After the release of the DfE’s new competency framework for governance, Rosemary Hill looks at how governing boards can prepare themselves to meet the increasing challenges of the role...

We have known for a while that the government would like school governance to look more professional, and the Department for Education’s (DfE) new competency framework paints a clear picture of the direction of travel.

But this drive towards professionalisation has left some governors wondering how, as volunteers with limited time, they can meet these ever-advancing expectations.

Thinking about what skills could be missing on the board might be a good place to start: for more than a third of governors, having a broader set of skills would do most to improve their board’s impact according to findings from The Key’s last annual survey. Furthermore, 25 per cent think higher quality induction training would make a difference.

As a headteacher, you will want your “critical friend” to be working as well as it can – so how can governing boards equip themselves with the right skills and training for the new world of school governance?

Here are four practical steps to help your governors on their way to transforming their performance...

Self-review against the competency framework

First up, it is important to know how the board is faring now. The competency framework indicates what the DfE would like boards to be able to do, so why not use it as the starting point for future development?

The board could begin by completing a skills audit, with governors rating their own confidence in the six areas of the framework – strategic leadership, accountability, people, structures, compliance, and evaluation.

This will build a picture of how the board functions as a whole – remember, the framework isn’t a checklist, so the board should think about which areas are particularly important in the context of your school. It might be that your board has a knowledge gap in terms of compliance, or that governors aren’t completely confident about what skills they need to evaluate financial performance.

Having identified areas of strength and weakness, the board can focus its attention on where it can most improve or develop. Finding a skills gap is nothing to worry about, but it is something to address for the benefit of the school. So what are the next steps?

Tighten the focus of governor training

Ofsted’s recent report Improving School Governance revealed that many governing bodies struggle to find high-quality training. There’s no easy solution, but using the skills audit, and the framework, your board can tightly focus its training plans to target areas which will have the most positive impact on the governance of your school.

When thinking about governor training, being creative can pay off – using in-school expertise, for example, is often cost-effective and valuable. Perhaps if your governors are a little shaky on how they interrogate data and hold the school to account for this, why not see if one of your staff members could give a presentation on the school’s approach to assessment and results?

Sharing expertise between schools is also a tried and tested way to up-skill governors – does a school nearby have a governing body with particular expertise in an area where yours lacks it? And conversely, does your governing body have expertise it could share with that school, or any other?

Get creative with governor recruitment

Recruiting governors, like training, is an area where some boards might struggle – but it is a really important part of governing body development and effectiveness.

Whether filling a vacancy or just wanting to add another skill-set around the table, make sure those doing the electing or voting know what the school needs from its new governor.

Recruitment services can help with filling a particular skills gap: SGOSS – Governors for Schools , for example, works with businesses to find governors with valuable professional skills. You might also approach local businesses directly.

If your school needs financial insight, why not look for people in your area with some financial acumen? They don’t need to be bankers or accountants – running any business is likely to give someone the ability to scrutinise a budget sheet.

Finally, make sure people know about school governance. Advertise the work of the board, hold taster evenings, encourage governors to attend school events like sports days and parents’ evenings and shout about the benefits of being a governor – you might be surprised who comes forward.

Induct, induct, induct

Research carried out by SGOSS found that of all the governors that resign, 73 per cent do so within the first year. So once you have made the effort to recruit skilled new governors, ensuring they have the best quality induction is crucial.

Your new governor with finance skills may be helpful when navigating the seriously complicated world of school funding – but they might not know too much about the specifics of school governance or how they can best share their expertise.

A high-quality induction will help to ground new governors, giving them a full overview of the role and what effective governance looks like, so they can apply their skills and make an impact from day one. The earlier new governors understand strategy, risks and accountability in a school setting, and the quicker they learn about your school, the more you can expect from their personal contribution to the performance of your board.

  • Rosemary Hill is a researcher specialising in governance at The Key, which provides information and online solutions to the education and wider public sector. Visit www.thekeysupport.com

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