Governance

‘The importance and significance of outstanding governance and leadership across our education system, in every school has never been greater….effective governance provides strategic direction, creates robust accountability, oversight and assurance for the educational and financial performance of our schools’. (Department for Education). Our mission as Governance Consultancy Team is to provide all governors, trustees and clerks/governance professionals with a tried and trusted source of support, information, training and advice. We can help to ensure that your governance stands up to scrutiny and that all those involved are well informed and enabled to play a full part. We have been able to adapt swiftly to  the changing demands on governors and trustees and offer a full range of online training and support alongside our well-established package.

The Governance Consultancy Team knows and understands first-hand the challenges facing school governors, trustees and clerks/governance professionals. Our experienced staff  and team of associates support, inform, guide, train and advise governors, trustees, headteachers and clerks/governance professionals as they seek to achieve and maintain high-quality governance within their schools in a modern climate of clear, confident, strategic leadership and sharply focused accountability.

We offer two subscription options - standard or premium - to deliver value for money and to enable and encourage maximum take-up of our training offer, and allow governors/trustees to attend training without further recourse to the school.

Standard subscription

• Individual and confidential access to telephone and email helplines staffed by our experienced team
• Access to a wide range of high-quality training and development sessions delivered by our experienced team, many offered at no additional charge or heavily subsidised. A blended, interactive approach of both online and in-person opportunities
• Termly Governance Today magazine packed with topical articles and information
• Termly Checklist document to keep you up to date
• Termly online briefing sessions
• Weekly ‘Governance Alert’ bulletin
• Access to governance templates, guidance and information via our subscriber website
• One subscription to GovernorHub
• Additional subscriptions to GovernorHub for LGBs/hub boards
• One subscription to GovernorHub Knowledge (formerly the Key for School Governors), which includes GovernorHub (usually £600)
• Additional subscriptions to GovernorHub Knowledge £POA

Premium subscription

• All of the above plus...
• Access to our full training programme at no further charge
• 10% reduction on any of our governance products such as reviews of governance or in-house training sessions
• One subscription to GovernorHub Free of charge
• Additional subscriptions to GovernorHub for LGBs/hub boards
• One subscription to GovernorHub Knowledge (formerly the Key for School Governors), which includes GovernorHub (usually £600)
• Additional subscriptions to GovernorHub Knowledge £POA

• Enable your governing board to be well informed and to understand their strategic role
• Access to a wide range of training opportunities through a blended approach of interactive online and in-person opportunities
• Ensure bespoke advice and support delivered by highly experienced staff
• Dedicated support and advice for clerks/ governance professionals to ensure they understand how best to support the board
• Telephone and email helplines staffed all year round, ensuring a rapid response
• Access to our website for information, templates, model policies and Q-cards, when you need it
• Build evidence for inspection that governors and trustees are developing their skills, fulfilling their legal responsibilities and keeping up to date
• Be outward facing - know what is going on in the world of education and governance beyond your own school(s)

Boards are welcome to purchase individual packages of consultancy support, these are available from £284 and could be used towards:

• Bespoke support for your governance professional
• Bespoke support in restructuring governance within your MAT
• Discrete reviews in key areas of trust governance
• Support for complaints investigations and panel hearings
• Bespoke support to foster meaningful engagement with stakeholders

We are happy to discuss your individual requirements and develop a support package to suit your needs.
Contact us: [email protected]

We can work with you to construct a bespoke in-house session tailored to your needs. You may want to join together with other boards and share the cost.

Popular sessions include:

• Roles and responsibilities
• Ofsted - expectations of governance
• Setting and agreeing a vision/strategic direction
• Pupil exclusion procedures
• Complaints - prevention and managing

Cost: sessions start from £284

We can also offer bespoke sessions delivered virtually, as appropriate and this will reduce the cost - talk to us if you are interested in this option. Please call us to discuss your requirements.

The Governance Team has a vast range of training available specifically tailored to the needs of governors/trustees/clerks and governance professionals. We keep our training offer under constant review and regularly add new and updated sessions to our programme.

Topics include:

• Securing great outcomes for your disadvantaged children
• Recruiting board members
• Attendance and behaviour
• Budget planning and monitoring

We are hugely fortunate in Devon to have access to a team of trained and experienced mediators working as part of the Governance Consultancy Team and this service is available  to all schools in Devon. The service is funded by Devon County Council and is offered at no charge to all Devon maintained schools. Academies and non-Devon schools are also able to access the service and will be charged at a rate to cover costs.

Mediation is a voluntary, confidential process that is without prejudice. It provides a safe and secure environment to allow meaningful communication to take place. It works best when used early; so school leaders, governors and trustees need to be aware of mediation as a tool which could be offered where there is a situation in the school involving a complex parental complaint or a breakdown in communications at leadership/governance level. One of the greatest benefits of mediation is that it helps to break a deadlock in communication, it can rebuild relationships and make them stronger for the future. This is really important in a school setting where parents need to be positively engaged with their children’s education.

Following an initial conversation with the mediation co-ordinator you will be assigned a mediator who will establish contact with both parties involved and arrange for either a facilitated meeting or a formal mediation to take place. There are very few situations where mediation is not suitable and often it is just a matter of identifying when a conflict is escalating and recognising that asking for external help is not an admission of guilt, or failure but, the pragmatic approach to ensuring that the best interests of the pupils remain  the focus of every school.

These sessions are delivered towards the beginning of each term and provide an opportunity for governors/trustees and clerks/governance professionals to be brought up to date  with issues which will impact on the board.
Cost: Free of charge for subscribing schools

A session for experienced governors and trustees looking for a refresh and update, or those returning to governance after a break. This half day event includes opportunities to network and share best practice and is suitable for both maintained schools and academies.

This session aims to:

• Refresh governors and trustees on their roles and responsibilities
• Cover good practice in meetings
• Provide skills to promote appropriate challenge
• Outline good practices in developing strategy and vision
• Look in depth at governance visits, parent and stakeholder relationships

Cost: Free of charge for subscribing schools and £94 per delegate (for non-subscribing schools)