GOVERNOR TRAINING

2017/2018
School Governor Training

 

 

Training is an integral part of the development of every school governor and over the past couple of years, TNLP Governors attendance at training sessions/networking opportunities have massively increased. 

 

During the past 12 months, 300 plus training places were attended by Governors and    the feedback stated that this was mainly due to courses being held locally and easy to access.

 

 

The courses in this programme will support you in your role as Governor/Trustee.

 

 

Please note that TNLP Governor Training sessions take place locally in TNLP Schools and the times are generally from 6 pm – 8 pm.

 

Leading Edge Associates provide the majority of our bespoke training.

                                                                 

 

THE COURSES IN THIS PROGRAMME ARE FREE FOR TNLP GOVERNORS

(Costs are included in your SLA)

 

 

The DfE Governance Handbook (pages 23/24) says:

Induction and ongoing training and development

 

 

• Boards are responsible for identifying and securing the induction and other ongoing training and development governors need. They should set aside a budget for this purpose.
• As part of induction and continuous development, effective boards encourage every governor, especially those new to the role, to make the most of the resources and guidance available to develop their knowledge and skills.
• Good boards set out clearly what they expect of their governors, particularly when they first join. The board’s code of conduct should set an ethos of professionalism and high expectations of governors, including an expectation that they undertake whatever training or development activity is needed to fill any gaps in the skills they have to contribute to effective governance.

 

 

Three of the courses are part of a “Governing for Impact” course.  However, they are all self-standing and will be useful even if Governors cannot attend the other parts of the course.  There will, though be added benefit where Governors can attend all three parts.

The Governing Board’s Strategic Role

 

Thursday, 14 September 2017 at Temple Moor High School

6.00pm-8.00pm

 

This course focuses on the first of the “core functions” of Governing Boards identified by DfE and Ofsted and will help Governors to develop good practice in response to this national expectation by considering:

• national expectations for Governing Board role as “the strategic leaders” of the school
• Governing Boards’ role in school improvement planning
• monitoring and evaluating the impact of the school improvement plan
• organising the work of the Governing Board to focus on strategic issues

(This course is part of the “Governing for Impact” course)

Ben Cole                                                       Colton Primary School

Lorna Cross                                                  Colton Primary School

Induction/Refresher Training

 

Session 1 - Thursday 5 October 2017 at Meadowfield Primary School

Session 2 - Wednesday, 11 October 2017 at Templenewsam Halton Primary School

6.00pm-8.00pm

 

This 2 session course is for new Governors and those Governors who need updating on their roles and responsibilities:

 

• Introduction to the role of Governors and the Governing Board
• The current national expectations of Governing Boards
• Introduction to key Governing Board responsibilities and how to carry them out
• Visiting school as a Governor

 

Lorna Cross                                      Colton Primary School (Session 1 only)

Tony Cross                                       Colton Primary School

John Scouller                                   Colton Primary School

Penny Plumpton                              Colton Primary School (Session 2 only)

 

Using Social Media for Communication

 

Monday, 6 November 2017 at Temple Learning Academy

6.00pm-7.00pm

 

Matthew Browne, Co Principal at Temple Learning Academy has kindly agreed to share how he uses social media and the advantages it has had over the past 2 years at the Academy.  Matthew says that parents and carers are young and live their life on Facebook so he has used it as a way to engage with them.  Adding examples of their child’s learning (having gained permission) sharing high-quality homework, achievers, news and updates parents feel better informed.  It has had more impact than the newsletters, letters, invites, texts reminder cards combined.

100% of parents feel communication is good and they praise the Academy on Facebook and even offer advice and support to one another over it.

 

 

Ben Cole                                           Colton Primary School

Karen Weddle                                  Colton Primary School

 

Panels

 

Thursday, 11 January 2018 at Corpus Christi Primary School

6.00pm-8.00 pm

 

Serving on panels dealing with such potentially adversarial issues as parental complaints, pupil exclusions and staff discipline/grievance issues can be one of the most stressful roles for governors. The fact that for an individual governor serving on a panel is a rare occurrence is both re-assuring and challenging.  This course will help governors to carry out this role effectively by considering:

• the role of panels
• good practice that is common to the handling of these issues
• how governors can access the specific knowledge that they need to carry out

their role

• how governors can manage the conflicting loyalties and emotions that serving on a panel can create

Jonathan Brookes                                       Colton Primary School

Ben Cole                                                       Colton Primary School

John Scouller                                               Colton Primary School

 

ANALYSE SCHOOL PERFORMANCE (ASP)

 

Tuesday, 20 February 2018 at Temple Learning Academy

4.00pm-6.00pm

 

This training will offer information on:

 

• Understanding the measures included in the Inspection Data Summary Report (IDSR), in particular how the KS1-2 progress measure is calculated and what the implications are for current KS2 year groups.
• An explanation of the floor standard and coasting schools measures from the front of the IDSR
• Who disadvantaged pupils are and what comparator is used nationally for their outcomes.
• What kinds of questions should governors ask once they understand the content of the IDSR?
• Look at pending assessment and accountability reform affecting primary schools and what will be changing in the next few years.

 

 

Jonathan Brookes                                       Colton Primary School

 

Safeguarding and Child Protection Briefing

 

Tuesday, 27 February 2018 at Temple Learning Academy

6.00pm-7.00pm

 

This briefing will offer information on:

· To explore the role and responsibilities of Governors in relation to safeguarding pupils in Leeds schools

· Questions we should ask in our role

· Ofsted Expectations

· Potential Issues

· Annual Governors’ Safeguarding Report

Jonathan Brookes                           Colton Primary School

 

Holding the School to Account

 

Monday, 26 March 2018 at Corpus Christi Catholic College

6.00pm-8.00pm

 

This course focuses on the second of the “core functions” of Governing Bodies identified by DfE and Ofsted.

The course will help Governors to develop good practice in response to this national expectation by considering:

• national expectations for Governing Bodies’ role in holding the school to account
• agreeing and monitoring key data
• ways of gathering evidence about the school
• questions to ask
• providing “challenge and support”

(This course is part of the “Governing for Impact” course)

Lorna Cross                                                  Colton Primary School

Jonathan Brookes                                       Colton Primary School

Sally Hilton                                                    Colton Primary School

 

Visiting School

 

Wednesday, 25 April 2018 at Austhorpe Primary School

6.00pm-8.00pm

 

Governors need to visit school so that they can see how their decisions are being put into practice and so that they can hold the school to account in an informed way. However, for many Governors (and staff), visits are a source of worry.

This course will consider:

• the purpose of Governors’ visits
• how to plan a visit and what to look for during the visit
• how to work effectively with staff
• how to share the learning from the visit with other Governors and the Headteacher

Lorna Cross                                      Colton Primary School

Sally Hilton                                        Colton Primary School

Making Sure that Money is Being Well Spent

 

Monday, 21 May 2018 at Whitkirk Primary School

6.00pm-8.00pm

 

“Overseeing the financial performance of the organisation and making sure its money is well spent” is one of the three core functions of governance identified by DfE. This session will help governors to develop good practice in response to this national expectation by considering:

 

• key findings from the Review of Efficiency in the School System (DfE)
• economy, efficiency and effectiveness in using resources
• effective systems and structures – roles and responsibilities; budget monitoring
• effective processes – review of staffing structures; benchmarking; procurement; fraud prevention
• evaluating impact

(This course is part of the “Governing for Impact” course)

Lorna Cross                                      Colton Primary School

 

The Governors Competency Framework

 

Monday, 25 June 2018 at Colton Primary School

6.00pm-8.00pm

 

Published in January 2017, this document explains the “knowledge, skills and behaviours needed for effective governance in maintained schools, academies and multi-academy trusts”.

 

This course will provide governors with the opportunity to

• reflect on the content of the Competency Framework and its implications
• identify practical ways in which the Framework can be used to develop effective governance of our schools

Sally Hilton                                        Colton Primary sCHOOL

 

Trust Chairs and Vice Chairs Meeting

 

Thursday, 4 October 2017 at Templenewsam Halton Primary School

Wednesday, 31 January 2018 at Whitkirk Primary School

Thursday, 7 June 2018 at Colton Primary School

6.00pm-8.00pm

 

These are termly meetings where Chairs and Vice-Chairs (or their representatives) meet to discuss training needs, network, share any examples of good/effective Governance and identify/share any problems.

 

Governors Leadership Forum organised by Leading Edge

 

Wednesday, 6 November 2017 at Temple Moor High School

Thursday, 24 May 2018 at Temple Moor High School

6.30pm-8.00pm

 

This is an interactive forum facilitated by Leading Edge Associates and hosted by Temple Moor High School. It provides a unique opportunity for Chairs or Vice-Chairs of Governors and other Governor leaders from schools across the region to meet to discuss current issues and share perspectives and practice.