Governance, Leadership and the wider workforce
Chapter 6
11. The Government wants to strengthen the role of governing bodies, particularly in relation to their responsibility for challenging performance in order to improve outcomes for all young people. This improvement is to be achieved through better training, targeting recruitment, access to the information and data needed to do the job, and support from external bodies, such as the School Improvement Partner (SIP). Chapter 6 also sets out the need to train and reward school leaders for taking on more responsibility and the need to ensure the wider-workforce have the necessary skills.
Governance
12. The document makes passing reference to the Ministerial Review, the report from which has yet to be published, and states that the Government believes it is time to ‘simplify and streamline’ the governance regulations.
13. The Government plans to clarify the role of governors. In particular legislation will place upon governing bodies duties to:
• ensure the education, development and wider wellbeing of the children on their school’s roll
• promote the education, development and wider wellbeing of all children in their area
• support the needs of the wider community.
14. These new duties are very much in line with the theme of the document that, in order to give every child and young person the best opportunities, schools will need to work together and take collective responsibility for all young people, not just those on the roll of the school.
15. The plans to strengthen and streamline will come in the following manner:
• Greater flexibility around the composition of governing bodies with the proportionality requirements (for the various categories of governors) being relaxed
• Partnerships – existing rules will be relaxed to give the most effective governing bodies the opportunity to become accredited providers of new schools.
16. Governors are to be encouraged to establish links with business and to recruit governors from both businesses and other education bodies (e.g. colleges, universities and independent schools). They will also be encouraged to establish formal links with such bodies through Trusts. The governing body will also have to appoint a governor with responsibility for business partnerships (see the section on partnership working page 12)
17. In addition, there will be a new requirement for all governing bodies to consider, at the point at which they need to recruit a new headteacher, whether to federate or appoint a shared/executive headteacher.
Training
18. Training for governors is to be further developed:
• Chairs of governing bodies will be expected to undergo specific training for the role.
• Local authority induction training for governors should focus on how to provide effective challenge and support, to hold to account and make good use of data to manage performance, to ensure value for money and to oversee more than one school.
Data
19. Governors should already receive good quality information through the RAISEonline system. The intention is to extend what is available so that governors have all the information they need to carry out their functions effectively.
School Improvement Partners (SIPs)
20. The expanded role of SIPs is covered in more detail in the accountability section. The key point for governors is that they will be given a role in choosing the SIP for their school and there will be a clear requirement for SIPs to report and provide advice to the governing body.
21. The governing body will be given the opportunity to request an Ofsted inspection (e.g. where the SIP has expressed concern about the performance of the school).
Headteacher and the Senior Leadership Team
22. The paper acknowledges that the role of headteachers has already changed and will continue to do so as the White Paper is implemented. The range of roles for headteachers will cover:
• Working as School Improvement Partners or Local or National Leaders of Education
• Taking the lead in local partnerships
• Working as Executive Headteachers – leading two or more schools in a federation or partnership.
• Leading multi-agency teams as part of early intervention strategies.
23. The government wants to encourage the best headteachers to spread their expertise outside of their own school.
Headteacher pay
24. The current School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document (STPCD) has fallen behind developments in headship and in particular makes no allowance for executive heads of federations. As an interim measure the Schools Teachers’ Review Body (STRB) has proposed and the Government has recommended that from September 2009 governing bodies will be able to offer a 5-20% premium on existing salaries for heads where they have taken on additional responsibilities.
25. A further review of leadership pay will take place so that all relevant models of leadership can be recognised and rewarded in the STPCD.
Issues to consider
26. The premium on pay is specifically for additional responsibilities, not to reward good performance. Governors will need to keep detailed records of any decision to award the headteacher a premium.
Licence to Teach
27. The DCSF has already introduced plans to make teaching a Masters-level profession. From January 2010 the first new teachers will start their Masters qualification in teaching and learning. They now plan to introduce a renewable licence for teachers to provide ongoing evidence that they are still able to do the job.
28. Probably every five years teachers will be assessed to ensure that their knowledge and skills still meet the required level. The assessment process will focus on teachers’ recent record of professional practice and development. The General Teaching Council will be carrying forward work on the licence with its planned introduction in September 2010 in maintained schools (community, foundation, voluntary aided and voluntary controlled schools) and in non-maintained special schools and short stay schools (formerly pupil referral units). The scheme will not cover Academies – it is not clear if they will fall under the scheme in future.