Welcome and introduction from the Chair of the NLAGB
Welcome to the NLAGB website.
The Association was established in 1996/7 and its constitution has been regularly reviewed and updated over the years to ensure that we remain in an optimum position to support governors and governing bodies in North Lincolnshire. We pride ourselves on the quality of the relationships that the executive has established both locally and nationally because this allows the Association to pursue issues on behalf of governors in a very positive and constructive manner.
The executive committee is extremely active and is trying hard to encourage and support other governors to become involved in the wider world of governance beyond their own school if they are interested in doing so. We affiliate to the National Governors’ Association (NGA) and ensure that North Lincolnshire is well represented whenever possible at national events and conferences.
The number of North Lincolnshire schools affiliating to the Association has been consistently high for many years and in 2009/2010,2011/2012 and 2012/2013 it reached 100%.The executive members strive to make it simple for governors and governing bodies to contact us. We are grateful that the authority allows us to communicate with you through their termly newsletter Governors’ News and we try to ensure that at least one executive member is at every Briefing Session for Chairs at the start of each term so that governors can speak to us face to face if they wish to do so. Letters can be sent to Angela Dunkerley c/o The Learning Development Centre, South Leys Campus, Enderby Road, Scunthorpe DN17 2JL and the clerks on the governing body team at the local authority are always happy to relay messages to us so that we can contact governors directly if that is requested.
It is hoped that this website will facilitate even better communication routes and, as well as allowing you to contact us, will also enable us to canvass governor opinion when required (for example, when we are asked to comment on proposals for change from the local authority).
All contact with the executive is treated in the strictest confidence. If we need to speak to officers or anyone else in order to pursue an issue that has been raised by governors then we will not give the names of individual governors or schools unless this has been discussed and agreed. We try to ensure that negotiation takes place in a climate of mutual respect based on a clear understanding of respective roles. We work very closely with, but completely independently of, those local authority officers who are employed to support governors.
One example of when this approach worked particularly well was when the Association wrote to Richard Stiff, Deputy Chief Executive and Statutory Director of Children’s Services in June 2009 to outline a number of issues that were causing considerable concern to headteachers and governors. This resulted in a very constructive meeting between the Association and Senior Officers to discuss the matters that had been raised and two letters were subsequently sent out to all schools in July and September outlining the actions that the authority proposed to take to address what it described as ‘the legitimate concerns that the NLAGB had raised’.
A second example was when the Association spent several years seeking absolute clarity about governor/governing body liability and insurance cover. As the responsibilities of governing bodies increased this was an issue causing concern and debate both locally and nationally. There were discussions with the DCSF and representatives of the National Governors’ Association in addition to numerous meetings and exchanges of correspondence locally. The chair and vice chair of the Association met several times with senior officers as well as with officers from the legal and insurance sections of the council and with representatives of Zurich who provide the council insurance cover. We were extremely grateful to everyone who worked with us to clarify this issue. The outcome was a letter from Richard Stiff sent to all headteachers and chairs of governors in February 2008 (also printed in Governors’ News in the summer term) outlining a very clear agreement that provided the reassurance that we had been seeking.
The above examples demonstrate just some of the ways that the Association works to support our aim of promoting the highest possible standards of governance in North Lincolnshire by ensuring that governors are well represented and supported.
We really hope that you will continue logging on and will endeavour to continually update and develop the site so that it is another source of valuable information and support for you in your governor role.
If you have any suggestions about other information that you would like to see on this website then please do let us know.
Angela Dunkerley, NLAGB Chair
Please use the navigation links at the top of the page to view all the pages on our website.
Disclaimer
The North Lincolnshire Association of Governing Bodies (NLAGB) hereby grants visitors to this World Wide Web site access to these pages conditional upon your agreement to accept the application of the laws of England to govern matters between us in relation to this website and you agree to indemnify us and not hold us liable for the result foreseeable of any actions you may take based on the information contained herein.The NLAGB does not endorse any adverts or other links placed on this web site by the web host.The NLAGB is not responsible for the content of any external links on this website.
Web site updated 12th May 2012
