Correspondence

School governance update: July 2022

Updated 16 December 2022

Applies to England

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-governance-update/school-governance-update-july-2022

Schools white paper – Opportunity for all: strong schools with great teachers for your child

We’ve published the schools white paper, Opportunity for all: strong schools with great teachers for your child.

This sets out our long-term vision for a school system that helps every child to fulfil their potential by ensuring that they receive the right support, in the right place, at the right time – founded on achieving world-class literacy and numeracy. Strong leadership and governance are critical in advancing educational outcomes for children. The new schools bill, announced on 10 May in the queen’s speech, will provide the legislation required to make this vision a reality.

We’ve also published Implementing school system reform in 2022 to 2023. This outlines how schools, trusts, local authorities, and where applicable, faith bodies and leaders can take the next steps in the journey towards a stronger and fairer system to support them in engaging constructively with the department over the coming year.

We welcome the views of trustees, governors, and governance professionals on the publication and encourage them to engage with future consultations.

Local authority-established multi-academy trusts (MAT)

As announced in Opportunity for all: strong schools with great teachers for your child, we have published a Registration of interest (ROI) document for local authorities who are interested in setting up a MAT.

We expect to initially support a small number of projects as part of a test-and-learn exercise in 2022 to 2023.

Further information about test-and-learn and the application process is available in the ROI document.

SEND Review: Right support, right place, right time

We’ve published the SEND and alternative provision (AP) green paper. This sets out proposals for a system that offers children and young people access to the right support, in the right place, and at the right time, so they can fulfil their potential and lead happy, healthy and productive adult lives.

Further information is available at SEND Review: Right support, right place, right time.

Recovery guidance

We’ve published an update to the Education recovery support guidance. This includes guidance specifically for governors and trustees. It provides information about the programmes and activities we’re funding to support education recovery and children and young people’s wellbeing.

There are programmes and activities for children and young people of all ages, prioritising those that need help most, including disadvantaged pupils and students, and those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

Keeping children safe in education guidance

Our statutory safeguarding guidance, Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE), has been published. This comes into effect on 1 September 2022. Schools and colleges must have regard to this when carrying out their duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. Some of this year’s changes include:

  • making clear the reasons why children may not feel ready or know how to tell someone that they are being abused
  • adding more detail about governor and trustee training
  • clarifying the process of sharing low-level concerns
  • highlighting the importance of explaining to children and young people that the law is in place to protect them rather than criminalise them
  • absorbing the standalone sexual violence and sexual harassment advice

Webinars for schools on attendance best practice

In line with the publication of our Working together to improve school attendance guidance, we are running a series of effective practice training webinars to support schools and trusts to meet the new expectations.

Sign up using the registration form for a webinar on 7 July 2022 at 4pm. It will be hosted by Diverse Academies Trust on effective governance which supports stronger attendance. This session will be applicable to both school staff and governors.

The webinar will be recorded and shared as part of improving attendance: good practice for schools and multi-academy trusts.

Flexible working training for school leaders

We’re funding online training, offered by Timewise Flexible Working Consultancy, on implementing flexible working practices, tailored to the needs of governors and trustees.

To register and access a recording of the governor and trustee Webinar, visit Supporting DfE’s recruitment and retention strategy by training school leaders in flexible working.

External reviews of governance guidance

The ESFA has recently updated its external reviews of governance guidance (ERGs). We encourage boards to undertake ERGs regularly as part of a positive, proactive approach to improving governance.

The guidance is to support boards when undertaking a review to understand:

  • how to get the best out of a review, with a focus on understanding the purpose of ERGs
  • how they can be beneficial
  • what to consider when commissioning a review to ensure best value for money

We have recently emphasised our position on ERGs in the Academy Trust Handbook.

View my financial insights (VMFI) governor training webinars

The view my financial insights (VMFI) team will be holding a series of training webinars for governors and trustees. VMFI offers information on the financial position and performance of schools, providing data to enable you support school finance teams.

You can sign up for the following sessions:

Early years foundation stage profile assessment

As this is the first statutory assessment following the reforms to the early years foundation stage profile (EYFSP), you may find the following resources helpful:

Improving your computer science teaching: computing hubs

Our network of 34 computing hubs is improving the quality of computer science teaching by increasing subject knowledge of computing teachers across all key stages.

With CPD and training delivered in person or remotely, each hub offers tailored support to all schools and colleges in England, to improve the teaching of, and increase participation in, computer science. Find out more about computing hubs or how to get support from your local computing hub.

Recruitment of National Leaders of Governance (NLGs)

The NLG programme is delivered by the National Governance Association (NGA) on behalf of the Department for Education (DfE). NGA is now recruiting for additional NLGs in the north and south-west of England.

Being an NLG is an exciting opportunity to improve the effectiveness of governance in the schools and trusts which need it most, whilst offering a development opportunity for experienced governors, trustees, governance professionals and governance consultants.

We particularly encourage applications from candidates from ethnic minority backgrounds and those with experience of governance in schools and academies with a religious character. Candidates must meet eligibility criteria set by DfE.

Information on how to apply is available on the NGA website. The closing date is 9am Friday 22 July.

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