School governors are one of the largest groups of volunteers in the country and have a crucial part to play in the strategic direction, raising school standards and the effectiveness of any school or educational establishment. This is a huge obligation and governors are responsible for Headteacher/Principal and Deputy appointments, challenging and supporting the Head and senior leadership and being accountable for the school. They are responsible for the finances and with the Headteacher they allocate resources.
This is a very worthwhile role but it can be daunting for some Governing Bodies or for those who would like to be a governor but are unsure of the duties and liabilities. You might need some support in setting up new governance if you are opening a new school, or it may be that there has been a group of new governors and you need some activities and facilitation so they easily ‘find their feet’ and fit in.
There are policies to check and new legislation or good practice recommendations emanating from government departments, Local Authorities, Diocesan Boards, Examination Boards and a whole range of quangos, quality assurance kitemarks and external Inspection (like OfSTED).
So, perhaps you want some support getting through MATRIX or Investors in People or the ICT Mark. Perhaps you have really experienced set of governors who just need an update on the Prevent Duty or a presentation on how to become an Academy. Perhaps you want a fresh pair of eyes to look at your Policies or write a new one – or maybe you just want an objective report on how the school is doing.
Whether the support is specifically for the Chair of Governors (eg. coaching for the Chairs of Governors’ Leadership Development Programme, how to run a meeting) or more general support in just getting to know how to make a corporate decision – we can help. Our programmes are tailored to your needs and we can arrange for one-off training or on-going training. From clerking to strategic development DES can help you.