching (November, 2010)
Overview:
 Powers for teachers to improve discipline in the
classroom
 A vision for a transformed school curriculum
 The reform of school performance tables
 A pupil premium to channel more money to the
most deprived children
 Plans to develop a fairer and more transparent
funding system
The Education Bill – Part 2
•No requirement for
every school to have a school
improvement partner (SIP)
•Centralised target-setting for schools will cease
•Schools where results fall below national floor targets will
be subject to intervention, with the presumption that they
will convert to Academy status
•Revised floor targets. For secondary schools: below 35%
of pupils achieving 5 A*-Cs including English and maths
(and, later in science), and fewer pupils making good
progress between key stages 2 and 4. For primary schools:
fewer than 60% of pupils achieving level 4 in English and
mathematics, and fewer pupils on average making the
expected levels of progress between key stages 1 and 2
The Education Bill – Part 3
Chapter 6 ‘Accountability’ (Governance)
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Governors are ‘unsung heroes’ who deserve more
recognition, support and attention
Trained clerks should be appointed to offer expert advice
and guidance to support them
Governors will have easier access to comparative data
enabling them to set high expectations and ask challenging
questions.
The National College will be commissioned to offer highquality training for chairs of governors.
Business people and professionals are to be encouraged to
volunteer as governors becoming part of smaller governing
bodies with appointments primarily focused on skills.
5 Key Questions for Governors
1.
2.
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5.
What are the school’s values? Are they reflected in our
long-term development plans?
How are we going to raise standards for all, including the
most and least able, those with SEN, boys and girls, and
any who are currently underachieving?
Have we got the right staff and the right development and
reward arrangements?
Do we have a sound financial strategy, get good value for
money and have robust procurement and financial
systems?
Do we keep our buildings and other assets in good
condition and are they well used?
5 More Key Questions for Governors
1.
2.
3.
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5.
How well does the curriculum provide for and stretch all
pupils?
How well do we keep parents informed and take account
of their views?
Do we keep children safe and meet the statutory health
and safety requirements?
How is pupil behaviour? Do we tackle the root causes of
poor behaviour?
Do we offer a wide range of extra-curricular activities
which engage all pupils?
Issues Arising for Governors from
the White Paper
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It is important that schools and their governing bodies
discuss the issues raised in the Education Bill and the
implications it has for future thinking
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Activity : in discussion, working in a pair or in a small
group and using the questions above, review
1.
How well is our school is doing in relation to the key
questions above?
How do we know?
What are our next steps?
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3.
CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF
PORTSMOUTH
DEPARTMENT FOR SCHOOLS