Gosh, a novel idea – a new year blog. Well I may not be unique, but I couldn’t resist sharing some of my resolutions for 2015. Not least because if I articulate them clearly I may have more chance of keeping them. I’m currently a governor in two primary schools, chair in one and vice chair[…]
The first bullet point of the new School Inspection Handbook’s section on inspecting governance tells inspectors that they must consider whether governors “carry out their statutory duties, such as safeguarding, and understand the boundaries of their role as governors”. This worries me. Not, I would hasten to add, because I don’t think it’s important. The[…]
It won’t be news to most of you that Ofsted has updated its guidance to inspectors recently. The updated guidance has been long anticipated and is the most significant update since the current framework was introduced in September 2012. The former subsidiary guidance for inspectors is no more, but the main aspects of it have[…]
This is number 4 in a series of blogs about the common themes that have come through from the external reviews of governance that I’ve undertaken under the current Ofsted framework. In the series so far: Lessons Learnt from Ofsted’s external reviews of governance – and how to avoid having one, Lesson 1 – Don’t rely on your[…]
This is the third in a series that started with Lessons Learnt from Ofsted’s external reviews of governance – and how to avoid having one. I want to elaborate on a theme I mentioned in Lesson 1, that governing bodies are very often not proactive in the way they approach their work. And this isn’t[…]
This is fairly unusual in itself, but I read an article in the Telegraph recently. It was by a headteacher, explaining why, after eight years he is leaving his position as Master of Wellington College (independent school). If you have time I strongly suggest you read his moving story in full. His reasons are linked[…]
This is part of a series which started here: Lessons Learnt from Ofsted’s Reviews of Governance – and how to avoid having one. After a short meander into how headteachers can support good governance, we’re onto lesson one – don’t rely on your headteacher. What I mean is, of course, don’t ONLY rely on your[…]
Well the starting point of this post has to be that I think not only do headteachers have a professional responsibility to support effective governance in their schools, but I also think it’s in their best interests to do so. I once heard John Dunford say, and John is a former secondary headteacher and was[…]
It’s been such a busy term I haven’t had time for much blogging, so it’s with a sigh of relief the end of term is in sight, work is calming down and I have a bit of space to reflect over possibly my busiest term ever. And what is it that’s kept me so busy?[…]
Well it’s been nearly a year, since my indignation over school governance consultations going on in ‘secret’ led me to start this blog (The Secret Consultation on School Governance). So I’m delighted to be blogging a year later about a full public consultation on some more proposed changes around maintained school governance. I take full[…]