Edition of Herts Governor - Welcome to the Spring 2021 - Herts for Learning
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Welcome to the Spring 2021
edition of Herts Governor…
As the Christmas break approaches, we are still in
uncertain times and facing the prospect that for many
of us, the festive season will not be the same as it
usually is. Schools are facing an end to the autumn term
where Covid-19 makes the usual assemblies, nativity
plays, carol concerts and parties more difficult, but we
have heard of so many resourceful staff teams who are
coming up with new ways to keep the Christmas spirit
alive for our young people this year. Remember everyone
– Santa is a key worker!
This issue of the Hertfordshire Governor celebrates
some of the good things that have come out of 2020 in
our “shout outs” and “fun facts” sections, and provides
updates and guidance on issues that will feature on
agendas in the spring term, or may be of interest to
governors in general.
The Governance Team is here to support and advise
governors – so please do make use of us if you need to.
We urge you to look after you own health and well-being
over the festive period, and try and enjoy a Christmas like
no other – whether it be remote or in person – stay safe.
Governance services will close at midday on
24th of December and the phone lines will not
open until Monday, 4th of January 2021.
01438 544487
governance@hertsforlearning.co.uk
01438 544464
hertsforlearning.co.uk
Black History Important new
Month contact information
In October, HfL
celebrated Black for the Governance
History Month, and
moving forward we
are starting to address
Team
the issue of unconscious
bias, both internally and in
On Monday 30th November, HfL introduced a new,
a wider context with the schools we support.
improved phone system. The new system will ensure
To read more on “Beyond Black History Month”
that remote working for staff is seamless and phone
click here
contact with HfL through service desks or when
You can access a series of free webcasts direct dialling individuals is never compromised.
have been produced by Diverse Educators in
Please use the following numbers to contact HfL
collaboration with
going forward. Any calls to old numbers will be
Governors for Schools,
auto re-directed however, so you will still be able to
Inspiring Governance,
contact the relevant team.
the NGA, the New
Schools’ Network Please note all direct dial numbers have also
and the Association changed and individual email signatures are being
of Governing Bodies updated to reflect this. There are no changes to HfL
of Independent mobile numbers.
Schools, and explore
the need for diverse
representation on Governing
Bodies and Trust Boards. Service New Number
HfL Main Number 01438 544464
Eastern Partnership 01438 544469
Why Back Business Management 01438 544484
on Track? Governance Helpdesk 01438 544487
Six months of disrupted
education means many pupils
Governance Training 01438 544478
have missed out on crucial areas of
learning. To help schools tackle this challenge
and to support teachers so pupils meet at HR Services 01438 544463
least age-related standards by the end of
the 2020-21 academic year, the curriculum Teach in Herts 01438 544468
needs to be restructured and delivered in a
comprehensive way, with DfE guidance stating NQT Services 01438 544472
“Up to and including key stage 3, prioritisation
within subjects of the most important
Leadership Appoiments 01438 544476
components for progression is likely to be
more effective than removing subjects”.
Training and Events 01438 544477
To read more about how Back on Track can
support your school click here
Hertfordshire Annual Governors Conference
‘EDUCATION – BRIDGING THE GAP’
Herts for Learning and Hertfordshire Association of School Governors are pleased to offer governors
the opportunity to book a place on our first digital conference. By booking your place, you will be able to
secure your place for the event programme as follows:
Monday 15th March – A range of webinars will be accessible for you to view during this week
Friday 19th March 2021 at a time to suit you. Full details to follow.
y Dr Kathy Weston, Chief Executive Officer, Tooled Up Education on the
Saturday 20th March governors’ role in closing the gap in education2 keynote speakers
2021 – 9.30am y Kieran Murphy (Director – Phase) on mental health within schools and
the importance of promoting wellbeing and resilience with young people
Attendance is free for Hertfordshire Governors. Find out more and book your place now.
HfL Governance blogs
Since March this year, as schools partially closed, we began to write a series
of blogs to support governors and their boards navigate the difficult and
challenging situation they found themselves in. We have been thrilled with the
number of governors reading our blogs and we aim to continue producing a
blog half-termly going forward.
Read all of the blogs including the latest
If you would like to comment on their content or suggest ideas to be covered in
future blogs please do not hesitate to contact
You can also read blogs from HfL blogs supporting schools during closure covering remote learning
technologies, subject specifics and best practice.
Click here for Covid related blogs and here to subscribe to your choice of blogs straight to your in box.
Ed Talks UK – our first podcast
episode is now live
Our first podcast, Ed Talks UK is now live and we’re The podcast can be accessed on Spotify and
excited to share details with you. i-Tunes.
Ed Talks UK is a mix of topical education news We would really appreciate if you could have a
stories and debate from HfL experts and special listen and pass on your feedback through podcast@
guests from across the entire education sector, hertsforlearning.co.uk. If there are any topics you
encompassing all phases and business areas. would like us to cover in the future, do please let us
know.
The first episode includes discussion of the
Universal Catch-up funding with ideas on how it New episodes of Ed Talks UK will be released on a
could be spent and also a review of how governance monthly basis and we would really appreciate if you
in schools is evolving from recruitment to training. could share the link with your contacts and colleagues.
Governance Newsletter Spring 2021 Herts for Learning 3
Spotlight on
Follow HfL Governor Training
Governance Governor training is essential in order for boards to
develop the skills they need to support their school
on Twitter and effectively. With the move of access to training into
GovernorHub and the introduction of remote and
Facebook.
online training, courses are now easier for governors
to access and complete. In this issue we are putting
a spotlight on courses that could be useful for
We are now active on Twitter and Facebook governors to consider for the Spring Term.
(search HfLGovernance)
where we post news, SFVS - for all governors of maintained schools
alert you to upcoming The SFVS is a self-assessment tool, undertaken
events and share by the governing board, in collaboration with the
content from the wider school. It is a legal document and a Department for
world of governance Education (DfE) requirement for maintained schools
and education. This (academies use a ‘School resource management
activity does not self-assessment’ instead). Every maintained
replace our usual governing board must ensure it is completed and
email and Governor submitted to the local authority on an annual basis.
Hub communications The local authority will in turn:
but is there as a y spot-check all submissions,
reminder of things y ask for more evidence if found lacking,
you may be interested in y ask for more detail should areas that highlight
and comes direct to your phone. shortfall not have rectification actions noted,
If you get a moment please follow us on either y send consolidated data for the region to the DfE as
Twitter or Facebook (or both!) and like/ share evidence of county wide efficiency.
our posts to grow our online community of Following changes in April 2019, board involvement
governors to receive the latest updates from has taken on a greater emphasis. The SFVS is now,
the HfL Governance team. not only important from a compliance perspective,
If you would like any help engaging with our but also because using the tool can develop and
social media alerts or have any suggestions evidence your board's approach to finances.
for things you would like to be alerted to or From feedback, we know that governing boards
informed about please email: often struggle to get the most out of the SFVS and in
jonathan.ellam@hertsforlearning.co.uk many cases are not doing what is expected of them.
We hope, therefore, that this new online training
module will guide you through the process and help
you provide a robust process for your school.
Governance Newsletter Spring 2021 Herts for Learning 4
Safer Recruitment
This nationally accredited full day ‘Safer recruitment’ training is suitable
for governors and staff of schools/academies involved in the recruitment
process. This course is applicable for those who have had no previous
training - if you have attended ‘Safer recruitment’ training within the past 5
years’ there is a separate refresher course for those who wish to refresh their
accreditation, which is also available as one of our online courses. (Please
check if you are unsure).
The Headteacher and at least one governor should be accredited in this training. For users of GovernorHub,
you can check your training history to see if you meet this requirement. The principles and actions for safer
recruitment derive from the Bichard Inquiry which was formed following the tragic events of the 'Soham case'
(2004). The Inquiry's Report highlighted flaws and shortcomings in the recruitment process that allowed Ian
Huntley to be employed as a caretaker at Soham Community School. The Bichard Inquiry recommended that
all governing boards have members who have been safer recruitment trained and that appointment panels
for school leadership posts include at least one governor who has been safer recruitment trained. This
course is based on the Safer Recruitment Consortium national programme. The session will:
y raise awareness of the Bichard Inquiry Report and the safer recruitment framework
y look at data and trends in school/academy incidents of abuse
y look at safer recruitment processes and policies
y provide an opportunity to go through the recruitment process
Click here for information and bookings for the full day training, see link for details of the refresher
courses. Alternatively, log in here to complete the online refresher (governors only). School staff who
are not governors will need to contact governance@hertsforlearning.co.uk to book if they are not listed
on GovernorHub.
GovernorHub updates
For governors…..
Manage your notifications
GovernorHub have made it easier to control how
Training
many notifications you receive. The new settings Both “live” training bookings and online courses
can be found under Email, Security and Privacy on can be found on the TRAINING tab in the Herts
your personal profile page. This might be handy if for Learning Governor Services area. Any training
you're a member of lots of boards or groups. Take a completed will automatically be recorded on your
quick tour… training record in GovernorHub. You can find the link
to courses being held remotely on the list of training
Knowledge
you have booked in your training record.
If your board has an HfL Clerk, have the Super Saver
bundle (maintained schools) or they subscribe
The Key
separately then you will now have access to the If your school subscribes to the Key for School
KNOWLEDGE tab in GovernorHub. You can find this Governors then you will have an additional icon
in the Herts for Learning Governor Services area by on your washing line to make access to this
clicking on the HfL icon on your washing line. subscription easier.
Governance Newsletter Spring 2021 Herts for Learning 5
For clerks……
Clerks in Herts group
Any clerks that subscribe to the Clerks Training and
Support package have now been added to the Clerks
in Herts group, giving them access to a dedicated
noticeboard, a documents section, and the HfL area
to book on training and access the Knowledge tab.
Clerks Hub
If you are an admin on two or more boards, or have
Governance blogs – 7 published so far this
year with an average readership of 418 per blog
the role of clerk on two or more boards, you will see
(they can be accessed here Governance blogs )
a Hub on your washing line that allows you to see
and manage your boards all in one place, and post Chairs Portal – celebrating its first year with
noticeboard messages to all or some of your groups a total of 11,896 visits, averaging 991 per month
at the same time. (Chairs subscribing to our Chairs Service have
exclusive access to this resource)
Remote meetings
Chairs Strategic Briefings – a record 244
You can now add the link for the remote meeting
Herts Chairs attended our October virtual briefing!
to the calendar section of GovernorHub to make it
(Book onto the next one on February 23rd 2021)
easier for governors to find it. Get the latest guidance.
Governor Training – at the time of writing:
Documents stored in GovernorHub can now be
1240 governors have attended remote group training
marked as signed. Get the latest guidance.
sessions during the autumn term and another 352
Governors can declare any interests and confirm are booked on courses to be run before the end of term.
that they have read KCSiE in the declarations section
79 boards have received their in house training
in GovernorHub. Premium service subscribers can
sessions since April 2020 – delivered remotely,
also add any additional items that you need your
and another 45 have made firm bookings for the
board to confirm e.g. Governor Code of Conduct, and
upcoming months.
print off a report for the school to keep on record.
Click here for guidance. Clerking - 170 clerks subscribe to clerks’ training
and support and there are 69 HfL clerks in post as of
October 2020
Governance Team 300 settings (including 4 non schools) currently
fun statistics
subscribe to the HfL clerking service
150+ delegates attended clerks’ training sessions
for 2020
remotely in the summer term
Between April 2019 – March 2020 HfL clerks
We are thrilled to share some of the engagement supported governing boards to deliver 2082 meetings
levels with HfL Governance services in the past year
Between April 2020 – August 2020 – HfL clerks have
– a huge thanks to all of you who have checked into
clerked 650+ school meetings and hearings remotely
Governor Hub, read our blogs, booked on courses
and followed us in 2020! GovernorHub – 436 boards (including
maintained school, academies, MATs and non-
Twitter our following has grown from 72 to 219 in school boards) now subscribe to GovernorHub
the past year, search #HfLGovernance
premium and are organising their boards using the
Facebook has grown from 7 to 93 followers this noticeboard, calendar and documents sections.
year, follow us @HfLGovernance
Governance Newsletter Spring 2021 Herts for Learning 6
DfE Governance Handbook Update
DfE Governance update
(Oct 20)
published 2nd of Governor Meetings / Visits This Term
December 2020 Governing and trust boards should continue to
The latest DfE School Governance Update has take a pragmatic approach to meetings. We would
just been published and is now available. expect the chair to keep the conversation open with
Included in this edition: board members on how they wish to meet and make
y Advice for boards on meetings and arrangements, as necessary. If any board members
school visits do decide to meet in person, then they would need
y View my financial insights tool now to comply with social distancing, any local health
available to academies and safety measures and the school and trust’s risk
y Diverse Governance Webcast Series - series assessment.
of 6 webinars looking at diversity in governance (DfE Governance Update – October 2020)
y DfE Teaching Vacancies Service
y 'Somethings Not Right' - 4 week awareness
campaign by the Home Office highlighting Changes have been made
support services available to children that
may have suffered abuse. The campaign is
to what maintained schools
asking governors/trustees to encourage their must publish online
schools to support the campaign
New sections have been added to the DfE
y Funding and support to schools to set up a
guidance on what maintained schools must
digital education platform
publish online. These include: Schools that do not
y Information for school and academies re the
have a website and Coronavirus (COVID-19) catch-
transition from the European Union
up premium.
Additional Requirements or Clarifications
y Covid-19 Catch Up Premium – Spend and Impact
y Year 7 Literacy and Numeracy Catch up Premium
Ofsted: phased – Spend and Impact
y Curriculum - Accessibility for SEND students
return to y Exam / assessment data for 2019-20 and KS5
inspections performance data
Ofsted is now able to set y Governor information - Associate Members
out plans for its return to inspection in schools (including details of their voting rights on
and further education providers – as well as Committees)
plans for inspections and regulatory work in y Employee remuneration >£100,000 (publish in
early years and social care. Ofsted will not be £10,000 increments)
re-introducing graded inspections to schools y Admission appeal information (Foundation /
and colleges before April 2021. Voluntary Aided Schools)
y Clarification on Pupil Premium reporting
Find out more ….
Read the updated guidance
Governance Newsletter Spring 2021 Herts for Learning 7
SFVS update – for
maintained schools only
Following recent enquiries with the DfE Managing
Burdens Team, SIAS provides the following update
on the current position for the submission of the
2020/21 School Financial Value Standard (SFVS)
Return. In a reply to SIAS (dated 1st of December
2020), the DfE Managing Burdens Team confirmed
that the SFVS Return has not been cancelled for
2020/21. Therefore, all maintained Schools are
currently required to submit the SFVS Return for the
2020/21 financial year.
As in previous years, HCC have asked SIAS to
coordinate the receipt of submissions for the Local
Authority. The DfE have set the timeframe for the
return, which needs to be submitted to SIAS
(sias@hertfordshire.gov.uk) by 31st March 2021.
The SFVS Return is in the same format as last year,
with the updated form now available on the Grid.
We recommend that Schools review the SFVS
Return, and complete a draft in January. This
Catch up Premium is to ensure that any issues with the return are
highlighted early, and that the return can be
y Latest updates on DfE Guidance published
submitted to Governors in good time before the
19 November 2020
31st March deadline. The SFVS Return dashboard
y Funding should be used for specific
information can be filled in with forecast outturn
activities to support pupils to catch
data, so SIAS are happy to receive submissions early
up from lost teaching and in line with
if this is more convenient. Please use the ‘optional
curriculum expectations, with the aim
commentary’ box in the dashboard tab to outline
that the curriculum returns to normal by
when the forecast outturn data was accessed.
Summer Term 2021
We appreciate that Schools are still under significant
DfE Actions for Schools During the
pressure due to Covid-19, but the SFVS return is
Coronavirus Outbreak
a mandatory requirement by the DfE. Guidance
EEF Covid-19 Support Guide for Schools for completing the SFVS return remotely (and
acceptable authorisation) are outlined in the extra
EEF School Planning Guide 2020-21
information section on the Grid. Please contact your
Governors and trustees should scrutinise financial advisor with any queries on how to access
schools’ approaches to catch-up from the financial information required by the form. If you
September 2020, including their plans for have any queries regarding the submission of the
and use of catch-up funding. This should return, please contact sias@hertfordshire.gov.uk.
include consideration of whether schools
SIAS will continue to monitor any further updates
are spending this funding in line with their
provided by the DfE in relation the SFVS Return, and
catch-up priorities, and ensuring appropriate
ensure that these are posted on the Grid as soon as
transparency for parents.
possible.
Governance Newsletter Spring 2021 Herts for Learning 8
The Hertfordshire School NSPCC Speak out. Stay safe
Report for Governors on CLA online programme
is now online Due to the effects of the Coronavirus pandemic,
we’ve change the way Speak Out, Stay Safe is
Please find below a web link which will take you to
delivered and have launched a virtual version of our
the online version of this year’s CLA Self-Evaluation
safeguarding programme for the autumn term.
Form (CLA SEF). Following consultation with
'Speak Out, Stay Safe' online is an effective way to
Designated Teachers the Virtual School have been
support your school’s safeguarding duties and links
working hard to reframe the proforma so that it
to the curriculum.
becomes much more of a meaningful document
for you to use as your annual report to school There is an online assembly version for:
governors. We have listened to your feedback and y Key stage 1 (England), Primary 1-4 (Northern
condensed it, refocussed it and made it accessible Ireland), Primary 1-3 (Scotland) and Foundation
online with the option to download and print off a years 1-2 (Wales)
copy for your records at the end of it. y Key stage 2 (England), Primary 5-7 (Northern
Please complete your online School Report for Ireland), Primary 4-7 (Scotland) and Key stage 2
Governors 2020-21 (Wales)
The CLA SEF used to have three parts – it now only There are Welsh and BSL versions of the online
has two. Part One (which is available online now) is assemblies available as well and our specially
a shortened combination of the previous Parts 1 and adapted SEND version of Speak Out, Stay Safe
2 and does not need to be completed until Friday remains available as usual.
19th March 2021 and Part Two which provides an
Main features of the online assemblies
audit tool of your Pupil Premium expenditure in
school, due at the end of the academic year. y Both assemblies feature guest appearances from
celebrities as well as ‘Hello’s’ from colleagues
Our aim is that you will find this a productive means
across the NSPCC
of capturing and critiquing your school practice
y We consider how Coronavirus has changed
regarding the achievements of children looked after
children’s lives and how this might make us feel
and previously looked after in your setting. You will
y The online assemblies are engaging and have
be able to use the form as a way to determine what
interactive pause points where teachers can have
you do well in your school and what needs to be
discussion with their class
developed as practice set against the criteria in the
y Both assemblies cover Children’s Rights – the right
statutory guidance on the role of the Designated
of every child to:
Teacher for children looked after. Your Virtual School
• Speak out and be heard
Education Adviser will continue to be on hand for
• Be safe
support, along with our suite of resources and
• Get help with when they need it
training opportunities for school staff which can be
y We cover the different forms of abuse in child
found on the Virtual School website
friendly language, communication the important
If you experience any difficulties or have any questions message that abuse is never okay
about the new format, please contact jo.wood@ y We talk about the importance of talking to a
hertfordshire.gov.uk who will be glad to assist you. trusted grown up/adult and to Childline
y We encourage children to keep speaking out until
something changes
Governance Newsletter Spring 2021 Herts for Learning 9
Supporting resources
There are supporting resources that complement the
Congratulations!
online assemblies. They provide fun and engaging Hertfordshire Community
classroom based activities that prepare children
prior to watching the online assembly and help reinforce Awards 2020 winners
learning after the assembly. These consist of a: announced
y A presentation pack to use before the assembly There were over 500 nominations for these
(Key stage 2 only) awards which celebrate the” great and the
y Teaching guidance and a lesson plan to use after good” in the Hertfordshire community.
the assembly (both key stages) Peartree Spring School in Stevenage has won
To book a visit, schools need to register their the School of the Year category sponsored by
interest via the NSPCC website and click on the The University of Hertfordshire.
‘Contact Us’ link. Find out more….
Hertfordshire Association of School Governors
The Hertfordshire Association of School Governors (HASG) is an independent organisation offering support
to school governors, ensuring their views are heard within the County.
The HASG held their AGM virtually on Tuesday 8th postponed. The conference has been rescheduled
of December. for week commencing 15th of March, where you
will be able to access a series of webinars. The
The following Officers were elected:
conference will end on the Saturday with two
Chair – Michael Taylor
keynote speakers. Bookings are now being taken
Vice Chair – Tina Howard
on GovernorHub
Secretary – James Brown
The Executive Committee regularly meet with
Other committee members elected are:
Andrew de Csilléry, Managing Director of HfL and
Andrew Boakes
Simon Newlands, Operations Director, Education at
Joy Ferguson
Herts County Council.
Fikile Mkoyana
Wayne Morris We continue to work with HCC and provide a
twilight session of the Heads Briefing aimed
The HASG hold meetings approximately six times
directly at governors. Details, when they become
a year. If you would be interested in joining the
available, can be found on our website.
committee, please contact our administrator, Claire
Lanni, at admin@hertsgovernors.org. If you would like to get in contact please email
admin@hertsgovernors.org and we will be glad
The Executive Committee, together with the
to help.
Governance Team at Herts for Learning, plan the
Governors Annual Conference. Due to Covid-19 Michael Taylor
the conference planned for November 2020 was Chair, Hertforshire Association of School Governors
Governance Newsletter Spring 2021 Herts for Learning 10Governor “shout outs”
In the last issue we asked if anyone wanted to give a shout out to someone the felt had
gone “above and beyond” in this very difficult time. We have had a range of responses –
see below – well done and thank you all for you hard work and dedication!
To Greenway Primary & Nursery School in Berkhamsted.
“The Governing Body and staff worked tirelessly throughout lockdown to ensure:
y All year groups seamlessly returned to school prior to the summer holidays (Nursery,
Reception, Years 1 & 6 on 1.6.20 and all year groups on a rota basis from 22.6.20)
y A Summer Holiday Camp was set up from scratch and run for pupils at the school
for four out of the six weeks of the summer holidays with over half of the school’s
children attending it, benefitting their mental health and wellbeing and supporting
working parents with childcare.
The establishment of the Summer Camp in approximately 3-4 weeks was unbelievably
complicated particularly whilst so many other difficulties were being encountered
by school staff but it was an outstanding success. Thanks and congratulations to all
involved within the school staff and Governing Body who facilitated this”
From Elizabeth Riley – Chair of Governors, Greenway Primary and Nursery School
To Emma Lad – clerk to governors at several schools in Hertfordshire
“She is an absolute gem and I don’t know how we would do without her”
From Geoff Strack, Chair of Governors
To Sarbjit Sahota – Vice Chair of Governors - The Grove Junior School in Harpenden
“I would like to recognise the amazing work our Vice Chair Sarbjit Sahota has done in
recruiting 5 excellent co-opted governors to our board at Grove Junior School. Following a
soft audit of skills, she identified our current gaps before using a mix of local networking
and LinkedIn and then narrowed the field from over 30 applications to our final candidates.
It was an incredible achievement, we are really pleased to welcome our new board
members. Meanwhile, Sarbjit is already finalizing our new induction process with the help
of the really supportive Governance Team at HfL”
From Thomas Parrott - Chair of Governors, The Grove Junior School
And finally……….a very talented Chair of Governors, Geoff Strack has come up with an
ingenious advert (see below, page 12) to try and recruit new governors and he has agreed
to share it with us all.
For support with governor recruitment, please contact governance@hertsforlearning.co.uk
Governance Newsletter Spring 2021 Herts for Learning 11Governance Newsletter Spring 2021 Herts for Learning 12
Chairs section
Dear Chairs of Governors
This year has been difficult. All of your boards and schools need thanking, so please
do pass my heartfelt thanks on to them all, for all the meetings, the panels (remote and
otherwise), the decisions, the training you have undertaken and the minutes and the
discussions.
Hopefully there is light at the end of the tunnel.
Have a good Christmas and a very Happy New Year!
Kathy Dunnett
Senior Governance Adviser
December 2020
Children Looked After – Bringing Underachievement to Zero.
What We Did in Goffs Academy
Children Looked After (CLA) is the term used to We look closely at each individual child’s needs
describe a child who is in care (living with a foster and decide how to best spend our Pupil Premium
carer) or has been provided with accommodation Plus allocation. This has varied significantly from
by the Local Authority (with an assigned social student to student, with money spent on items
worker). As most schools do, we have several such as a laptop, school equipment, revision books,
children who are Looked After who attend Goffs. For tutoring, coaching, sessions with a personal trainer,
each of these students, Pupil Premium Plus funding mentoring and even funding ‘prom’ expenses. As
is received, which is used to provide personalised each child has different needs, the differing support
support for each student, to help them to grow and offered is necessary to enable the child to grow. We
succeed both academically and socially. routinely review all support to ensure it is having a
positive impact. In addition, each child has a support
CLA students can often suffer emotionally from
team assigned to them as their “go to” people in the
adverse childhood experiences that can be
school and this includes the school’s Designated
normalised by the child. At Goffs, we focus on the
Safeguarding Leads, class teachers identified by the
wellbeing of the child, based on a foundation of
child as being encouraging, and others in the school
positive relationships. We have seen this translate
Wellbeing Team. We feel this widespread support
to positive behaviour and academic achievement
bubble provides the child with a team within the
for our CLAs. This year, we received the “Bringing
school that can be accessed at all times.
Underachievement to Zero” award which recognises
a school’s approach to supporting their CLA students.
Governance Newsletter Spring 2021 Herts for Learning 13Below I have included a case study for one of our CLA students, to show the growth over time and positive
results at the end of KS4:
Case Study: Student X continued to track positively across
all subject areas and is getting good grades,
Background: Student X joined our school
moving up a level in Maths and Science.
along with siblings and had moved in with
grandparents as part of an interim care order. The pupil has ambitions and a vision for the
This was in relation to concerns around future.
emotional abuse. Student x had excellent attendance, behaviour
Context: and good relationships with everyone at school.
All of student X’s teachers and pastoral staff Pupil Premium Plus Funding spend:
provided emotional and academic support for y Laptop and headphones through school to
student X. They developed a trusting bond with support learning and homework.
key members of staff who provided consistent y Prom ticket
contact, along with the Designated Teacher, who y PE Kit
student X can rely on for regular support. y TLC -1:1 Additional tuition English/Maths
y After school revision sessions
The Designated Teacher regularly tracks the
progress of student X using school data, Outcomes:
reports and regular meetings with student End of year 10: Projected Progress 8: +0.35
X. Discussions with the pupil’s teachers and End of year 11: Projected Progress 8: +0.99 |
key staff feed into the PEP meetings. This
information is used to determine the allocation As shown above, the pupil has made
of the pupil premium funding, which is used to significant progress over the last year with
support student X in subjects where student X is the additional support provided having an
falling below expectations, is low in confidence extremely positive impact.
or is having problems with homework and
revision.
The pupil has just completed Year 11. The pupil
worked hard in preparation for her GCSE/BTEC
exams before lockdown.
What are the Governor’s Roles and Responsibilities?
As a pupil premium link governor, you need to scrutinise;
y The allocation of resources and audit trail resources. The individual pupils must be shown to
y Narrowing attainment gaps between be benefiting from the grant.
disadvantaged pupils and other pupils y The spending of the pupil premium, making sure
y You should be familiar with the pupil premium: money is spent in identifiable ways to support
what it is, how it's allocated, how it's calculated, target groups of pupils
and which groups of pupils attract the premium. y The impact of pupil premium spending on target
y The school's pupil premium policy. groups
y Basic pupil premium facts for the school, such y The attainment of different groups of pupils over
as how many pupils attract the premium, how time to provide evidence of how the relevant pupil
this figure compares with other local and similar performance data for the school that shows the
schools, and how the money is spent progress of different groups over time.
y The allocation of the pupil premium grant if there's y How pupils eligible for the pupil premium are
no clear audit trail showing appropriate use of the progressing compared with others
Governance Newsletter Spring 2021 Herts for Learning 14You also need to;
y Take an active part in any governing board or
committee discussions when the allocation and
monitoring of the pupil premium is discussed and
decided
y Report back to the governing board on the school's
use of the pupil premium (see the final section
below)
y Ask questions to help you monitor provision – at
FGB, Committee Meetings and School Visits.
y Meet occasionally with the Pupil Premium lead
for the school and other staff responsible for
performance data to discuss issues for the pupil
premium pupils.
y Report back to the board - It's important that you
report back to the board after a visit or discussion.
This is because the board retains overall
responsibility for making sure that funding is spent
on improving attainment for eligible pupils.
Your pupil premium spending should be having
a noticeable impact. The funding is allocated
specifically to close the attainment gap between
disadvantaged pupils and their peers, so keep this
aim in mind whenever you're talking about its impact.
“This article clearly demonstrates the difference that
schools can make to the lives of children. It is very
clear and outlines quite comprehensively the school's
responsibilities with CLA pupils and the governor's
monitoring role. The case study shows the positive
impact the schools work has had on this particular
pupil.
I'm concerned that in our virtual governor world these
checks are possibly being overlooked.
I feel that, although in many ways the schools are
continuing with some degree of normality, the rest
of the world is far from normal. Speaking for myself
I am apprehensive about being in school, but we
must ensure that these governor roles are continued
even if they are carried out remotely. It is even more
essential in these times when our vulnerable pupils
are at most risk of falling behind.”
Jean Holt, Pupil Premium trustee for Generations
Goffs School,
Generations Multi Academy Trust.
December 2020
Governance Newsletter Spring 2021 Herts for Learning 15Governance applies to everyone in Governance – whether you are a Member of an Academy Trust or part of
a local academy body, a small church school or an Associate Member of a maintained school – you are all
doing some form of governance. And it needs to be GREAT!
Everyone will need to understand the basics of what good governance is. We want all of our governing
boards to be Effective. If the individuals that make them up are Effective, we are more likely to achieve this.
Boards that are not Effective have a pattern of being poorly led, with little or no training. Training helps you
to keep up to date. Even if you think you have lots of knowledge, if your training is more than 3 years old, you
probably need a refresher. Some training will need to be updated more regularly.
Emerging Governor – new governor – Experienced Governor – Pupil Premium (MG)
Introduction to Governance, 2x on-line modules or remote; SEND (MG) or remote; Complaints is
on Modern Governor (MG); remote group training remote; Health & Safety (MG) or remote.
Induction, ½ day; Safeguarding & School Governance
Expert Governor – Disciplinary Hearings (MG);
(MG); Prevent (MG); Safeguarding Children, remote
Risk Assessment – remote; Safer Recruitment is a
group training; Governor Visits, remote group or MG.
whole day and remote, refreshers are available via
Effective Governor – Basic Finance and Data MG. Ofsted – there are a range of courses offered
Training – Effective Scrutiny of School Budgets and by MG and remotely – whatever is best suited
Financial Management for Governors or the Academies to you. Succession Planning – remote; Change
version (MG); Data for Governors (MG); Exclusions – Management – a range of MG courses, all of them
remote group training (refresher is on-line); Effective useful at this level.
Governance – remote group or MG – both are useful
but different. Vision, Mission and Strategy – remote
group or Strategic Leadership on MG.
So – who do you have on your board?
The GREAT development pathway is being launched in March at our conference. Watch for more information
being released in the New Year.
New Governors will have access to a Moodle – which is an opportunity to access further support,
supplementary resources and chat with fellow governors on-line.
The Recruitment, Education and Training (RET) governor training is popular and oversubscribed, but we
will be putting on further dates in the New Year. This is a newer and updated version of the Development
and Training governor. If you struggle with recruitment, struggle to succession plan and need to encourage
training – give it the time it deserves and allocate a link role.
Governance Newsletter Spring 2021 Herts for Learning 16Clerks in Herts section Welcome to the ‘Clerks in Herts’ section of our Governance Newsletter. The autumn term has seen a return to school for all pupils and governance has continued at a fast pace. Since September, governor meetings have taken place remotely, in person and in a blended manner. Advice regarding governor meetings has changed multiple times throughout the term, so thank you for adapting your clerking support in line with national advice. As we start the spring term and the hope of a vaccine is in sight we expect that for the majority, virtual governance will continue throughout this term. Please see the article on governor meetings. Clerking via MS Teams and Zoom does feel like the new normal – and if anything as clerks we have proven that we are adaptable and can change with the times. For many, virtual governance has had an extremely positive effect on governor attendance at meetings. When we do see the back of the pandemic, for some boards a blended approach to meeting attendance may be the new normal. Many clerks have fed back how well they find meeting virtually; discussion is often more focused, governors take it in turns to speak and attendance is nearer 100%. Virtual governance will definitely seem more popular on those colder/darker nights! As clerks we have to continue to adapt with the times and although we can follow advice as it is given, there is no crystal ball and we can only work with what we have available at the time. Don’t forget HfL clerks and clerks that subscribe to our clerks’ training support service have access to the Governance Helpdesk so please do contact us if you need advice on clerking remotely. This edition of Clerks in Herts has been created in December and as such there may be additional guidance at the start of term. Make sure you all take a break and switch off over Christmas – it has certainly been earned. The team will be shutting down over the school break but we will be back at the start of term ready to support you all. Merry Christmas and here's to a positive new year. Stay safe. Kelly King Clerking Officer Governance Newsletter Spring 2021 Herts for Learning 17
Remote Meetings
As per recent DfE advice, boards should take
a pragmatic approach to how they meet. It is
important that if boards choose to meet in person,
they should be in line with regional and national
restrictions, social distance guidance and the
school’s individual risk assessment. Chairs should
consider the individual circumstances of board
Clerks’ Networks members. No governor/trustee or clerk should feel
Over 90 clerks attended the clerks’ networks in the pressurised into attending a meeting on school
autumn, which were held via the online platform premises and a blended approach may be required.
LiveStorm for the first time. We may have had a Meetings are not prevented on school site, however
couple of technical issues, but feedback showed the they should only be in person if considered
sessions were extremely valuable and the facility to essential. 2020 has seen that governor meetings
provide chat, questions and polls worked really well. can take place remotely successfully and HfL are
It was another packed agenda. Bill Moore Adviser still recommending that governors continue to meet
for Hertfordshire Standing Advisory Council for remotely wherever possible whilst restrictions are in
Religious Education (SACRE) gave a very informative place.
presentation. Clerking best practice focused on
If clerks or governors need support in remote
communication and organisation; and we had our
governance or clerking please contact the helpdesk.
standing items on governance/education news and
reminders for clerks and governors. Prior to the start Did you know?
we had a networking session via MS teams and it
We are able to provide clerks on an adhoc basis
was great to catch up with so many of you.
for boards that need a temporary remote clerking
The presentation and supporting documents have arrangement? Please request via clerking@
been shared to all HfL clerks and clerks with a hertsforlearning.co.uk
subscription for Clerk’s Training and Support.
These sessions are used to share best practice
Get Information About
and provide updates on education and school Schools (GIAS)
governance. Suggestions for the agenda or a best
Under section 538 of the Education Act 1996 and
practice focus should be emailed to
the Academies Financial Handbook, the Secretary
clerking@hertsforlearning.co.uk
of State requires boards to provide certain details
DfE School they hold about people involved in governance, as
volunteered by individuals, and keep the information
Governance Update up to date. Not all of the information collected via
GIAS will be published, but all will be held encrypted
Clerks and governors are encouraged to stay up
securely by the department.
to date with the latest advice from the DfE. These
helpful updates are published approximately twice When was the last time you checked if your school’s
a term. Governors that have been added to the governance details were correct on GIAS? Please
school’s governance on Get Information About take time to check and alert the school administrator
Schools (GIAS) - see item below; will be included in responsible for updating of any amendments.
the email circulation when published. GovernorHub provide a GIAS friendly download that
Access the latest update. can be used for updating this record.
Governance Newsletter Spring 2021 Herts for Learning 18Clerks Portals
This term we have introduced two dedicated clerks’
areas on GovernorHub.
Clerks in Herts is accessible to the named
clerk of schools, academies and trusts subscribing
to Clerks’ Training and Support. Here you will find
a noticeboard of key messages to support clerks,
a document storage area with recommended
governance reference documents, templates and
links to further education and governance resources. E-Learning
HfL Clerks is accessible to all HfL Clerks. This HfL’ s suite of governance e-Learning is accessible
area will mirror the Clerks in Herts area but in to both the named clerk of schools, academies and
addition will have messages and guidance related to trusts subscribing to Clerks’ Training and Support
working arrangements as an HfL clerk. and HfL clerks. This term has seen the introduction
Points to note: of four new clerking modules created in line with
the clerk’s competency framework. All modules
y Instructions on how to manage your notifications
take approximately 20 minutes to complete and we
to posts and comments is available here
encourage you to access this online suite to get the
y It is vital that HfL governance are advised if a new
most out of your subscription.
clerk is appointed to ensure they gain access to
this essential portal. Governor Training
y For new clerk notifications/requests for items to
be added/messages to be posted please contact us It is important that governor training is kept on the
agenda and boards need to ensure that they are kept
GovernorHub suitably skilled.
Please see the earlier article on GovernorHub Governing boards that subscribe to governor training
updates, but please find below a couple of points to are reminded that their in-house training must be
note. used by the end of their settings financial year. Don’t
leave it to the last minute - please identify 3 dates
The Knowledge tab is now accessible to both
of availability and send to our training co-ordinator.
the named clerk of schools, academies and trusts
For details of courses available as an in-house
subscribing to Clerks’ Training and Support and HfL
please view our website. Our suite of eLearning is
clerks. Use this resource area in GovernorHub to
available to all governors of boards subscribing to
search guidance, model documents and templates
Governing Training and can be done at a time to suit
using key words.
the individual.
‘My Hub’ - this clerk’s dashboard is available Points to note:
to named clerks of two or more boards on
GovernorHub. The hub provides a simple way for y To ensure access to governor training, governing
clerks to keep organised of multiple boards and board membership must be kept up-to-date on
send messages to multiple boards at the same time. GovernorHub.
y All governor and clerk training is now accessed
Points to note: via the ‘Training’ tab on the HfL icon on the
y Please make sure you check who you are posting GovernorHub ‘washing line’ using GovernorHub
a noticeboard to – before you hit publish. Don’t single sign in
forget to click the ‘X’ for boards/groups that a y New contact details for governor training:
message is not directed to. If you need support gov.courses@hertsforlearning.co.uk
please contact the helpdesk. or call 01438 544478
Governance Newsletter Spring 2021 Herts for Learning 19Clerks’ Recruitment Clerks Training
We are looking to recruit additional clerks in certain and Support Service
areas of Herts and North London. If you would be
The Clerks Training and Support service is a highly
interested in increasing your clerking experience
utilised service that provides clerks with access to
or are looking to become a clerk for the first
training, guidance, networks and support from our
time, please register your interest to clerking@
Governance Helpdesk. This includes:
hertsforlearning.co.uk and we will send your further
details. y Free attendance at a clerks-specific full day
induction programme.
We offer a full induction, mentoring and internal
y Free attendance at termly clerks networks for
clerks’ development programme to support clerks
governance updates, keynote speakers on
in developing their skills as clerk to the governors.
governance topics, clerking best practice and
HfL pay competitive rates to clerks in line with
networking opportunities.
their skills, experience and completion of our
y Access to exclusions and complaints training for
development programme.
clerks at reduced fee of £15 (non-subscribing
Clerking is a great, flexible role that can fit around schools £52).
your own commitments. We are especially interested y Access to Governor e-Learning Suite
to recruit governors that would be interested in y Access to the Governance Helpdesk by phone and
taking on a clerking role. email for general and statutory clerking advice.
The clerking team should be contacted y A copy of the Clerks’ Handbook.
for the following requests/information: y Suggested agenda items for each term.
y Access to ‘Knowledge’ tab (Maintained settings
y Clerking cover requests e.g. exclusions, April 2020, Academies and MATs September 2020)
complaints etc. y Access to Clerks in Herts area on GovernorHub
y Suggested agenda items (Clerks T & S for guidance and initiatives, reference documents,
subscription) templates and links to key governance/education
y HfL Clerking service enquiries websites and documents.
y Clerks Training and Support Contract Enquires
y Clerks Training To enquire about this service, please contact
To contact the clerking team please email the governance@hertsforlearning.co.uk
shared mailbox clerking@hertsforlearning.co.uk
Governance Newsletter Spring 2021 Herts for Learning 20Clerks Training and Networking
Opportunities Available this term
Please note that all clerks session will be held remotely in the spring term and can be booked via GovernorHub.
Clerking in a C of E School Being an Effective Clerk Clerks’ Networks
Wednesday 24th of February 2021
Thursday 7th of January 2021 Monday 15th of January 2021
and Monday 8th of March 2021
A partnership event with the This course is aimed at potential These termly seminars provide
Diocese of St Albans to support and new clerks. By the end of an opportunity for clerks to
clerks in clerking for a Church of the course participants will have get together to discuss issues
England school. a better understanding of the and share good practice. Guest
main functions of the clerk to speakers will present on areas
the governing body. of interest to the governing
board. If there are items that you
would like added to the agenda
please email the Clerking Team.
01438 544464
hertsforlearning.co.uk
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