Agenda item
SCHOOL GOVERNORS AND SCHOOL GOVERNING BODIES
- Meeting of Performance Scrutiny Committee, Thursday, 28 January 2016 9.30 am (Item 8.)
- View the declarations of interest for item 8.
To consider a report by the Head of Education (copy attached) detailing the role and responsibilities of school governors and school governing bodies.
11.00 a.m. – 11.30 a.m.
Minutes:
The Head of Education submitted a report
(previously circulated) detailing the role and responsibilities of school
governors and school governing bodies, including the support and training available
to them from the local authority, GwE and other organisations. She explained that an element of
responsibility for school governors’ duties lay with the local education
authorities, whilst other elements were the responsibility of GwE. Members were advised that –
·
there were concerns
with respect to some individual governors’ engagement in the training programme
arranged by the Authority. Some
governors seemed to be unaware that they could not fully fulfil their roles if
they had not participated in the compulsory training courses
·
various
methods of training was provided for governors, e.g. face to face and on-line
training packages
·
Denbighshire
had a Chair of Governors Association.
The Head of Education attended the Forum’s meetings to discuss with
members current education related matters.
Despite the fact that the invitation to attend Forum meetings was
extended to all school governors, the Forum was not that well attended.
Responding to members’ questions the Lead
Member for Education, the Head of Education and the Education Resources and
Planning Manager advised that –
·
attendance
at school governor meetings was an issue in some schools as was non-submission
of apologies
·
there were vacancies
on some governing bodies. With a view to
overcoming some of the problems caused by vacancies and the small size of some
school governing bodies the county advertised for a pool of governors and
attempted to place them at schools
·
attendance records
were kept for each training session and these were checked with the county’s
records on school governors to ensure that they all had attended their
mandatory training events. In addition
governing bodies had been contacted with a request that they undertake a skills
audit, results of this audit could then be used by the Governing Body to ensure
they were operating effectively
·
at a
recent Chairs of Governors meeting the possibility of co-opting non-voting
advisers on to school governing bodies had been discussed
·
school governing
bodies had a wide range of responsibilities ranging from building maintenance,
health and safety, safeguarding and budgets.
The Council’s Schools Standards Monitoring Group (SSMG) closely
monitored governing bodies’ responsibilities with respect of these. Chairs of school governing bodies were
invited to attend SSMG meetings when they were monitoring their particular
school. In addition the local education
authority’s regular meeting with GwE examined the same areas
·
from
Easter 2016 Governors Wales would be replacing the former Bronze Award Scheme
with another similar award
·
the
Council was notified if a clerk to a school governing body was absent from a
meeting for any reason
·
the local
education authority verified and challenged the membership pf governing bodies to
ensure they were transparent and fair
·
there was
published guidance to assist governors with respect to their work on school
governing bodies and to understand the ethical framework by which they were
expected to abide
·
the local
education authority was automatically notified if a school governor or clerk
resigned in order for them to initiate a recruitment/appointment process
·
the local authority
also had intervention powers to take over the running of a school if the
governing body was deemed to be failing.
The Lead Member for Education advised that he
was of the view that all county councillors should be members of at least one
school governing body, in his opinion this should be a mandatory requirement
for a county councillor as it would ensure that they had a better understanding
of education related matters on a personal and corporate level.
Members commended the support given by the
Council to school governors.
Nevertheless it was felt that GwE should also be more involved with
governing bodies and their work. However
it was felt that the ratio of staff members on governing bodies to those to
other representatives would benefit from being examined, particularly in small
rural schools, as it may have a detrimental effect on the running of the
school.
In response to a request from members officers
undertook to furnish the committee with lists detailing the number of county
councillors which serve on school governing bodies and for vacant positons on
school governing bodies.
The Scrutiny Co-ordinator agreed to check with
the Head of Legal Services/Monitoring Officer on the implications of the
proposed local government reorganisation on the appointment of LEA governors
between now and the vestment date of the new authorities, which could
potentially be April 2020.
Following consideration of the information the
committee –
RESOLVED that, subject to the above observations, to receive and endorse the
support and training provided to Governors to assist them to support and
challenge schools.
Supporting documents: