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.

·

Your Governing Body Needs You

Ever thought of joining the SAS (Reserve)? Yes? No? If that's a 'no' there's nothing to be ashamed of. Neither have I. Not seriously for more than half a millisecond anyway. But if being dropped behind enemy lines and the like seems too demanding a sideline, perhaps you might consider something a little less dangerous? I may have just the thing for you. Let's cut to the chase. Fancy being a school governor? 

Currently we have three vacancies, for one Parent and two Partnership positions. Parents may nominate themselves. If there is more than one candidate there will be an election. Parents of Matravers students will choose who gets the post. Partnership applications will be considered by senior governors to ascertain which two candidates' skill sets best compliment the existing team. 

We would especially welcome applicants with a background relevant to the school’s PSHE curriculum, school finance or business planning. Some experience of governance would be nice, but training will be given. 

Tempted? Before you apply consider how well you match up against the check-list below. 

Matravers Governors...

1) Have an active dislike of quiet Tuesday evenings in and are happy to devote many a term-time Tuesday to governance.

2) Are not content with surrendering their Tuesday evenings. They occasionally give up additional time to attend training sessions in places like Devizes. No kidding. 

3) Are willing to visit the school and sit in on lessons, even though they have well exceeded the statutory school leaving age.  

4)  Are determined to master the strange and exotic langue that is educationalese with its mystifying jargon and baffling acronyms. 

5) Find analysis of school performance data strangely fascinating.

6) Think that Governing Matters magazine makes for utterly compelling reading.

7) Nod approvingly and in a very meaningful way every time someone says, "We have to be a 'critical friend' to the school". 

8) Find the idea of being paid for any of this stuff vaguely demeaning. 

9) Believe that the Governing Body can help ensure that every student fulfils their educational potential.  

10) Get involved because they want to make a difference in their community's local secondary school. 

So, how did you do? Reckon you're up for it? Get in touch with the school to find out more about the role of governors and how to apply, here. 

Who dares wins. 

The Three Musketeers of Education

Demothsenes
(Not one of the Three Musketeers) 

Tony Blair (remember him?) told delegates at the 1996 Labour Party Conference, "Ask me my three main priorities for government, and I tell you: education, education, education." I'm not going to offer my opinion on the success or otherwise of Labour's education policy when in government.  What I'm interested in for now is his rhetorical device, "education, education, education". 

This is more guesswork than scholarly source criticism, but I reckon that Blair was borrowing from Demosthenes. "Who's he when he's at home?" I hear you ask. Well, Demothsenes was one of the mightiest orators of ancient Greece. One day a pupil of his asked the great man, "What are the first three principles of oratory?" He replied, no doubt with an appropriately dramatic gesticulation, "Action, action, action." See the resemblance? 

The old Greek rhetoricians believed that persuasive and compelling oratory had three essential components: Athos, Porthos and Aramis. No, that's the Three Musketeers. What I meant was, logos, ethos and pathos. I believe that a successful school will also incorporate those basic elements. Let me explain:

Logos

'Logos' is Greek for 'word'. In rhetorical terms this refers to the matter of the speech and the reasoned arguments used by a speaker to win over an audience to his point of view. When applied to a school 'logos' means the subjects that are taught; arts, maths, sciences, languages, history, geography and so on. This is the essential stuff of education; conveying information and enabling students to understand what they are learning. The school sets challenging goals for student achievement and attainment in the subjects they study. We want our students to leave Matravers with the best possible exam results and/or vocational qualifications. That way their education will open doors of opportunity for further study, training, or the world of work. Ethos and pathos without logos are little better than well meaning sentiment. But if all we offer is the ‘logos’ of education, then we are failing our students. We want Matravers to be an academically successful school, but that's not all. We must not lose sight of:

Ethos

In ancient rhetoric this meant that the speaker’s background or character contributed to the persuasiveness of his speech. A convicted con man might be able to deliver an eloquent speech on business ethics, but who would listen to him? A man who has never left the comforts of life in the UK might be able to give a snazzy PowerPoint presentation on the value of overseas aid. But you would find the words of someone who has devoted their lives to helping the poor in Africa much more meaningful and persuasive.

And so it is with a school. We need to get the ethos right. Education is an exercise in character formation. We don't simply want to stuff our student's heads with knowledge. We want to help them to become rounded individuals with a strong sense of moral purpose. That's why the school challenges poor behaviour and demand that students treat staff and each other with respect. More positively, we encourage students to look out for one another and get involved in organising events for good causes. Ethos means endeavouring to inculcate in our students the virtues of hard work, consideration for others, honesty and integrity that will enable them to become valuable members of the community and good citizens. 

Pathos

Rhetoricians wanted to do more than change people's minds. They aimed at winning their audience's hearts. Closely reasoned arguments and good character will only get you so far. The orators also appealed to the emotions by speaking with feeling, relating affecting anecdotes and deploying vivid poetic language. A school also needs to have a big heart, offering a supportive environment where students feel safe and cared for. This, however doesn't mean an "Aw bless!" attitude that is indulgent and lacks challenge. A good parent will care enough to demand that their children behave well and will encourage them to fulfil their potential through creative inspiration, self-discipline and hard work. So will a decent school. 

In the words of W. B. Yeats, "Education is not the filling of a bucket, but the lighting of a fire." It is for that reason that the governing body is dedicated to ensuring that Matravers offers students an education that has logos, ethos and pathos. That is what lies behind our drive to become an Outstanding school. 

The parental perspective on governance

If anything is bound to induce me into an advanced state of hiraeth (Welsh for homesickness, with a slice of added misery thrown in for good measure), it's the old film How Green Was My Valley? There are some problems with the movie. For starters, the scriptwriters didn't quite get the dialogue right. South Walians don't in fact end virtually every sentence with the words, 'is it?' But the film's depiction of Wales as a land of coal-black miners, close harmony singing, pit disasters and Chapels is calculated to pull on my heart strings. 

Maybe it says something about my own less than happy school days, but one of my favourite moments in the movie is when  Dia Bando, the local pugilist teaches the sadistic School Master, Mr Jonas a thing or two. Reflecting on that scene now I'm thinking that if only the governors had ensured that the school's discipline policy was being implemented properly, a tricky situation might have been avoided. Funny how your role in life alters your perspective on things. One perspective that is especially important to the Governing Body is that of parents, which is why the school conducts parental surveys and has a number of Parent Governors. 

Governors rightly focus on providing the school with strategic leadership and accountability. We familiarise ourselves with the strengths and weaknesses of the school by scrutinising performance data and challenging senior leaders to take steps to overcome barriers to school improvement. We pay attention to stuff like Sats scores, levels of pupil progress, closing the achievement gap, exam results, league tables, quality of teaching ratings, behaviour, attendance, buildings and finance, all the while trying to keep up with the latest government wheezes initiatives. 

The pupil data we crunch is carefully anonymised, as governors aren't entitled to know how individual students are doing. We chart the progress of cohorts, Special Interest Groups, year groups, faculties, departments and subjects. All well and good. That's our job. But operating at that level it is sometimes difficult to remember that what we're talking about is real children with their own problems and challenges, hopes and aspirations. 

That's why the point of view of Parent Governors and Governors who are parents is so vital. They help to keep it real. Of course parents serving on the Governing Body don't get involved simply for the sake of their own children. That would turn our meetings into glorified Parents' Evenings. Governors whether parents or otherwise need to keep the big strategic picture in mind and get to grips with the finer points of school performance data. But in the end all that we do should help ensure that individual students fulfil their educational potential.

Earlier this week I visited the school not as a blue lanyard-wearing Chair of Govs for some high powered meeting, but as a dad for our daughter's Parents' Evening. The experience brought home to me afresh that beyond statistics and targets being a governor is about making sure that your child and mine gets the very best out of their time at Matravers. As a character from How Green Was My Valley? might say, 'That's the parental perspective for you, now, is it?'

Thankfully Dai Bando was nowhere to be seen. Neither was Mr Jonas.