Governor Visit Days

Last Wednesday governors conducted their first Visit Day of the academic year. Each governor is allocated a 'link' either to a subject or department of the school. Governors appreciated having an opportunity to talk to staff about progress that is being made the areas to which they are linked. 

Colleagues also enjoyed visiting lessons and were pleased with the positive behaviour for learning that they witnessed. I visited History and PE lessons, which were very different (not so much jumping through hoops in History), but both great. The History lesson was about the religious causes of the English Civil War. While I'm no historian I've studied that period a little and and it took great self control on my part not to keep putting my hand up and saying, 'Please Miss...' in answer to questions posed by the teacher. I was content simply to watch PE students enjoying themselves jumping through hoops, though. Thanks to hardworking members of staff for taking the time to meet with governors and for welcoming us into their lessons. 

We especially valued having the opportunity to speak with panels of students from all Key Stages about some of the changes that have been introduced at Matravers since September. It was good to hear their views, which were expressed in such a spirited, frank and thoughtful way. They had many positive things to say about the school, which was encouraging. We are grateful to our exceptional students for giving us their own unique perspective on the school.

We will reflect on feedback from the Visit Day at the Full Governors’ Board meeting on 9^th December. We will be discussing what we learned from conversations with staff and students in our forthcoming committee meetings.

The governing board is grateful to everyone who made the Visit Day such an enjoyable and informative experience for all who took part. 

Governance is a 'thinking not doing role': discuss

School governance is a strategic rather than operational task. Governors don't run the school. They tell the school where to run and make sure it’s on track to get there. To help safeguard the strategic/operational divide the National Governors' Association defines governance as ‘a thinking not a doing role’. I would want to develop that definition a little as it may give the misleading impression that governors simply sit around quietly thinking about things. We tend to be a mouthy lot and have been known to vocalise our thoughts in speech. Just occasionally.

It would be more accurate therefore to say that governance is ‘a speaking not a doing role’. But even that is open to misunderstanding, as it makes governor board meetings sound like a glorified talking shop. What to say, then? I think we need to break down the thinking/doing, speaking/doing dichotomy that is inherent in the NGA's definition and my suggested alternative. We may profitably do that by drawing on the insights of ‘speech-act theory’. 

'What's that when it's at home?' I hear you ask. Well, 'speech-act theory' is the understanding of linguistics developed by Oxford academic J. L. Austin. The brainy prof cautioned that speaking is not to be set in opposition to acting. Rather, speech is a form of action that has practical effects.  Austin proposed that language may be broken down into three component parts: First we have basic units of speech, or words. Second there is the use to which we put our words, such as as making promises, or issuing commands. Finally, what we do with our words has an effect upon others as promises believed, or commands are obeyed. That in essence is 'speech-act theory'. 

Words then are not ‘just words’. When we speak we are engaging in ‘communicative action’, to use the jargon.  For example, you order a home delivery pizza over the phone, promising to pay for it on when it comes. It arrives piping hot 30 minutes later (hopefully) and you eat it.  Your words of promise and command spoken to the person in the pizza shop did something. They were communicative acts that made stuff happen in the real world. 

Now for a thought experiment in an attempt to apply the insights of 'speech-act theory' to the role of governance. To return to our pizza illustration, it isn’t the job of governors to cook the thing. That's the operational bit. If the school were a giant pizza parlour, staff and students would produce the goods, not the governors. We set the strategy by ordering the exact kind of pizza we want and then hold the head to account to make sure we get what we ordered. Governance is more than a ‘thinking role’ because we don't just idly dream of the educational equivalent of great pizza. We use words to order it. It involves more than aimlessly sounding off, because our speech is intended to have a practical effect upon the school: the production of outstanding pizza student achievement. 

Without the aid of Italian fast food, it works like this. The governors' Statement of Vision and Values sets the school's destination of travel. Our strategy provides the ‘route map’ that will help us get there. It includes detailed coordinates such targets for exam results, improvements in student behavior and attendance, and enhancements to the quality of teaching. By setting the vision and strategy and holding the head to account against key performance indicators governors help keep senior leaders on their toes, thus driving forwards the process of school improvement. And so it is that the words we use have the desired impact on our students’ learning outcomes. They are not 'just words', but ‘speech-acts'. Geddit?

To bring this discussion to a conclusion, in place of the NGA’s construction of governance as ‘a thinking not a doing role’, I propose that governance should be defined as a ‘strategic speech-act’. Admittedly it may not catch on as a snappy slogan. But putting it like that safeguards the strategic/operational divide without the danger of implying that governance is all thought/talk and no action. We speak therefore we do. The communicative actions of the board promote high standards of educational achievement in order to ensure that every student exceeds their potential. 

For evidence of the impact of the board's 'strategic speech-acts',  check out the Board of Governors' Report to Stakeholders 2013/14 that will be sent to parents and carers at the end of this term.

Blog Exclusive: The Parent Governor Interview

We currently have two Parent Governor vacancies on the Board of Governors. In this interview I chat to current Parent Governor Joanne Russell about the challenges and rewards of governance. 

GD: Hi Joanne, please tell us a little about yourself:

JR: I am self-employed running a small beauty business from my home. I have 3 sons, the older 2 attended Matravers a few years ago and my youngest has just started Year 9.

GD: What made you want to become a governor, and when did you join the board?

JR: I joined Matravers Governors as a Parent Governor in June 2013. Since my youngest son had joined Matravers there had been a lot of changes and I knew, with a new Head Teacher starting there would be a lot more. I’d had many conversations with friends and other parents and generally we all seemed to be discussing the same subjects. A letter was sent out asking for Governors and I decided that this would be a good opportunity for me to understand and discuss issues and be a voice for other parents.

GD: What is the role of the Board of Governors?

JR: The Board of Governors takes responsibility for the conduct of the school. It promotes high standards of educational achievement in order to ensure that every student exceeds their potential. Our ambition is for Matravers School to become a world class education facility at the heart of the Westbury area community for students aged 11-18. In addition the board has legal ownership of the school site (land and buildings) and acts as the employer of school staff.

The Core Functions of Governance are:

• Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction
• Holding the headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils
• Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent.

That may sound very daunting but this is done as a team and we work together.

GD: What have you found most challenging about governance?

JR: For me, the most challenging thing about Governance is understanding data! I am getting there but it does not come naturally!

GD: What have you found most rewarding about governance?

JR: Before becoming a governor I didn’t really understand what the role of the Governing Board was, I have a good understanding now, but more importantly I’ve learned that they are a group of ‘ordinary’ people who care passionately about the success of Matravers and the children that attend it.

GD: What skills have you learned from being a governor that have helped you in other areas of your life?

JR: I now have a broader view of the education system and some of the challenges faced with running a school, I was probably quite narrow minded with my views on certain issues prior to becoming a Governor.

GD: How does being a parent impact on your approach to governance?

JR: I think being a Governor and having a child that currently attends Matravers is a great benefit. I am listening to feedback from my child regarding things that are going on at the school, I have the benefit of talking to other parents and being able to feedback not only concerns but also positivity to the Governing Board.

GD: What would you say to encourage other parents join the Governing Board?

JR: There is often a lot of talk between parents and also in the community about Matravers, people are often very passionate with their views whether they are positive or negative. Put this passion to good use and consider being a Governor and joining the Governing Board, where issues can be dealt with constructively.

GD: Thanks for that, Joanne. For more information on becoming Parent Governor and how to apply see the Governor page of the school website, here. 

Education for life

Right then, devoted readers. You no doubt will have spent so long poring over our shiny brand new Statement of Vision and Values that every last syllable has been indelibly printed the bits of your brain devoted to memorising stuff.  Am I right? OK then, I'm going to test you. What was the last 'value' on our list? Think hard now. Got it? 

Of course you did. We want our students to be characterised by dynamism. That English word is derived from the Greek δύναμις or dunamis to transliterate, meaning power. Now, power could simply be construed as the ability to bend others to your will; 'might is right'. That's diabolical dynamism and is not something we're overly keen to promote. Rather, as one of our key values, dynamism is defined as,

Ensuring that our students grow and develop into well-rounded, reflective individuals with a strong sense of moral purpose. By doing so we encourage them to contribute positively to the world in which we live.

High minded talk of 'moral purpose' may seem a little old fashioned. Quaint even. Could have been written by a Vicar or something. But a number of recent studies have highlighted the importance of education as an exercise in character formation. Students don't simply need to learn English, Maths, History, Physics, Dance, Drama, or whatever so they can pass their exams. According to a report commissioned by the CBI, schools also need to teach character to children and be judged on their success in doing that by Ofsted. 

Speaking in an interview with The Times to mark the launch of the report John Cridland, director-general of the CBI argued that schools should teach pupils resilience [also one of our values] and how to be “rounded and grounded”. Any school failing to do that should not be rated Outstanding, he said, even if it achieved great results. Cridland went on to spell out what he meant by 'character', 

I mean resilience, humility, emotional intelligence, team spirit, someone who will go the extra mile... Some young people are surprised by the workplace. This generation is the most streetwise there has ever been . . . so how can they be the least ready for the world of work? There’s a disconnect between the workplace and what they think it looks like — it is more informal and a collective team effort than they realise.

It seems that Ofsted head honcho, Sir Michael Wilshaw agrees saying,

Too many teenagers leave school without having learnt how to dress smartly, speak politely, and turn up for work on time [and that] young people were not well enough prepared for work, contributing to high levels of youth unemployment. The Times [paywall protected]. 

Our rigorous approach to matters such as school uniform and punctuality is designed to ready our students for the disciplines of working life. Of course we want to teach our pupils the knowledge and skills they need to succeed academically. But that is not enough on its own. We will also endeavor to inculcate key character-forming values and virtues that will help shape our students into 'rounded and grounded' individuals with a strong sense of moral purpose. That's because at Matravers we believe that education is not just for school, but for life. 

The Vision Thing

Before I say anything else I should congratulate students on their exam results and thank staff for all the hard work they put in during the course of the previous academic year. Welcome to new students who have just started with us and welcome back to all who have returned after the summer break. On behalf of the governors I wish you every success in 2014/15 academic year. As we stand at the threshold of a new school year I thought now might be a good time to reflect on the Board of Governors' vision for Matravers School. 

George Bush senior was famously dismissive of what he called, 'the vision thing'. He was a detail rather than big picture man and had little time for high faluting visionary ideas. There's something to be said for such a down to earth, practical approach to power. But without a clear view of future prospects, strategies designed to make visions a reality become little more than tactical responses to everyday events. Organisations can easily get blow off course by every puff of wind if they don't have a very definite sense of where they are going. That's why 'the vision thing' is so important for a school.  

At a recent meeting of the Full Governing Board we reviewed and refreshed the school's Statement of Vision and Values. The statement sets out the direction of travel for the school. Our strategic 'route map' will help ensure that we get there. The role of governors is to set the vision of the school and hold the head and senior leaders to account to make sure we are not going off course. 

Vision

Our vision is for Matravers School to be a world-class centre for teaching and learning at the heart of the Westbury community. Achieving this involves ensuring that every Matravers student exceeds their potential in all aspects of their education. We will provide the outstanding teaching, learning and leadership needed to fulfil this goal. Our outreach and support of others ensures that we are working at the cutting-edge of education as a system leader

Values 

Our values are embedded in all that we do at Matravers School. We believe they reflect our approach to ensuring that our students receive the most fulfilling and rewarding education possible.

Resilience We equip our students with high quality core skills and the aptitudes to use them in order that they become independent enquirers team workers; effective participants; self-managers; reflective learners; and creative thinkers. Our inspiring teaching and learning empowers our students to meet any challenge with confidence and succeed in life.

Creativity We embed confidence and self-belief within our students by inspiring a passion for learning which extends to every member of the community. Students strive for excellence; teachers, support staff and the wider community continually enhance a flexible repertoire of skills in order to enable students to exceed expectations..

Ambition We enable our students to realise that anything is possible. There are no ceilings or limits to our aspirations.  We embrace an atmosphere of success across the whole school, which is publicly recognised and celebrated.

Happiness We recognise that every student is an individual. We care greatly for each pupil, providing them with the support and guidance they need to be fulfilled and happy.

Success We empower our students to raise their aspirations towards excellence. We ensure this happens by setting challenging targets and rigorously monitoring progress towards them.  Through our home/school partnership we engage parents in the learning success of their children.

Dynamism We ensure that our students grow and develop into well-rounded, reflective individuals with a strong sense of moral purpose. By doing so we encourage them to contribute positively to the world in which we live.

A cure for the summertime blues

Big Picnic

Governors, eh? One minute we're painted as little more than well-meaning dolers out of sherry and cake at the school fête. The next we're dangerous subversives, bent on re-enacting the siege of Troy, only in Birmingham. Trojan horses and all that. It's enough to bring on a fit of the summertime blues for us poor, put-upon govs. 

Just to reassure worried parents, Matravers governors would never get caught up in any of that sherry and cake malarkey. No way. And we don't even have a school fête. As for Trojan horses, I was never much cop at woodwork. Besides, the siege of Troy didn't exactly end well for Achilles, did it? What with his dodgy heel and all that. Naah. We'll just have to settle for giving the school strategic leadership and accountability. That'll keep us busy enough.

Not that it's all high powered meetings, data crunching and target setting. The role does have some perks. On Thursday evening my wife and I attended the Matravers Sports Presentation Evening. What an amazing array of sporting talents we have hidden away in the school. It was great to see our top class gymnasts, athletes, footballers, netballers, bowls players and much more receive awards at the event. A special 'Well Done' to hammer thrower Elly Webb for winning the Sports Personalty of the Year!

And then on Friday (it's all go), we attended the Big Picnic. Good food. Banging tunes. Sumo suit wrestling. Didn't try that. Face painting. Didn't try that either. Queue was too big. But it was thrilling to see the school at its chilled-out (with the help of lots of ice lollies), yet vibrant best. A great cure for the summertime blues. 

Now the final term of 2013/14 is almost over. We've seen a lot of changes in the school since Dr. Riding took the helm in September. Changes for the better, I trust. Here's hoping that all the hard work of students and staff pays off come the exam results in August. Onwards and upwards. 

In the autumn we'll be publishing our first Board of Governors Report to Stakeholders (2013/14), setting out the key actions of the board and charting their impact on the school. If you can't wait for that eagerly anticipated blockbuster, don't forget my reading challenge for the hols. 

Have a great summer break! 

On creating 'a thirst for knowledge and a love of learning'

The words in quotation marks in the title of this post are taken from the Ofsted School Inspection Handbook. They form part of the Grade Description for Outstanding Behaviour & Safety of Pupils. If a school is to be rated Outstanding it isn't enough that students are compliant and well behaved. Inspectors will look for evidence that a school has awakened 'a thirst for knowledge and a love of learning' in its pupils. That's what we're aiming for at Matravers. 

But, like charity, 'a thirst for knowledge and a love of learning' begins at home. If parents are lifelong learners, we can help instil the same attitude in our children. That's why I'm setting parents and carers a 'Chair's Challenge' for the summer hols. My challenge is that parents should either buy or borrow a book from the library to read during summer break. When school returns I invite you to submit a 300 word review, explaining why you chose the book, what you liked about it, how it could have been better, and whether you would recommend it to others.  

Email a copy of your review to the school (here) and mark it for the attention of the Chair of Governors. I'll publish a selection of reviews on this blog in the new academic year. Only books suitable for a mention on a school-related website will be considered. You never know, your reading suggestions may prompt others to dip into your favourite author. A love of learning can be infectious. My big summer read will be Ten Cities that Made an Empire, by Tristram Hunt, Allen Lane, 2014. I'll let you know how I got on in September. 

Governor Visit Day 2

It was back to school for members of the Board of Governors on Wednesday for the second Visit Day of this academic year. Last time we concentrated on visiting lessons so we could gauge our students' behaviour for learning. And very good it was too. This time we wanted to spend more time speaking to students themselves about how they are getting on at Matravers. 

I'm linked to the Humanities Super Faculty (well, the History, Geography and Religious Studies bits) and spoke to a lively panel of  students from Years 7-10. They were full of opinions on what they liked and disliked about Matravers and what the governors should do to make things better. I was pleased to note that all were aware of their target grades and what they needed to do to achieve them. They thought that  lessons were enjoyable and thought-provoking, and that behaviour in the school was pretty good. There was an almost universal demand for more trips.

A report containing the findings of all Student Voice Q&As will be considered by our Every Child Matters committee. We will listen carefully to what pupils had to say and try to ensure that their concerns are addressed. Speaking to fellow governors at the end of the day, we were all deeply impressed by our students and their articulate, thoughtful and honest contributions to the discussion times. We want to make sure that Matravers offers them a top class education that is driven by strong values and results in the best possible academic achievements for every pupil. How could we settle for anything less?

We also sampled some lessons, which was very enjoyable and informative. It was strictly board, chalk and talk when I was in school. No interactive white boards back then. No computers as far as I recall. How things have changed. In one lesson I was fascinated to see students using a clicky thing (possibly not the right technical term) to take part in a History Quiz. I'm not revealing how many answers I would have got right had they let me loose with a clicky thing of my own. Probably for the best that they didn't. Would have been wrong of me to have showed off. 'Yeah, right.' I hear you say. How would you have done (see here)?

Governors were made to feel very welcome by staff and students. Students said they liked having an opportunity to speak with us about their views on the school. They even requested that we visit more often. As Arnie might say, 'We'll be back.'  

An interview with David Marriott

In a special interview I quiz David Marriott on what it means to be a governor and the challenges that they face in the current educational climate. 

GD: Hello David Marriott and welcome to the Matravers Governor Blog. Please tell us a little about yourself.

DM: I am an education consultant specialising in governance and school leadership. I served as Head of Governor Services for Wiltshire Council between 1995 and 2011. Prior to that role I was a teacher (English and Drama) for 21 years in 5 different secondary schools, including deputy headship in the city of Bristol.

In recent years I was a governor at Rose Hill primary school in Oxford and while my children attended Priory secondary school in Weston super Mare in the 1990s I served as a parent governor for four years. I recently served as chair of the Interim Executive Board (IEB) of a primary school in Special Measures and steered it to become a sponsored academy.

I was a member of NCOGS (National Co-coordinators of Governor Services) for many years, was Vice Chair between 2006 and 2009, becoming its Chair in 2009.

I’ve written 4 books on different aspects of governance, including The Effective School Governor, 1998; Monitoring and Evaluation, 2004, revised 2009 and 2011, and Being Strategic, first published in 2005 and revised 2011. Most recently I wrote Getting to grips with performance-related pay (e-book) and Outstanding governance for academies for Optimus Publishing, both 2013. He contributes to the School Governor’s Yearbook annually.

As an independent consultant he has provided a wide range of services in ten different local authorities and for various other organisations.

I run a website (www.thegovernor.org.uk) offering a growing library of free downloadable resources and information for governors, regular opinion pieces and my consultancy services. Contact me via davidmarriott@gmail.com or on 01793 323780 or 0770 3367451.

GD: What should be the main purpose of the Board of Governors?

DM: I’m very comfortable with the DfE’s definition:

to ‘conduct the school with a view to promoting high standards of educational achievement at the school’

GD: How does that work out in practice?

DM: It means we have to focus on the children and their educational outcomes – everything else is less important, but can contribute to achieving the end result we seek.

GD: What do you think lies behind the Department of Education’s suggested change in nomenclature from ‘Governing Body’ to ‘Board of Governors’?

DM: Two things, I think. The first is an understandable desire by the DfE to iron out some of the practical differences between academies and maintained schools. In academies, especially those in a chain or sponsored academies the governing body can be more like the board of directors in a company – and, of course, academies are companies. The second is to emphasise that although governance remains a voluntary activity it needs to be done in a professional way.

GD: How does the role of Chair of Governors differ to that of Head Teacher?

DM: The chair is the head’s line manager and the head is accountable to the governors, mainly through the chair. The head’s job is to lead and manage the school on a day-to-day basis. The chair should keep out of the way most of the time but good and regular communication between the two is essential.

GD: What would be your most useful piece of advice for a new or aspiring Chair of Governors?

DM: In theory, if you get it right, you should have less to do than any other governor! Delegation is the key to success. Don’t try to do it all yourself.

GD: How may a Board of Governors best prepare for an Ofsted inspection?

DM: Share knowledge and understanding of the school between all the governors. It’s reasonable for some to specialise in particular areas but don’t allow any one governor to have a monopoly of knowledge of anything. Make sure your minutes reflect the challenge you present to the head and leadership team. Prepare simple summaries logging your impact as a governing body.

GD: What are the advantages and disadvantages of a school becoming an Academy from the perspective of governance?

DM: It depends on the kind of academy you become. The vast majority are converter academies where governance remains similar to that in maintained schools, with a sharper accountability for school finances. In sponsored academies and especially those in a chain, the “local governing body” in each school may have significantly reduced responsibilities. This can be good news if it enables a sharper focus on school performance with fewer distractions of other responsibilities but it can also feel like an emasculation.

The key thing is that an academy is a trust and the trustees rather than the governors  are ultimately responsible for what goes on – though trustees are nearly always governors, too!

GD: You are Secretary of State for Education for the day. What single reform would you make in order to raise standards in schools? 

DM: Instigate a five year moratorium  - or maybe 10-year moratorium - on all school reforms to allow schools to breathe and find their own way forward.

GD: What have you found most enjoyable about governance?

DM: I’m a democrat and I believe that public institutions should be accountable to the people they serve. School governing bodies are a living example of how that can work in practice. My enjoyment comes from seeing a really good governing body doing its job well.

GD: What have you found most frustrating about governance?

DM: Governors who don’t pull their weight or abuse the position, damaging the reputation of governance as an institution.

GD: If you could recommend only one book on school governance, what would it be?

DM: People have stopped writing books about governance as everything’s online these days. I think that’s a real shame but  - and I declare an interest at this point – “The School Governor’s Yearbook” is essential reading. I contribute to it but I find I use it regularly each year to remind myself of the key issues, governors’ statutory responsibilities and things like that.

GD: You maintain a blog, ‘The Governor’. What role may blogging play in improving governance?

DM: Hard to say! I sometimes use mine simply to blow off steam! The more governors share their experiences, though, the better. Governance can be an isolated activity and the more we share the stronger we get.

GD: Which governor blogs do you specially recommend and why?

DM: I don’t really look at many. My friend Ruth Agnew writes a good one. I tend to look at websites dealing with education in general and the Guardian online is where I start. Warwick Mansell and Peter Wilby are both excellent commentators. I was very sad when Mike Baker died last year. His website was the best.

GD: That just about wraps things up. Thanks, David. 

Parents, your views matter

One of the key tasks of the Board of Governors is to listen carefully to what our stakeholders have to say about the school. That includes engaging with students, staff and parents. We analyse anonymised results of Parents' Evening Surveys to monitor how school leaders have responded to parental feedback. It's mostly good, but where problems are highlighted we want to ensure that the appropriate action is taken. 

The Ofsted Parent View online survey asks for parents' opinion on twelve aspects of their child’s school, from the quality of teaching, to dealing with bullying and poor behaviour. Admittedly, it's a bit of a hassle to do, as you have to create an account and log in before you start giving Oftsed the benefit of your opinion. But what you say can make a real difference, as  the results are shared with the school so we can act on your feedback.

The survey asks parents whether they:  ‘strongly agree’, ‘agree’, ‘disagree’, ‘strongly disagree’ or ‘don’t know’ with the following points:

 • My child is happy at this school

 • My child feels safe at this school

 • My child makes good progress at this school

 • My child is well looked after at this school

 • My child is taught well at this school

 • My child receives appropriate homework for their age

 • This school ensures the pupils are well behaved

 • This school deals effectively with bullying

 • This school is well led and managed

 • This school responds well to any concern I raise

I've completed the survey myself, as have eight other Matravers parents. But it's only when we get to ten that the results are made public. So, c'mon, people! Don't worry, they won't reveal your identity. Just a bar graph showing the survey data. Your views matter, so please take a few minutes to let us (and the world) know what you think of Matravers School via Ofsted Parent View. 

Being Strategic: a practical guide for governors by David Marriott

Being Strategic: a practical guide for school governors by David Marriott,

third edition, Adamson Publishing Ltd, 2013, 47pp, £9.95. 

'Strategic' is one of those words that when slipped into conversation can give a speaker the impression that they know what they are talking about. Say, 'Now we really need to be strategic' and everyone will nod. Try it. But there's more to being strategic than repeated use of the word. The Governing Body is meant to be the school's strategic leadership team. However, some Governing Bodies seem to be so intent in meddling in the everyday running of their school that the strategic bit is sidelined. It is then left to others to develop a compelling vision of what the school could be like and work out how to get there. Or maybe the vision thing doesn't get done at all, and a school gets stuck in the Doldrums of ever requiring improvement, but never seeming to make much headway. 

It is to help try and avoid that kind of impasse that David Marriott penned this book. He describes step by step what it means for a Governing Body to be strategic. He shows how governors can get a handle on the where their school is currently and how to work out where they want it to be in the future. Guidance is given on how to devise Vision and Mission Statements that will give governors and the school they lead a strong sense of purpose. Words like 'vision', 'values', 'mission' and 'strategy' are much bandied about in governor circles. But Buzz Words don't buzz if they are devoid of content. Marriott clearly explains what they mean in the context of the school governance. 

Being strategic involves the whole Governing Body holding the school to account accurately and objectively, checking the schools strengths and weaknesses against a wide range of evidence. It means that governors and senior leaders own a shared vision of the future prospects of the school that is informed by their values and driven by a clear sense of mission. The Headteacher will play a key role in determining the direction of the school and Marriott stresses the importance of governors developing a good working relationship with the Head that involves both challenge and support. 

Being Strategic is a helpful tool for sharpening up the practice of governance. Following Marriott's suggestion we subjected a recent Head's report to the Full Governing Body to a SWOT analysis that enabled us to get to grips with the school's Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats. Again (almost literally) taking a leaf out of this book at the next FGB we'll be asking four questions:

• What do we want that we don't have? (need to achieve)
• What do we want that we already have? (need to preserve)
• What don't we have that we don't want? (need to avoid)
• What do we have now that we don't want? (need to eliminate)

The SWOT analysis was a useful exercise in understanding where we are now. Looking at the questions mentioned above will assist us in thinking critically about the school's future. The author also includes material on governor involvement in strategic planning, target setting, policy making and much more. He manages to squeeze quite a lot into a relatively brief book that is jam packed full of good advice and helpful tips.

All current or wannabe school governors would benefit from taking a look at Being Strategic. But I think it would be of particular value to Chairs, Vice-Chairs, Chairs of Committees and those who aspire to such roles in the future. The only drawback is that at £9.95 it's a bit pricey for a slim volume, weighing in at less than fifty pages. It's a helpful book, but not quite worth it's weight in gold. Perhaps the best thing would be for a Governing Body to invest in copy or two using money from their training budget so that the book can be lent out to interested colleagues. If our School Business Manager is reading this, that was a none too subtle hint.

Highly recommended.

I'm grateful to Adamson Publishing Ltd for sending me a complimentary review copy of the latest edition of this work. 

That was the term that was

As I was saying, back last term we had a Governor Visit Day. Sitting in lessons it struck me how much things have changed since I was in secondary school in the 1970/80s. Chalky Blackboards are now snazzy interactive Whiteboards. Students are spared the soul destroying drudgery of taking down dictated notes. Rather, they are encouraged to play an active role in their own learning. In my day it seemed you could get 1000 lines for saying, 'Please sir, my pen's run out.' But nowadays participation is positively welcomed. Thoughtful contributions can earn you a House Point or two. Why, I didn't witness even one teacher throw a well-aimed board rubber at a daydreaming student. Aren't teachers shown how to do that in PGCE courses any more? Anyway, Governors were impressed by what they witnessed as they visited classrooms and talked to students about their educational progress. Behaviour for learning was overwhelmingly good and students seemed to be enjoying their lessons, which was great to see.

Apart from that, highlight of the term for me was this year's school production, The Wizard of Oz. The wife and I attended Thursday's packed-out show. It was a lively affair with well acted performances, note perfect singing and a good dose of slapstick humour. The costumes, choreography and staging were a credit to all involved. The greenfaced, cackling Wicked Witch of the West was scary, though. And the flying monkeys freaked me out a bit. But I tried to be brave. While watching I started to reflect on which of the principal characters I identified with most. I don't posses a pair of shiny red slippers (honest) and you wouldn't want to hear me singing 'Over the Rainbow', so that's Dorothy out.  Scarecrow had no brain, Tin Man no heart and Lion no courage. Too close to call.

At the last meeting of the Full Governing Body, amongst other things we decided to 'reconstitute'. That may sound rather painful, but it simply means that we now have more of one kind of governor (Co-opted) and less of others (various). Reconstituting will give us a little more discretion when it comes to appointing new members of the Governing Body. We also welcomed a new Parent Governor and appointed people to fill vacant Partnership and Co-opted roles. Term 3  being midway through the academic year we revisited our goals for strengthening governance and reviewed our targets for school improvement. That left us reconstituted, reinvigorated and refocussed. There is some debate as to whether the route to Outstanding is a green or yellow brick road, but whatever the colour, we're determined to follow it. 

Governor Visit Day

It's evening now and an eerie silence has descended upon the school. No sound of teachers teaching or students talking wafts down the empty corridors. You can hear no patter of dancing feet beating rhythmically to music. The playing fields are in darkness. No shouts of 'pass the ball' or 'goal!' pierce the night air. It's a school building, but the school has left the building as staff and students head for home after another day's learning. 

But the building is not altogether deserted. It's 7pm on a Tuesday evening. The governors assemble for a meeting. Targets are set and monitored, data is crunched, budgets scrutinised, questions asked, answers given. Information about the school is carefully analysed, but that's not the same as seeing the school in action.

That's why we've arranged a Governor Visit Day for 29th January. Governors will come into school to meet Faculty and Subject leaders, sit in on lessons and speak to students about their learning experiences. We'll especially be looking out for three things: 

1) Students’ behaviour for learning and school ethos

That doesn't simply mean that students are behaving themselves, although we certainly hope they are. Good behaviour for learning means that students are active and engaged learners, who are motivated to do well for themselves and considerate towards others. 

2)   Are Students are meeting the targets set for them?

Students are set targets in accordance with their ability levels. Pupils should know what they are, what they need to do to achieve them, and whether they are on track to do so. Discussing targets with students will help governors discover whether they themselves feel that they fulfilling their educational potential. But more than talking about targets, we also want to find out what students enjoy about Matravers, and what they don't. 

3)   Are the resources used fit for purpose? 

Under this heading governors will note the quality of learning resources and consider whether they are appropriate for the lesson. Plus we'll be looking at the state of the school buildings. 

Information gleaned from the Visit Day will help enrich governors' understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. That in turn will bolster our ability to offer strong strategic leadership and accountability. The school may be a little noisier than we're used to, but I for one am looking forward to it, as are the other governors who'll be taking part.

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