North Lincolnshire Association of Governing Bodies (NLAGB)

DfE guidance for the full opening of schools

The Department for Education’s (DfE) Guidance for full opening of schools in September was released yesterday . Gavin Williamson, Secretary of State for Education told the House of Commons that “education recovery is critical for this generation of school children." The guidance seeks to answer a huge number of questions, covering a wide ranging number of areas that leaders and those governing will want to seek assurance over ahead of September. The majority of the guidance is of an operational  nature, with it being left to school/trust staff to implement locally, but there are some key strategic considerations that emerge as a result of following the guidance, here is a quick summery of the key areas impacting the role of the governing board:

Risk – the guidance acknowledges that as increasing numbers of schools have been welcoming back more pupils since 1 June, schools have already been busy assessing risk and implementing proportionate control measures to reduce the risk of infection on school premises. However it stresses it is a legal requirement to revisit and update that risk assessment for autumn term planning. This includes a monitoring process that seeks to ensure controls are effective, working as planned and updated taking account of changes to public health advice. While this remains the responsibility of executive leaders, this should be shared with the governing board and there should be an ongoing conversation with the board regarding how robust the assessment is, with boards building in regular space on their agenda to review it.  

Attendance –  Attendance will once again be mandatory from September. This is an area that has already generated a significant amount of media attention and leaders, staff, and parents are understandably keen to understand how this will work in practice. There are a few exceptions – if pupils are self- isolating in line with public health advice, if rates of infection rise in local areas and they are advised to shield as a result, and pupils in the care of public health professionals. While parents could not be penalised or sanctioned for their child’s non-attendance at school during lockdown itself, the government is clear the circumstances have now changed.  Absence fines will begin to be issued again in the autumn and headteachers continue to have legal discretion as to when to issue them a last resort where there is no valid reason for absences.

There is likely to be some parents who remain reluctant to send their children to school, and governing boards will need to continue to work with leaders to ensure that communications going out to parents are clear and as reassuring as they can possibly be. It is vital that  parents are given the opportunity to share concerns and have their questions answered. Much of this will be done by the Senior Executive Leader who will also want to find a way of gauging the appetite amongst parents about their children returning to schools. Parents and carers may also look to the governing board for reassurance and so boards should consider supporting the communications from the school. This could involve the co-signing of a letter that goes out to parents. Governing boards should ask leaders what steps are being taken to encourage all children, and especially vulnerable children to attend school .  

School workforce  - The guidance states from September the DfE expects that most staff will attend school, , with the relaxation of shielding measures, including those deemed clinically extremely vulnerable being advised they can return to work from 1^st August. More guidance is expected on this pause in shielding, However those in the most at risk categories are advised to take particular care while community transmission rates continue to fall, School  leaders are urged to be flexible with how these staff are deployed.  In fact there is generally a recommendation to be open to more flexible approaches to staffing.  Schools may need to alter the way in which they deploy their staff, and use existing staff more flexibly to welcome back all pupils at the start of the autumn term, with leaders urged to avoid increases in unnecessary and unmanageable workload burdens. Staff recruitment should continue, although the recommendation is to continue to recruit remotely over the summer period. Governing boards should also seek assurances that appropriate support is made available for pupils with SEND, through the deployment of appropriate specialist staff.

There is a reminder that governing boards should be mindful of staff work-life balance and wellbeing; this means governing boards working with school leaders to ensure that organisations are doing all they can to explain the measure being put in place to staff, delivering strong, clear communication that provides staff with the confidence they need to carry out their roles.  The guidance also reminds governing boards of the key role employers play in providing a duty of care that takes account of mental health and wellbeing. Clearly every school, and every member of school staff will have faced a different lockdown experience, some will be far more traumatic and difficult than others. The impact of COVID-19 will continue to be felt for some time to come and focuses governing boards on the duty of care they have to school/trust leaders and their staff. The logistical, safety and safeguarding issues attached to the full re-opening of schools may well increase levels of pressure and anxiety.

It is likely that your headteacher/CEO will have reported on these issues from their operational perspective, but they may be less forthcoming about any personal issues and their own wellbeing. Now is the time for governing boards to reflect how the culture of their school or trust promotes the wellbeing of everyone involved in making it what it is. We encourage governing boards to consider their wellbeing strategy in the light of current circumstances

Extra curricular activity – schools are encouraged to resume breakfast and after school provision, while it is recognised a degree of flexibility is needed as disruption may continue as the new academic year begins. However, schools will need to consider carefully how after school provisions will work alongside wider protective measures, which means keeping children in year groups or bubbles “where possible”.  It is important that school leaders feel equipped to set realistic expectations with stakeholders including parents, and governing boards will need to be mindful that initially there may be some disruption to extra curricular activity and this may lead to some disappointment from parents and pupils.

Curriculum and its delivery – the guidance specifies that the curriculum should remain both broad and ambitious, and that means a wide range of subjects continue to be  taught, and where remote education continues to be needed, it is of high quality and aligns closely with in-school provision. This means schools will need to continue to develop their capacity and that of pupils to engage in remote education where it is necessary. The government expects an ambitious curriculum to be in action from the start of the autumn term. The guidance acknowledges some schools may be considering revisions to their curriculum for the new academic year, and making use of ” existing flexibilities” to create time to cover the most important missed content”. The  aim is for everyone to return to the school’s normal curriculum in all subjects by the 2021 summer term. 

Governing boards should seek assurance from their headteacher/CEO that the COVID-19 pandemic will be incorporated appropriately into the school’s curriculum, building pupils’ understanding of all its implications. The essential role of the board in curriculum continues to be about providing confident, strategic leadership and robust accountability,  as well as oversight and assurance. It is crucial that the curriculum is responsive to culture and the needs of students - governing board should continue to ask the question does the curriculum provide a rich and engaging learning experience.

Contingency plans for outbreaks – The guidance contains specific advice for putting in place plans in the event of a local outbreak. The DfE will be involved in local discussions in the event localised community spread, and will provide support in such an event. The guidance states remotes education plans should be in place for individuals or groups of self-isolating pupils, which should meet current expectations for pupils not yet back to school. Localised spread may result in the LA or PHE health protection team advising schools to close, in which case, schools will be expected to immediately have a plan for remote education to continue, with schools expected to build on recent experience and improve the quality of their existing offer by the end of September. Governing boards should seek assurances from executive leaders that this is the case, and question how recent experience is being reviewed and how the remoted education offer can be improved further. 

Accountability, data and exams – the school performance tables remain suspended and no school will be judged on 2020 exams and assessments. However the DfE have confirmed within the guidance that they need to be able to assess the impact of Covid 19 on pupils, are will therefore continue with plans to conduct statutory primary assessment in the summer of 2021. Meanwhile, GCSE’s and A levels will also take place in summer 2021, but “with adaptions”  which seek to free up teaching time. Ofqual will be launching a consultation to tie in with these potential adaptions. Despite calculated grades being used for exams missed in 2020, students will be offered the opportunity to sit exams in the autumn term.  Of course this will present a number of key considerations for governing boards, not least as they consider the huge amount of disruption to learning that pupils have faced, and how ready pupils will actually be to face exams in 2021. The start of the exam season may be moved to June, increasing teaching time, but this in reality does not compensate for the amount of teaching time lost, and governing boards will therefore need to ask leaders what other options there are to equip students ahead of examinations next year, especially as the likelihood of more disruption in the autumn remains a prevalent threat.    

Ofsted – The guidance states the intention is for routine inspection to resume from January 2021, meaning inspections will remain suspended during the autumn term. Instead,  inspectors will be visiting a sample of schools, through a one day visit, to “discuss how they are managing return to education. These will be collaborative discussions, taking into account the curriculum and remote education expectations.  While the visits will not result in formal judgements, “a brief letter” will be published following the visit, although at this stage it is not clear exactly what will be included, and how schools will be held to account with what the letter includes. There are some key questions that have emerged as a result of this announcement, including how schools will be selected for these visits, and exactly how the information gathered will be used, although the guidance does make it clear that  “insights that inspectors gather will also be aggregated nationally to share learning with the sector, the government and the wider public”.

NGA has already shared its view on the matter of resuming inspection, in episode two of our new Governing Chatters podcast series – Examining the new Ofsted inspection framework. If you haven’t yet had a chance to listen, you can access it here, Sam Henson, NGA’s Director of Policy and Information explains why NGA thinks Ofsted should not resume inspecting schools until January 2021 at the earliest.

Comment from the Chief Executive Emma Knights:

We absolutely agree with the Government’s ambition that “education is not optional: all pupils receive a high-quality education that promotes their development and prepares them for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life.” I imagine that all of you do too and that is why you volunteer.  The long awaited guidance published yesterday should help your schools finalise options for bringing all pupils back to school full-time in September. There will be a lot more work, especially for school leaders, in translating this guidance into practical plans, but at least the parameters have been narrowed.  You will need at least a plan B to deal with a potential local outbreak or lockdown as we have seen this week in Leicester.  You will of course not be able to explain to parents the full arrangements for September until the public health situation regarding the spread of COVID-19 is known in late August, but there is sufficient to explain that almost all pupils will be expected to attend school.  The shielding rules are being changed (a more detailed guidance from public health will be forthcoming on this) which will also enable more staff to be back in school too.

We continue to be involved in discussions both bi-laterally and in DfE stakeholder groups, bringing our own expert feedback and representing the concerns and questions of our members. These continue, as does the dialogue with Ofsted. We have expressed some concerns about the proposed Ofsted visits next term and we are awaiting further details.

Over the coming week we will be updating our own guidance and adding to our FAQs, and if you have further questions you would like us to cover or comments to raise with the DfE, please send them to GOLD@nga.org.uk  Thank you for all your engagement with us, and for what you are going to support your schools and your leaders in order to provide an education to our children and young people.

NGA continues to produce up to date COVID-19 specific guidance in our knowledge centre, including guidance for governing boards on reducing the impact of school closures on disadvantaged pupils.  Along with regularly updating our FAQs on coronavirus, NGA also continues to offer access to our GOLDline advice service for all governing boards on specific queries relating to coronavirus. To contact the GOLDline, please email gold@nga.org.uk or call 0121 237 3782.

Watch the NGA webinar on “planning for September and beyond – what governing boards need to know”.

https://www.nga.org.uk/News/Webinars.aspx

Government announces school rebuilding programme

This week, the government announced a ten-year school rebuilding programme. The programme which will start in 2020-21 with the first 50 projects, will be supported by over £1 billion in funding. These projects will be confirmed in the autumn, and construction on the first sites will begin from September 2021. Investment will be targeted at school buildings in the worst condition including substantial investment in the North and the Midlands.

On the announcement, Steve Edmonds, NGA Director of Advice and Guidance, has given the announcement a cautious welcome in his statement, available to read on the NGA News page.

New Governing Chatters: Planning ahead – what does September look like?

Following last month’s blog on planning for September by NGA Chief Executive, Emma Knights, and a flurry of government announcements in recent weeks, Emma and the NGA team gather together in a new podcast to discuss the latest policy announcements from the DfE and try and make sense of where we are now. Together, they discuss the key issues in planning for a September return to schools, the recently announced ‘catch-up’ funds and how and what your board should be focused on monitoring when you cannot visit your school.

You can listen to this episode and the full Governing Chatters podcast series on the NGA website.

Saving maintained nursery schools

Maintained nursery schools play a vital role in the early development of children that attend them, while providing support for children with special education needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and children from disadvantaged backgrounds. It is for these reasons that prior to the coronavirus pandemic the news of the government committing to the long-term future funding of maintained nursery schools was welcomed news. Despite this commitment, there is still a risk that some maintained nurseries could close in the near future.  

In response to this ongoing concern, NAHT and NEU have launched a letter writing campaign to secure the future of  maintained nursery schools, with three key asks; immediately confirm supplementary funding for 2021-22 (and especially summer term 2021) and ensure this funding is increased in line with inflation to bring the value back to the real terms value in 2016-17, provide additional resources and support with COVID-19 costs and, commit to reviewing the early years funding formula as soon as possible and by 2021 at the latest. 

NGA supports high quality early education provision and we remain concerned at the closure of many maintained nursery schools as these often provide amongst the best quality early years provision. We understand that the legal requirements on staffing maintained nurseries can make them more expensive than other settings, but rather than closure we would urge local authorities and governing boards to explore the possibility of federating nurseries together or with neighbouring primary schools. Where it is deemed appropriate, we would support schools in collaborating with high quality settings such as those in maintained nurseries in order to maintain the provision.

Ofqual announces decisions on proposals for an additional exam series

The partial closure of schools has left many pupils falling behind on learning, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Pupils who were due to sit exams have also been impacted with the cancellation of summer GCSE, AS and A-level exams. Following the decision to cancel exams, Ofqual consulted on the views on their proposals for the key aspects of the arrangements for an exam series in the autumn 2020 and their decisions have now been released.

In summary, Ofqual announced their four main decisions that exam boards must:

• make exams available in all GCSE, AS and A level subjects in the autumn term;
• base results on students’ performance in exams and not on non- exam assessments (with exception of art and design);
• issue replacement certificates for the summer results if requested by students;
• adopt the normal arrangements for reviews of marking and appeals.

Ofqual will now consult with the exam boards on the changes to their regulatory framework to implement these new decisions.  This week Ofqual have opened another consultation seeking the views on proposals to modify the assessment requirements for some GCSEs, AS and A levels. The consultation closes on 16 July 2020 and is open to all. 

Ofsted publish findings of school inspections under new framework

After seven months of the new education inspection framework (EIF) in practice, Ofsted have released their main findings of schools outcomes. Following the coronavirus outbreak, most school inspections were suspended temporarily from March which Ofsted report has minimally impacted the main findings.

Between September 2019 and March 2020, the findings show that of the schools inspected, 78% have been judged ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ this academic year which marks a decrease for the first time in five years. The percentage of schools judged ‘outstanding’ also decreased by 3% compared to last year. The findings also showed that 41% had a higher outcome of personal development and 11% had a higher outcome for leadership and management.

NGA followed the first term of the EIF in practice, collating feedback of those responsible for governance and analysed over 800 inspection reports which formed NGA’s ‘A view from the board: the Education Inspection Framework’ study, identifying the role of governance under the new framework. More recently in the second episode of NGA’s podcast platform, Governing Chatters, Chief Executive, Emma Knight, Director of Policy, Sam Henson and Policy and Information Officer Nina Sharma, discuss key findings and main recommendations from NGA’s study.

EPI analysis suggests DfE efforts to improve recruitment and retention are “beginning to pay off”

On Tuesday, the Education Policy Institute (EPI) published an analysis of the latest figures on staff recruitment and retention. Although EPI stressed that the figures did not constitute a “rosy picture” with new entrants to the profession down, and pupil-teacher ratios rising in secondary schools, they did argue that “there are sign that the department’s efforts to improve recruitment and retention and beginning to pay off”.

Encouragingly, the figures (collected before COVID-19) suggested that first and second year teachers in state-funded schools are more likely to remain in teaching than those in previous years. This is alongside recruitment statistics showing that teacher training applications have surged since lockdown. The analysis argued that the challenge now is to find places for trainees and new teachers, given the large fall in staff turnover caused by the pandemic.

For governing boards, recruitment and retention are significant issues, with implications for the budget and the quality of teaching. Although boards cannot affect the structural, sector-wide context, they can improve the situation in their own school through the culture and ethos they set. Our guidance on workload and wellbeing supports boards in being good employers.

Community MATs Network

This is the last call to booking fon our brand new Community MAT virtual forum. As well as hearing from NGA staff on the latest in the MAT governance world, you will have the opportunity to ask questions of Dominic Herrington, the National Schools Commissioner.

NGA’s network for those involved in governance in MATs, including trustees, academy committee members and governance professionals in MATs, has now entered its 5^th year, and we have held multiple events, ranging from small table discussions to workshops to our first NGA MAT conference held in November 2019.  To date the network has been instrumental in sharing practice across the sector – you can read more about this in Moving MATs forward: the power of governance.

For the first time we are now taking the network virtual – see our events page for full details including booking information for the event on 9^th July 2020.

If you are unable to attend but would like to ask a question of Dominic Herrington, please email Sam.Henson@nga.org.uk

Learning Link: Bitesize modules now released!

We are pleased to announce the release of two new Learning Link modules to support the monitoring of improvement priorities at your school: ‘governance monitoring: a tool to help drive improvement’ and ‘governance visits to schools’.

These are the first of our bitesize suite, short modules that take no more than 5-10 minutes to complete, designed to provide just in time support as and when you need it.

Governance monitoring: A tool to help drive improvement

Understand your school’s target setting requirements and hold your school and leadership team to account with this useful audit tool.

Governance visits to schools

Whilst visits are not recommended at present due to COVID-19, making alternative plans is even more crucial than ever. In this module, explore why visits are important and what agreed protocols you can put in place to make them more effective with a helpful video and downloadable resources.

We will be releasing more bitesize content throughout the year, continuing with a thought-provoking module covering preventing exclusions due to be released soon.

Learn more about our bitesized e-learning or start your free Learning Link trial today!

Clerks’ Advisory Group

We are pleased to announce that bookings are now open for the next meeting of the Clerks’ Advisory Group which will be held as a virtual meeting on Monday 13 July 2020 at 1:00pm – 3:00pm.

The Clerks’ Advisory Group is an opportunity for clerks to discuss their experiences, share best practice and inform NGA’s work for clerks. We will be discussing the challenges and opportunities that virtual meetings presented and the effect this will have on your future clerking practice.

You can read more about this in our virtual clerking blog.

 We are also interested in what your board meetings will look like in the new academic year and what you envisage will be included on the agenda of the first meeting. 

Steve Edmonds, NGA Director of Advice and Guidance, and Rani Kaur, Head of Advice, will also answer any questions you have on advising your board in the new academic year.

This meeting will be held virtually using Zoom and details on how to join the meeting and participate will be sent once you have registered.  To submit a question in advance, please email us at clerkingmatters@nga.org.uk and click here to book your place.

Parents asked to share views and experiences of partial school closures and potential reopenings

Parentkind are asking parents across England, Wales and Northern Ireland for their views on the last few month’s experiences of supporting their child’s schooling and plans for schools reopening through an online survey. Amongst the topics covered within the questionnaire are:

• What parent concerns remain as their child’s school prepares to welcome back more pupils.

• What they and their children want to happen in September

• How parents feel their government has handled the crisis
• Parents views on social distancing at schools and whether they want the right to decide if children return to school in September

If you are a parent and would like to share your views on the plans for school reopenings and experiences over the course of COVID-19, please click here to fill in the survey.

Parentkind are also running a separate survey for parents/carers of SEND children, available to fill in here.

Spotlight on disadvantage and catch up

Many schools across the country are seeking answers on how they should address the attainment gap and wider impact on disadvantaged pupils created by COVID-19. While we reported last week on the new £1billion catch up programme announced by the government, an increasing number of questions have emerged around how the funding can be used and where it is coming from.

The Secretary of State confirmed that the £650 million catch up funding for schools what we welcomed last week is for all pupils and not just those who are in receipt of pupil premium or otherwise disadvantaged.  The DfE is expected to announce further information about this funding including how and when it will be distributed. NGA, and other key sector voices continue to ask for reassurance that schools will be given autonomy to decide how to spend these funds and are not simply expected to use it all for tutoring and small group work.

Concerns have been voiced by some headteachers that funds are not being recycled, calling for confirmation this is in fact new money, with it since being reported that the £55million catch-up grant for Yr7 students who start secondary school academically behind their peers has been scrapped.

A few details regarding the National Tutoring Programme (NTP) begin to emerge.  The CEO of the Education Endowment Foundation, Professor Becky Francis has stated that schools “will be able to buy heavily-subsidised tutoring from an approved list of partners” while schools in the most disadvantaged areas “will be supported to employ trained graduates to provide intensive catch up support”. You can read more in the EEF blog.  

Meanwhile,  the Department for Education (DfE) has released what it describes as ‘ambitious’ plans to benefit disadvantaged children across England with healthy meals and enrichment activities across the summer. The scheme is funded through the £9 million Holiday Activities and Food programme, which will operate across 17 local authorities and support up to 50,000 children. The programme includes a variety of activities that will be delivered through virtual and direct means. This scheme, in conjunction with the Summer Food Fund, aims to provide extended support over the six-week summer holiday.

Comment from our chief executive Emma Knights

This has been another week in which there has been much speculation in the press and media more widely about what the forthcoming changes in the lockdown and social distancing will mean for schools.  The Government’s ambition is for all children to return to school full-time from September. But unfortunately, there are not yet any other firm details I can share with you, although we are expecting amendments to the guidance to allow that to happen within a fortnight.  Last week I wrote about the need to plan options for September, but now we know a little more about the  versions of possible plans school leaders will need to be considering while confirmation is awaited:

• For primary, increasing bubble sizes to 30 without any physical distance requirements
• For secondary, increasing bubble sizes to a whole year group and reducing social distance requirement to 1m OR removal of the physical distance requirement

In all scenarios the protective measures such as handwashing, cleaning and removal with symptoms will need to continue,  and there will need to be procedures in place in case of a COVID19 outbreak within the school or an increase of incidence in the local community.  Provision of remote learning will still need to be made for those pupils who are not able to attend due to having to be isolated or shielding another member of their household. The shielding rules are also being changed so this should mean more pupils and more staff should also be able to return in September. If you have any questions about planning for September, please send them to GOLD@nga.org.uk; even if we cannot yet answer them, we can ask the DfE to include in its guidance.

It has been disappointing that after the needs of disadvantaged pupils were very much trailed in the press over the past month, they have not figured as much in the funding announcements made over the past ten days as we would have hoped.  The nationally funded summer activity programme has not been increased to the extent we thought it might be; however we are aware that some schools and trusts will be working with local partners to provide activities or simply a site for activities to be provided by other agencies.  We know that governing boards are keen to ensure school staff do have a summer holiday.

Black Lives Matter: NGA takes the issue of racial equality very seriously. Valuing the voices and contribution of all is one of NGA’s organisational values,  but as a white-led organisation we seek to learn from the experiences of black, Asian and minority ethnic volunteers and amend our approach in the light of that. The Everyone on Board campaign was formally launched two years ago and we have been pleased right from the planning phases to have had the input and support of BAMEed. The faces of the campaign were of course themselves BAME and young.

We are continuing to seek advice as the campaign moves into its next phase, and if you are a BAME governor, trustee or clerk, please do contact Kirstie.ebbs@nga.org.uk and we would be thrilled to have you join our advisory group. Please do pass this invitation on to other members of your board who are BAME.  Thank you.

Department clarify emergency Covid-19 funding and reserves

The Department for Education have updated their guidance on exceptional costs to schools related to the situation with Covid-19. The guidance now specifies that schools are eligible for funding where additional costs would ‘result in a school having to use historic surpluses’.

More information on funding and finance can be found in the NGA Knowledge Centre.

Research reveals significant fall in teacher recruitment due to pandemic

Yesterday, the Gatsby Foundation published the details of research into teacher recruitment conducted by SchoolDash and Teacher Tapp. The research looked at recruitment in spring and early summer this year, to understand the consequences of the pandemic for staff movement.

The research found that vacancies had fallen by around 40%, mainly due to a reduction in staff turnover. Possible consequences include higher than average turnover next year, and immediate challenge for newly qualified teachers (NQTs) in finding work. The report recommended that the government provides short-term support for NQTs so they were not lost from the profession.

Governing boards will usually be the legal employer of staff, or the body exercising employer responsibility. As well as directly recruiting the senior executive leader, they should also exercise oversight over the management of the rest of the staffing body. As September approaches, boards should be checking the senior leader’s plans for ensuring there are enough staff on site, given likely absences due to illness and shielding. Our guidance for boards on carrying out their staffing functions during the pandemic is available here. 

Government release new safeguarding guidance

The government has released their updated guidance for safeguarding in schools, Keeping Children Safe in Education 2020, having cancelled their planned consultation due to the ongoing situation with Covid-19. The guidance outlines what school staff and those governing must do to ensure children are safe in school, as well as their compliance requirements such as safeguarding checks. Key changes to this edition include:

• New requirements on mental health when it is also a safeguarding matter;
• A reformatted part two, which is the section that those governing should read;
• A change to the definition of safeguarding.

The current guidance does not come into effect until September, but boards should be aware of their obligations before then. NGA will publish more information on what is contained in this update soon. NGA have information on safeguarding during the Covid-19 which can be found here, and guidance on those governing’s obligations more generally.

DfE resources to boost mental health support for staff and pupils

As part of their planning for September, school leaders and governing boards should be considering the mental health and wellbeing for all in their school community and how these needs are met.

The DfE has put together a package of resources designed by health and education experts to boost mental health support for staff and pupils, encouraging them to talk more confidently about the anxieties and concerns they feel as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

The package includes a new training module for teachers support them in giving lessons on the Government’s new Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) curriculum, which will make mental health and wellbeing a compulsory part of pupils’ education in primary and secondary school from 1 September 2020, however, schools have flexibility to decide how they discharge their duties effectively.

Academies Financial Handbook – 2020

The latest edition of the Academies Financial Handbook has now been published and will be effective from 1 September 2020. This is the first AFH to feature a forward from Baroness Berridge, the new Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the School System,  in which Baroness Berridge acknowledged the challenges brought by Covid 19, advocating the principles for efficient financial management   to help trusts deal with the additional challenges posed by the pandemic. Updates to the new AFH include:

• Emphasising trustee responsibility to maintain the trust as  a going concern
• Further details on the role of members and the need for members to remain informed on trust business
• Reinforcing that trusts must appoint a clerk to the trustee board
• An encouragement for larger trusts to consider accountancy qualifications for their Chief Financial Officer
• Encouragement for boards to take an integrated approach to curriculum and financial planning
• New details on board and committee responsibilities in terms of risk management
• A new requirement for trusts to publish on their trust wide website the number of employees whose pay and benefits exceed £100k

While the trust executive under the guidance of the CFO will be able to guide trustee boards through the requirements of the AFH, NGA recommend all trustees take some time to read the AFH, especially taking note of the roles and responsibilities section, which guides you through each key role including members, trustee, the accounting officer and the chief financial officer. You can access the new edition of the AFH here.

Ofsted to inspect on how schools are conducting ‘catch-up’ learning for pupils

Since the suspension of Ofsted inspections announced in March, questions have emerged on when and how Ofsted will resume inspections when schools fully return. In a House of Commons session this week the education secretary, Gavin Williamson stated that ‘It is important that we understand the vital role that Ofsted plays in making sure that we have strong accountability in schools’ and  that he would be asking the inspectorate to look at “ how children have been supported in their catch-up plans.”

 The education secretary indicated he will be asking Ofsted to look at how school funding has been implemented and how children have been supported. NGA has already shared its view on the matter in episode 2 of our new Governing Chatters podcast series – Examining the new Ofsted inspection framework. If you haven’t yet had a chance to listen, you can access it here, Sam Henson, NGA’s Director of Policy and Information explains why NGA thinks Ofsted should not resume inspecting schools until January 2021 at the earliest.

Education secretary to consult on 2021 exam proposals

On Monday, education secretary Gavin Williamson informed MPs that he will be consulting exam regulator Ofqual about the possibility of moving 2021 GCSE and A-level exams to later in the summer. This would give children some additional teaching time as a way of addressing the teaching lost due to school closures.

However, concerns have been raised about the potential ramifications of this change. ASCL general secretary Geoff Barton pointed out that this will either give exam boards a much narrower window for marking or mean that results will be published later, with implications for progression into further and higher education.

 As schools begin to re-open school leaders, including governing boards, will be turning their attention to the question of how best to ensure pupils make up their lost learning. The need for catch-up is especially significant in regard to disadvantaged children, as experts predict that these pupils will lose out most from the extended period of school closures. Schools will need to adapt provision to account for the unprecedented context, while maintaining a commitment to a broad and balanced curriculum. For more information, refer to NGA’s guidance and information sheets, including Governing in COVID-19: preparing for the next stages (recovery strategy) and Reducing the impact of school closures on disadvantaged pupils - updated 19 June 2020.  

Develop your clerk with the Leading Governance Development for Clerks programme

This week saw the publication of the latest Academies Financial Handbook 2020 (effective from 1 September 2020). The Handbook highlights the importance of having an effective clerk for the trust board and states, that academy trusts MUST appoint a clerk to the board. Boards should be relying on their clerk to provide necessary administrative support, and independent and expert advice to ensure they work in compliance with relevant law and regulation.

Academy trusts are required to comply with the Academies Financial Handbook as a condition of their funding agreement.

The Leading Governance Development for Clerks programme is an ideal mechanism to support your clerk in their role. The training programme NGA offers will give your clerk the opportunity to gain a professionally recognised Level 3 qualification. The programme is approximately a full academic year and includes a 360 appraisal which is carried out at the beginning and end of the course, three workshops, mentoring and online learning. The cost of the programme is £449 with the DfE providing £350 of funding towards this. For more information visit nga.org.uk/leadinggovernance/clerks.

Young governors – join our upcoming virtual event on preparing for board leadership

If you are a young governor  or trustee (aged under 40) who is interested in taking on a chairing role on your board (including committee chairs and vice chairs), join our event to find out more about chairing roles and how to have the confidence to step up.

Taking place on Tuesday 14 July at 5pm, this session will explore the qualities an individual needs to effectively manage the role, the barriers young governors may face and how to make a success of it. Rani Kaur, NGA’s head of advice and chair of an infant school will lead the session, drawing on her own journey to board leadership and you will have an opportunity to ask questions of the presenter.

If you are supporting someone to become a young chair or know someone who will be taking on a role in the future as part of your board’s succession planning, do encourage them to attend.

Register for your free ticket at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/young-governors-network-virtual-event-board-leadership-tickets-110755035292 and you will receive the Zoom link shortly before the event. Find out more about the Young Governors’ Network here.

Learning Link user survey 2020

A reminder that the 2020 Learning Link survey is live. If you are a Learning Link user, please spend a few minutes answering some short questions about your experience with the platform. Your responses will be used to help us improve the service and develop new content. Take the survey here. It should take no more than 15 minutes to complete and will be open until 11:59pm on 6 July.

If you don’t already have a Learning Link subscription, and would like to find out more about how e-learning can support your governing board, why not sign up for a free trial to explore the platform and get a preview of five modules.

Community MATs Network

Booking for our brand new Community MAT virtual forum is now live! As well as hearing from NGA staff on the latest in the MAT governance world, you will get the opportunity to ask questions of Dominic Herrington, the National Schools Commissioner.

To date the network has been instrumental in sharing practice across the sector – you can read more about this in Moving MATs forward: the power of governance.

NGA’s network for those involved in governance in MATs, including trustees, academy committee members and governance professionals in MATs, has now entered into its 5^th year, and we have held multiple events, from small table discussion network meetings, workshops, large scale network gatherings to our first NGA MAT conference held in 2019.  

For the first time we are now taking the network virtual – see our events page for full details including booking information for the event on 9 July 2020.

Education Secretary gives statement on the phased return of schools in government daily briefing

Last Saturday, Gavin Williamson, the secretary of state for education, delivered the government’s daily briefing on coronavirus and spoke on the government’s plans for how pupils can return to school safely. The briefing acknowledged those “who have been going above and beyond the call of duty to care for smaller groups of children […] as well as making sure there are resources available at home for children to learn” and outlined the first steps that are to be taken following almost eight weeks since schools and other educational settings were partially closed.

As we have reported in previous weeks, a “very limited return to schools for some pupils” will begin as early as June 1 2020 as pupils in Reception, Year 1, Year 6 and those in Year 10 and Year 12 will be allowed to return to school in smaller classes. The education secretary emphasised that these actions were of particular importance for vulnerable and disadvantaged young people and that these steps would provide pupils with more face-to-face time with teachers, and support pupils while recognising “there are children from difficult or very unhappy homes for whom school is their happiest place”.

Message from our chief executive Emma Knights: this week does seem like a long one. We have spent rather a lot of time explaining to journalists about who has to take what decision in the re-opening of schools, but we have also had a number of queries from trustees and governors concerned about who has liability for what. So I have written a blog which covers this in a bit more detail, but I am concerned that all those additional words risk losing the clarity of last week’s original synopsis!  And our FAQs also cover the issue of personal liability. Your headteacher might have received a letter from staff unions reminding them of their employers’ health and safety responsibilities with a reference to ‘potential liability’. This has understandably caused some headteachers some anxiety and their own professional associations are ready and able to advise them: ASCL (Association of School and College Leaders) and NAHT (National association of head teachers).

It looks increasingly likely that the DfE’s governance guidance may not appear again this week, and I hope NGA’s has filled that gap. The SAGE papers I mentioned in last Friday’s newsletter have literally  been published this afternoon .  We haven’t yet had a chance to wade through, but while these will very much interest some of you, they are not obligatory reading: we will of course pull anything essential out of them for you early next week. Please enjoy the Bank Holiday.

NGA’s aim throughout this period has been of course to provide governing boards with information, advice and guidance, but also to keep a focus on the facts ‘the knowns’ while there are still so many unknowns. There has been much heat and speculation, which can confuse and distract from the difficult decisions which need taking. I am not going to repeat the content here of our latest information on testing the robustness of their headteacher/CEO’s risk assessment, but I would like to applaud the diligence of the work of school leaders being reported to us and also that of the governing boards considering their assessment and the operational solutions to mitigating the risks. I know you do not do this work for applause, but we are very conscious of the stress this has been for many of you. In a week when thank a teacher day lifted the spirits of the teaching workforce, I just want to note that your efforts do not go unnoticed by us here at GovernanceHQ, and I hope not within your community either.

It has also been mental health week and Madison Gough from our Policy and Information Team blogs here.  Governing boards and school leaders will have been considering the welfare of all those concerned in their deliberations about re-opening, including the most vulnerable pupils and those with SEND.  The care that is being taken is humbling. Thank you for what you are doing, and please keep those questions coming.

NGA information on the role of governing boards in the safe re-opening of schools

NGA’s latest COVID-19 information briefing follows on from our chief executive Emma Knights’ message last week outlining the role of the governing board in making decisions about phased re-opening of schools to further pupils.

The information briefing includes specific advice for governing boards on testing the robustness of their headteacher/CEO’s risk assessment, having informed discussions about their school’s approach towards implementing the DfE guidance and  the decisions made about what the school is safely able to do.

The information briefing also recognises and addresses the understandable concerns raised with NGA by many governing about personal liability in relation to their responsibilities towards staff, especially where the governing board is the legal employer of staff.  You can also watch the latest NGA webinar: The role of governing boards in the safe re-opening of schools

NGA’s GOLDline advice service remains open to all boards, including non-NGA members, on the topic of coronavirus and if you would like bespoke advice for your school or trust, please get in touch with the team by emailing gold@nga.org.uk or calling 0121 237 3782.

Latest guidance from the Department for Education – Covid-19

Corona virus impact on exclusion timeframes - Guidance on various actions for schools during the coronavirus outbreak has been updated to clarify the effect of the pandemic on governing boards’ duties to consider reinstatement of excluded pupils, as well as on the process for Independent Review Panels (IRPs).

DfE Guidance to support secondary school pupils continue their education – The Department for Education has released new guidance for parents to support pupils in year 7 to year 11. Providing advice from mental health and wellbeing to pupils organising their time whilst staying at home.

Social workers to be placed in schools to support with safeguarding concerns- A £6.5million investment aims to place social workers in more than 150 schools to support children who are at the risk of abuse, neglect, and exploitation.

Guidance for schools on writing statutory end of year reports for parents in secondary schools and key stages 1 and 2 – This guidance has been updated following the cancellations of exams and assessments this year. The update provides support to teachers to prepare their annual reports.

Case study: Providing work packs to pupils with limited or no internet connection- This case study follows a MAT located in mainly disadvantaged areas to engage pupils in remote learning with a low- tech approach.

Emergency fund to support SEND pupils in response to pandemic

The government has confirmed the creation of an emergency fund worth £10 million to help children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) access vital equipment which is essential to allowing learning to continue in these unprecedented times. The emergency funding is in response to the fact that SEND children are at home more than usual due to the coronavirus pandemic. This money is on top of the existing commitment to continue the Family Fund (distributed by the Family Fund Trust), amounting to a total package of £37.3million in direct support.

NGA has been pushing for greater support for high needs pupils as part of our Funding the Future campaign. Schools should encourage the families of eligible children to apply for a grant directly here. As part of their oversight role during the coronavirus pandemic, boards should be asking school leaders about the provisions they are putting in place to support their most vulnerable pupils. This includes both those coming into school, and those choosing to remain at home.

Institute for Fiscal Studies: Higher income parents more likely to send children back to school

Concerns of a widening of the disadvantage gap following the ongoing pandemic has been a discussion gathering significant momentum in recently; this week it was  revealed parents of higher income households are more willing to send their children back to school if they are given the choice, according to a study by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS).   

A survey of over 4000 parents of children between 29 April and 12 May 2020, found just under a third of the lowest-income parents were willing to send their child back to school compared with over half of parents in highest-income brackets.

This will be a major concern for many governing boards, considering the report’s other findings on the disparity of the home learning experiences between higher and lower-income pupils and students with children from higher-income families spending 30% more time on home learning than their poorer counterparts. The IFS estimates that over the 34 days (minimum) that schools are closed, there is a seven full school days different in the amount of learning being completed and that if school do not go back until September, the gap would double to 15 full school days.

Follow our most recent discussion on the topic of disadvantage and the impact of COVID-19 on the attainment gap by viewing NGA’s webinar on the topic led by Sam Henson, NGA Director of policy and information - available on our webinar series page. 

Mental health awareness week – the impact of Covid-19

In an article released by the BBC this week, some thirty organisations have contacted the government to take urgent action on reducing the potential mental health impacts that COVID-19 has had. The call asks government for a national campaign that will provide immediate funding, a wellbeing support package and a cross-government strategy to mitigate these concerns. The letter acknowledges that school closures and restriction measures that government have put it place were necessary to reduce infection rate but at the detriment of young people’s mental health.

There are a number of causes for impacts on mental health, particularly for disadvantaged pupils:

• Bereavement, abuse or domestic violence
• Anxiety and fear of the virus for themselves, family and friends
• Loss of structure, routine and relationships
• Those living in difficult or dangerous situations

As this week is also Mental Health Awareness week, Madison Gough, NGA policy and information officer, explores the potential impact COVID-19 may have on pupils and how schools and governing boards can respond in a new blog . For further information from NGA guidance, there is also an information sheet on supporting schools to deal with bereavement.

Updates to NGA’s Learning Link

We have made some improvements to the Learning Link platform. E-learning modules have now been arranged into the following governance categories, aligned to the Knowledge Centre collections:

Structures, roles & responsibilities

Good governance

Vision ethos and strategic direction

Pupil success and wellbeing

Collaborating with partners (coming soon)

Executive leaders

The best use of resources

Compliance

Clerking

MATs

This change should make it easier than ever for users to find the modules they need and to identify related content. Users will find the collections in the Learning area of their Learning Link accounts.

Module updates

The following module has also been updated:

• Compliance - Safeguarding: The Governor's Role has been updated to include links to the latest DfE guidance on safeguarding during the COVID-19 pandemic

Users can find the updated module in the Compliance collection.

If you are interested in finding out more about how Learning Link can help you to stay connected to governance during this time, you can try a preview of five modules by signing up for a free trial or contacting the team on 0121 237 3780 (option 3).

Virtual recruitment of governors and trustees

Despite the huge challenges faced by schools and governing boards across the country, Inspiring Governance is continuing to see new volunteers signing up to be school governors and trustees.  Throughout lockdown many boards and volunteers have quickly become proficient in using a wide range of video conferencing systems and many volunteers are happy to be interviewed to join governing boards using this technology.  We are also seeing a growing number of boards that have already recruited new board members virtually.

As boards support and challenge their schools’ plans for opening to more pupils, it is even more important to have a broad range of skills and experience from the right people around the table (or virtual platform) to meet the strategic challenges now and into the future.

To support governing boards, NGA recently hosted a webinar Virtual Governance: connecting with and recruiting volunteers to offer guidance, top tips and practical steps on how to interview virtually.  The recording of the webinar is available to members and non-members on our website here or on our YouTube channel.

Boards with a need to recruit are encouraged to login to www.inspiringgovernance.org to see if their skill gaps can be met by volunteers on the platform, remembering that virtual meetings would allow volunteers from a wider radius to potentially join the board remotely. There are also helpful resources on the Inspiring Governance website here.

NGA’s message regarding the safe reopening of schools

Responding to the government’s announcement that from the week commencing 1 June 2020 at the earliest, schools can begin to open safely for more pupils, NGA’s chief executive Emma Knights sent a message to governors and trustees which confirms to readers where responsibilities lie in relation to that safe phased reopening of schools. The message highlights the important role that governing boards have in supporting school leaders in their decision-making process that includes testing the robustness of risk assessments. 

To give further clarity on matters arising from the announcement, we have created a frequently asked question (FAQ) section on our Knowledge Centre which will be updated on a regular basis. These answers provide broad guidance rather than legal or procedural advice. For specific queries relating to your board’s own circumstances, please contact the GOLDline by emailing gold@nga.org.uk or calling 0121 237 3782.

Message from our chief executive Emma Knights:  Considerable speculation and anxiety continues this week, at least in part because the official information and guidance has not arrived as quickly as would have been helpful.  Further to my email on Tuesday, I think is important to emphasise that decisions do not need to be rushed into and furthermore school leaders should be given the time that they require to assess confidently the risks to pupils, staff and the community.  I was pleased to be part of the meeting trailed in this morning’s news where stakeholder organisations were able to listen to the Government medical and scientific advisers and to ask some questions of them.  A summary of some of the relevant scientific information has been published this afternoon, which we wanted to include here and is why we are sending this newsletter a little later than usual. There was not enough time for all stakeholder questions to be covered, but the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) papers relating to schools reopening will be published and we have all stressed the need for that to happen as quickly as possible.

Remember that the Government’s aim is for schools to begin opening further from 1 June and not on 1 June. We already know that not everyone will be ready to do so from 1 June; we also know the ask is very different for infants, primary, secondary and special phases. The Government’s ambition for all primary school children to return for a full month before the summer holidays seems highly unlikely for many, if not almost all schools. It is important to recognise that the Government guidance is just that, guidance, and although it mentions groups of 15 children, it may be your headteacher/trust executive assesses that your premises are not large enough to take that many children in a group safely in the first instance. That is a decision they are able to use their discretion to take.  The assessment of risk will be need to constantly updated as circumstances change.

Webinar - The role of governing boards in the safe re-opening of schools

On Thursday 21 May at 4pm Steve Edmonds, Director of Advice and Guidance, will be hosting a webinar that considers the important role that governing boards have in scutinising their school leaders’ assessment of risk and decision making over the potential wider re-opening of schools from the week commencing 1 June 2020 at the earliest. The webinar will give advice on how governing boards might test the robustness of the risk assessments shared by their school leaders and, once a decision is made, how to demonstrate support and be an advocate. You can sign up to join the webinar here.

Roundup of Department for Education guidance published this week

Guidance published by the DfE this week includes guidance on how schools can begin to open safely for more pupils:

Actions for educational and childcare settings to prepare for wider opening from 1 June 2020

What parents and carers need to know about schools and other education settings during the coronavirus outbreak

Safe working in education, childcare and children’s social care

Guidance for education and childcare settings on how to implement protective measures

A planning guide for primary school leaders to help prepare them to open their schools for more pupils

List of critical workers (key workers) who can send their children to school or other educational settings

DfE is intending to publish more guidance next week, including questions and answers guidance relating to school governance during COVID-19 and a secondary school planning guide.

NGA information to help governing boards carry out staffing functions during COVID times

NGA’s latest COVID-19 information briefing aims to support governing boards to minimise the impact of COVID-19 restrictions on fulfilling their responsibilities as employers and carrying out important functions in relation to staffing at their school/trust.  It also highlights how governing boards can lead the way as exemplary employers by prioritising the health and wellbeing of headteachers/CEO’s and their staff teams during this difficult period and in the months ahead.  

NGA continue to produce guidance and offer support to all governing boards, including non-members. You can read our full guidance on business continuity for governing boards and clerks here.

Our GOLDline advice service remains available to all governing boards at this time and our advice team remains up-to-date with the latest guidance, seeking answers from the DfE where necessary. The advice team can be contacted through emailing gold@nga.org.uk or by phoning 0121 237 3780.

In my experience: virtual headteacher recruitment

School closure and social distancing rules naturally have had implications for governing boards seeking to recruit headteachers/executive leaders during this time. Those stages in the recruitment process that normally happen in person, like panel shortlisting, interviews and decision ratification meetings, can, at present, only take place through the use of alternative technology such as video conferencing. We recommend that governing boards seek the advice of a HR and school improvement professional as appropriate on such matters (e.g. adapting selection activities) and the adjustments that need to be made.

In this account Peter Shrubsall, the governing board of Cullompton Community College in Devon, shares how his board’s approach to and experience of conducting a successful, robust virtual interview process.

Latest school attendance data released

The latest school attendance data released by the DfE shows that the proportion of schools open (81%), along with the number of teaching staff attending, are their highest since the first week of partial closures in March. School attendance has also increased following a decline during the Easter holiday period. The government estimate that around 14% of children classed as ‘vulnerable’, and 5% of the children of key workers, attended school last week.

However, governing boards should be aware that the attendance of vulnerable pupils continues to be of concern and that the government continues to encourage schools and local authorities to do more to ensure that vulnerable pupils attend school.

COVID-19 will impact the mental and emotional health of children, Education Select Committee hears

The Education Select Committee heard this week from Javed Khan, chief executive of Barnardo’s, along with Jenny Coles, president of the Association of Directors on Children’s Services.

Coles warned of the significant impact that COVID-19 is likely to have on the mental and emotional health of children as well as their educational outcomes. Mentioning the significant drop in referrals to children’s services, she added that while schools often had expanded their mental health offer before the mandated closure in March, it is vital that the offer continues when schools reopen to more pupils in the coming months.

Governors and trustees should ensure they stay on top of their safeguarding requirements and wider support for pupils during this period. NGA have released guidance on safeguarding amid the outbreak, and guidance on bereavement, which those governing should find useful.

Show your support for national ‘Thank a Teacher’ day

We are encouraging governors and trustees to formally celebrate and recognise the hard work and dedication of teachers and staff by participating in this year’s National Thank a Teacher Day on Wednesday 20 May.

Our team have already seen many examples of boards acknowledging the efforts of school staff who are making a difference especially during these unprecedented times by writing letters, filming messages, sending gifts and more. Showing appreciation on Thank a Teacher Day is a great opportunity to celebrate and uplift your staff and to ensure governing boards are visible both within their school community and as part of the education sector in a national event. 

Using the Thank a Teacher website, you can send a digital ‘thank you’ card to a teacher, a department/team or your whole school. If you use social media, you can join in using #ThankATeacher and #ClassroomHeroes.

Find out more at thankateacher.co.uk. 

Thoughts from across the sector on the potential re-opening of schools

The Department for Education (DfE) has been consulting with many sector bodies, including NGA, on the potential options for future partial school re-opening and how those might happen safely. We were asked to share concerns and questions that our members had. The leadership professional associations, Association for Schools and College Leaders (ASCL) and the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) have also been working closely together. ASCL published their findings here and National Association of Head Teachers’ were reported here. These show the variety of responses, and the wide range of concerns about the practicalities and logistics of any approach.

The National Education Union and Parentkind have written to the Secretary of State for Education, Gavin Williamson, expressing their concerns about re-opening schools too early and provide five key tests which form the criteria for the return of schools. Additionally, in a survey of over 250,000 parents across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, Parentkind found that 90% of parents do not want their children to return to school immediately after the government ends lockdown with the largest proportion (40%) saying that they only want their children to return to school once the government or school leaders determine it safe.

Message from our chief executive Emma Knights: Over the last week, there has been considerable speculation in the press about when and how schools will begin to reopen.  This has not been helpful as the many rumours circulating have acted to raise the anxiety of many school staff and many parents about the safety, particularly in terms of catching COVID-19. After our call for members’ thoughts on the situation, many many questions were raised by those governing. I cannot sufficiently cover here the weight and richness of your responses, but the main bulk of concerns fell into one of these categories:

• The need for clarity on the purpose of, and scientific evidence for, reopening schools;
• Safety concerns for pupils and staff, including social distancing and shielding the vulnerable;
• The well-being of all concerned on the return to school and those out-of-school, including deprived and vulnerable pupils;
• Other support and extra provision which would be required (mental health, bereavement, SEND, catch-up sessions, wraparound childcare etc.);
• Communication and dealing with parental concerns and choices about attendance;
• Staffing rotas and what can be reasonably expected;
• Curriculum delivery and alternative offer ie home-schooling/remote learning and
• Financial support and funding implications

Any return to school will be phased and will not happen overnight; a number of weeks will be given for schools and trusts to plan after the government announcement is made. Local authorities (LAs) will also need to be involved in terms of related services, including transport. Pupils will need to attend in smaller groups. NGA has reported repeatedly to the DfE the very clear message we received from governors and trustees that the well-being of communities, pupils and their families has to be the driving force behind any re-opening plan, and that in order to support a plan to reopen further we, the governance community and the wider public, would need to understand the evidence behind the decision to be assured of its safety.

I can say no more at this juncture, but I am sure many of you will be watching the Prime Minister’s briefing on Sunday afternoon. NGA will continue to work with the DfE and others in the sector to ensure that all issues are raised, and that adequate support and guidance is available prior to any return to schools for pupils or staff.

Continuing DfE funded Leading Governance programmes

You can still access DfE funding for our Leading Governance programmes, and we are working hard to ensure that this continued professional development (CPD) is not impacted negatively by COVID-19. In fact, many governors, trustees and clerks are choosing to use this time to access online training and continue their CPD remotely.

NGA is pleased to announce that any chairs, future chairs and clerks wanting to develop their knowledge, skills and understanding during this time have the opportunity of accessing funding while it is still available for all boards by joining the new summer 2020 cohorts we have opened:

Development for Chairs – Summer 2020

Development for Clerks – Summer 2020

All those that apply will be able to access our e-learning and online evaluation tools right away.  There will be the options of joining face-to-face workshops (when it is safe to do so) or accessing this component of the programme by virtual sessions.

Our Development for Chairs programme is having definite impact in our schools, but don’t just take our word for it! Having recently completed the Development for Chairs programme, Simon Watson, Chair of Governors at St John the Evangelist CE VA Primary School in Oxfordshire writes about his experience including the value of building a supportive, sustained network of local chairs and the impact of the programme on his board’s practice in this new NGA blog: “I, like others in the group, have had some very difficult challenges to deal with since becoming chair, and this group has been instrumental in providing not only moral support, but high-quality impartial advice and guidance where we have been able to pool our collective knowledge to support each other in a confidential manner”.

Research review of the potential implications of school closures for teachers and students

The Chartered College of Teaching has produced a review of research evidence on school closures, including international approaches, during the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of a worldwide lockdown effort, 186 countries have closed their schools to reduce the spread of COVID-19 as part of social distancing measures. The report investigated the wider impacts of the pandemic, including the impact on achievement, socio-emotional development, and the impact of teaching staff.

The key findings of the report include:

• Families from higher socio-economic backgrounds are more likely to spend time and money on children’s learning during closures and have better access to online learning.
• School closures may have detrimental and on-going impacts on student mental health, caused by grief, trauma, and bereavement.
• Social-emotional interventions put in place by schools can be effective method of supporting children through this difficult time.
• Teachers are also subject to challenges, managing their own responsibilities and mental health as well as supporting student. Additionally, teachers lack adequate support and training to respond to student needs effectively.

The report also includes a case study analysis which demonstrates varied approaches to school re-openings.

NGA is currently working on producing information on guidance on developing issues. Our most recent COVID-19 information sheet is about dealing with bereavement.

DfE publish guidance and case studies to support pupil wellbeing and remote learning

The DfE has released a range of new guidance to support and encourage schools to continue to maintain pupil wellbeing and learning. Case studies from schools and multi academy trusts have also been published to provide insight into teaching under these circumstances and different methods to improve remote learning.

During this time, it is important to ensure that all students are provided with the relevant pastoral care and sufficient resources to maintain their physical and mental well-being. Guidance published to keep pupils motivated and engaged remotely guides teaching staff with activities and approaches in addition to case studies of what various schools have found to be effective.

Guidance to effectively adapt the curriculum to remote learning has also been published. The guidance sets out the reality of effective teaching methods during this time. For example, taking a phased approach to curriculum content may prove to be effective when familiarising teacher and pupils with new ways of working.

NGA continues to provide information for governing boards regularly containing key information about the coronavirus, schools and governing boards taking into account the evolving situation and implications for school governance. Guidance is also available on continuing the business of the governing board during these challenging circumstances.

Updated NGA guidance on business continuity and holding virtual meetings

NGA has updated its guidance on continuing the business of governing boards and holding meetings virtually.  New content has been added on what governing boards should be monitoring during the period that schools are partially closed and the issues that need to be considered if partial re-opening is to become a practical reality.

Further content has also been added on organisational matters including complaints management, reviewing exclusions and the recruitment of senior leaders by the governing board.

The guidance includes links to NGA’s COVID-19 information briefings that cover, amongst other things, safeguarding and supporting schools to deal with bereavement.

The GOLDline advice service continues to be available to all governing boards that have questions relating to governing during the COVID-19 period. You can contact the GOLDline by emailing gold@nga.org.uk or by calling 0121 237 3782.

New NGA GDPR guidance

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) applies to all those who process personal data, including schools. The governing board has ultimate responsibility for matters relating to data protection. Therefore, governing boards and clerks should have a clear understanding and be aware of their duty under GDPR and how to ensure that their schools are compliant.

NGA’s new Complying with GDPR: a guide for governing boards and clerks outlines the governing boards duty under the GDPR, as well as practical measures that governing boards, and clerks, should be taking to ensure compliance with GDPR.

Furthermore, the latest addition of the NGA’s advice insights blog series provides information on governing remotely and data protection for those looking for guidance on how to continue to ensure GDPR compliance whilst working and governing remotely during these extraordinary times.

NGA’s latest webinars

Earlier today, Steve Edmonds, NGA’s director of advice and guidance, delivered a webinar about the governing board’s role regarding employment in schools and trusts during COVID-19, including boards can lead the way as exemplary employers by protecting the health and wellbeing of headteachers/senior leaders and their staff teams during this difficult period.

The recording of Governing boards as employers: What does COVID-19 mean for you?  is available on our webinar series page on the NGA website along with all our previous webinars, including last week’s on Curriculum Cultivation: board’s role in driving, fostering and encouraging curriculum growth and development.  You can also register for next week’s webinar:

New research and policy recommendations on preventing the disadvantage gap

The Education Policy Institute (EPI) has published policy recommendations for the government to reduce the significant disadvantage gap, which is widening during the current pandemic. The research showed the prior to the pandemic disadvantaged children were already one and half years behind their peers before they reach GCSE level.

Some of the recommendations EPI includes are:

• doubling pupil premium from September 2020 for Year 1, Year 7, and Year 11, allowing for resources for catch-up classes and group tuition;
• doubling the disadvantage funding made available for students entering Year 13;
• creating a one-year national ‘Teacher Volunteer Scheme’, allowing retired or inactive teachers who could help schools with extra teaching support;
• reviewing the current plans for national examinations in 2020 and 2021; and
• providing extra provision such as home tutoring and therapies special education needs and disabilities (SEND) pupils.

The policy paper with full details on the proposal is available to read online.

Admission appeal panel members required

Parents have the right to appeal against an admission authority’s decision to refuse admission, as outlined in the School Admissions Code. Emergency regulations have also been issued to ensure families appealing an admission decision this year are supported and are not disadvantaged by the current measures in place to protect public health.

The new regulations give admission authorities greater flexibility when managing appeals, imposing new rules surrounding the format of appeal hearings, which can now be conducted by video conference or telephone. However, the DfE is aware that some LAs are struggling to find the number of panel members required to determine the outcome of appeals before September.

NGA is therefore encouraging its members to contact their LA’s admissions team if they are interested in volunteering to sit on admission appeal panels. Admission authorities of foundation and voluntary aided schools, as well as academies, can also approach their LA for help with fulfilling this requirement, and volunteers should be aware that they may ultimately be called upon by LAs other than their own, given on-going collaboration between regional admission groups and the ability of panel members to participate remotely.

Ofqual publish decisions on calculated grades proposals for 2020

Ofqual’s most recent consultation regarding the exceptional arrangements on GCSEs, AS and A levels summer garnered over 12,000 responses. It set out several proposals around private candidates, calculated grades for students in Year 10, and arrangements for awarding vocational, technical and other general qualifications.

This week, Ofqual released their decision surrounding the calculation of grades for students in Year 10 and below, in addition to the arrangements for private candidates. Following the majority of responses received, students entered for exams in Year 10 and below will be eligible to receive a calculated grade this summer. The responses indicated that if students did not receive calculated grades, the progression of students would be disrupted “and to exclude them would have an unfair impact".

Ofqual also highlighted that many responses raised concerns about the potential impact of excluding early entrants on disabled students or those with special educational needs who would request to spread their exams over multiple years. Ofqual also released the decision to only allow exam boards to issue results for private candidate for whom the Head of the Centre is confident they can submit a centre assessment grade and include them in the centre’s rank order.

The consultation consisting of additional proposals on arrangements for awarding vocational, technical and other qualifications remains open until 8 May and will be analysed in due course.

Parliamentary committee identifies “significant failings” in SEND provision

Yesterday, the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee published the results of an inquiry into the support available for children with (SEND). For governing boards, who have responsibility for ensuring their school meets the needs of its SEND pupils, the report makes sobering reading.

The report highlighted the damning inspection judgements when LA SEND support was reviewed. Significant disparities exist in the support received by children, for example when comparing boys and girls, or different ethnic groups. Particular failings were also identified in schools, with SEND pupils accounting for almost 45% of permanent exclusions, despite only being around 15% of all pupils.

For governing boards, the report is a reminder to carefully consider the support available to SEND pupils in their school, and whether it is meeting the needs of these students. Although boards are required to name a SEND governor, accountability for SEND provision is ultimately shared by the board as a whole. We have published comprehensive guidance on SEND and the governing board, available here.

The report also identified that one of the causes of inadequate provision was underfunding. NGA’s Funding the Future campaign is now focusing on the areas of school budget which are under the greatest pressure, including high needs.

Sutton trust research finds university applicants feel new assessment process will have an impact

This week, the Sutton Trust have published a briefing on their research around the effects of COVID-19 on university applicants which has found that almost half of all university applicants surveyed believe that the new assessment procedure, in which grades are issued by schools themselves, would have a negative impact upon their A level grades (43%). Only 17% of applicants felt that their grades would improve as a result of this change.

While many deemed that the impact of the changed assessment system would only slightly affect their grades, students from working class backgrounds were typically more worried about the new system having a large negative impact upon their grades.

Meanwhile, almost half of those surveyed felt that their chance of getting into their first-choice university had been negatively impacted upon by the change (48%). This follows significant criticism from some in the sector about Ofqual and the DfE’s neglect to address any possible bias in teacher-assessed A levels and GCSEs with the Equality and Human Rights Commission saying that the information published regarding the grading process would “not address the risk of unconscious or conscious bias by exam centres predicting grades for students”.

The crisis has also impacted upon applicant choice, according to research findings, with a fifth of university hopefuls having changed their mind about attending university or have yet to decide (19%). Some have instead decided to take gap years or even change their preferred university and working-class students were the most likely to change their mind. Amongst fears that this may lead to universities pressuring students to take places for the 2020/21 year, the government have said that universities which pressure students to accepting places that would not be in their best interests through incentives, such as free laptops or unconditional offers, will be fined up to £500,000.

Schools will be phased back, says Secretary of State

Gavin Williamson, Secretary of State for Education, has confirmed that he expects that schools will be returning in phases, similar to models that European countries have planned. Speaking in front of the Commons Education Select committee, he stated:

‘Just a couple of weeks ago I commissioned SAGE to set up a sub-group to look at the particular issues of opening schools, making sure that when schools are open it’s done in the best possible way with the very best scientific and medical advice.’

However, he clarified that although he is waiting on the particularities of the advice he does ‘expect schools to be opened in a phased manner.’ While schools are not expected to be opening to all pupils for some time, pupil numbers have risen by 1% to 1.9% since the Easter break while 79% of school provisions are currently still open.

The news comes as government medical advisor, Professor Jonathon Van-Tam, announced it would be ‘very difficult’ for schools to open while maintaining social distancing measures.

Message from our chief executive Emma Knights: While it is currently uncertain when schools will reopen, and in what manner, I want to assure members that NGA is involved in discussions with the Department for Education on how this might happen. There is discussion of multiple possible scenarios for further partial re-opening and the DfE has consulted representative organisations on the issues for consideration by Government ministers, including what would need to be in place before it would be practical and acceptable to have more pupils and staff in schools.  We have in turn been canvassing governors and trustees, but if you have not had the opportunity to feed in and would like to, please email me on emma.knights@nga.org.uk copying in research@nga.org.uk as Hannah Garrington, our research officer, is collating the range of the views of NGA members and the factors affecting your schools/trusts.  We of course will continue to update you, but the situation is moving fast and you may hear a ministerial announcement on the news in the meantime.

NGA information to help governing boards to support their schools to deal with bereavement

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our daily lives will continue to be felt for some time after the virus has been contained and lockdown has been lifted. Sadly, it may have resulted in the loss of someone at the school, someone known to the school, or a bereavement being suffered by a pupil, member of staff or governor/trustee.  As well as taking care of themselves and those closest to them, those governing will want to demonstrate their school’s caring ethos by recognising how bereavement has affected pupils and staff in particular, and by providing the support needed to cope. 

NGA’s latest COVID-19 information briefing for governing boards considers the school’s approach to dealing with bereavement. School leaders may take the initiative to raise this issue with their governing boards but, if not, governing boards should encourage their headteacher/CEO to give thought to it.

The information briefing includes a list of resources that help equip schools to give the support and care that is needed to deal with bereavement.

New NGA webinars: Curriculum cultivation and Governing boards as employers

Due to their popularity, we have increased the number of places available at our webinars. So please do join us later today for our latest webinar:

Curriculum cultivation
Friday 1 May
4.00pm – 4.30pm

This webinar led by Sam Henson, NGA's Director of Policy and Information, will reflect on the board's role in driving, fostering and encouraging curriculum growth and development. You will explore what should drive the curriculum and its rationale, with a focus on intent, implementation and impact.

Please register your place this afternoon here and feel free to contact us if you have any questions or experience problems concerning this event. If you have any suggestions for webinar topics that would be useful to you or your governing board, please email richard.crabb@nga.org.uk.

And register early for next week’s:
 

Governing boards as employers: what does COVID-19 mean for you?
Thursday 7 May  
4.00pm – 4.30pm

Thursday 7 May at 4 pm Steve Edmonds, Director of Advice and Guidance, will be leading a seminar on Governing Boards as employers: what does COVID-19 mean for you? The seminar will give key messages and guidance for boards on overcoming the disruption to employment processes in schools and trusts. It will also consider how governing boards can lead the way as exemplary employers by protecting the health and wellbeing of headteachers/CEO’s and their staff teams during this difficult period and in the months ahead.  

In case you missed it: In last week’s NGA webinar, NGA’s head of consultancy Clare Collins outlines the importance of board dynamics, relationships and trust in challenging times and signposts some of the tools that governing boards can use to ensure that all those involved in the governance of their organisation can stay professional and effective, even in fast moving and unusual circumstances.  You can view the webinar here.

Multi-million funding support for vulnerable children

Last Friday the Department for Education (DfE) announced a financial support package for vulnerable children during COVID-19. This extra support aims to help keep children who are vulnerable to abuse or neglect safe during the outbreak. Schools offer a vital support system to children, and it is of concern that a large number of vulnerable pupils who could still be attending school now are not.

The government funding will cover a number of areas including adolescent exploitation, domestic abuse, children in care and mental health support. Alongside these areas, the government has also promised extra support for additional local authority funding, expanding the NSPCC’s helpline, continued funding for free school meals and continuing research into the risks for children.

For more information on vulnerable pupils, the DfE is currently updating guidance on support. If staff or anyone else has concerns about an individual, NSPCC is providing COVID-19 specific support available to children and adults concerned for a child.

ESFA advice for trusts on financial management and decision-making during COVID-19

In a letter sent last week to accounting officers in academy trusts Eileen Milner, Chief Executive, Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA), highlights the importance of strong governance, financial management and decision making in helping trusts to deal with the current challenging circumstances brought about by the COVID-19 crisis.

The letter also acknowledges that trusts’ spending patterns may change in the coming weeks and that academy boards and management teams will, in time, be recasting budget plans for a return to normality in school life. 

In the light of this the ESFA advice is that the trusts should continue to follow the requirements of the Academies Financial Handbook but where necessary adjust their procedures to fit the circumstances and reflect the realities of remote working and absences. For example, procedures that allow board meetings to be held by telephone or video and reviewing schemes of delegation to ensure decisions can be made appropriately.

Our GOLDline advice service is currently available to all governing boards that have questions about maintaining their business in the current circumstances. You can contact GOLDline by email to gold@nga.org.uk or by calling 0121 237 3782.

Changes to school admission appeals due to coronavirus

Changes to the way admission appeals will be conducted during the COVID-19 outbreak came into force on 24 April 2020, giving admission authorities greater flexibility when managing appeals, while ensuring that appellants are not disadvantaged by the measures in place to protect public health.

The temporary regulations (in force until 31 January 2021) impose new rules in relation to the format of appeal hearings, the constitution of appeal panels and admission appeal timetables. Crucially, in order to comply with government guidelines on social distancing, there is no longer a requirement to hold appeal panels in person, as hearings can now be conducted by video conference, telephone or based entirely on written submissions.

Despite these changes, obligations around natural justice and procedural fairness remain unaffected, there has been no relaxing of the clerking duties involved, and parents can continue to lodge a complaint if they have evidence of maladministration.

Governing boards and clerks are encouraged to consult the accompanying guidance that sets out where the temporary regulations should be followed in preference to normal Appeals Code requirements.

DfE guidance on using clusters and hubs to maintain educational provision

The DfE has also published guidance outlining what educational settings need to consider and do if thinking of introducing a cluster or hub school model in response to COVID19. Cluster and hub schools refer to one school remaining open and providing education and care to pupils from other educational settings. Such arrangements require close consideration, as schools are advised to “be alert to the fact that clusters and hubs may increase the public health risk”. As such, the guidance aims to support schools, including those governing, in making informed decisions as well as outlining factors to consider if such arrangement is already in place.

NGA is producing information sheets, guidance and webinars on a regular basis containing key messages about the Coronavirus (COVID-19), schools and governing boards taking into account the evolving situation and the implications for school governance, which can all be accessed through the  Knowledge Centre.

Amanda Spielman speaks on Ofsted at the Parliamentary Education Committee

This week, Her Majesty’s chief inspector (HMCI) Amanda Spielman joined the Parliamentary education select committee speaking on topics relating to the coronavirus and the future of Ofsted.

Following Ofsted’s decision to temporarily suspend school inspections due to the coronavirus outbreak, HMCI stated that it was unlikely for schools to be inspected before the summer and that it is too early to say how the inspections may work once they resume. Due to the uncertainty of how a phased return of schools would work, Ofsted’s deferral policy, allowing the delay of inspections, will continue to be under review. She also reassured that schools will not be inspected in future on their response to COVID-19, but the inspectorate will once again be looking at the quality of education.

The committee also raised questions around the impact on vulnerable pupils because of school closures. Amanda Spielman shared this concern, expressing that the longer schools remain partially closed, the wider the gap will become ‘especially in the short term’. The work that Ofsted staff are currently doing in the education & children’s sector while inspections are paused was also reflected upon; it was noted that Ofsted staff have not been needed in schools to provide additional support, but many are supporting local authorities. NGA has also been the beneficiary of inspections pausing with Ofsted working with us on a research project for which we are seeking volunteers: more here if you are unaware of this.

Blog: 10 years of the annual governance survey

This year marks ten consecutive years of the annual school governance survey. In this blog, Kirstie Ebbs, NGA’s public relations manager explores some of the questions we have asked over the years, and the trends revealed by your response to the only enduring source of information about the country’s largest volunteer force. From shrinking boards sizes to increased difficulty in recruiting staff, we explore changes in who governs and their experience, views and responses to education policy and governance practice.

As always, the purpose of the survey remains the same: to represent and share your views and experiences of government policy and current events in the national arena, to campaign on the issues that matter to you and your community, and to inform and improve the support that we and others provide to the school governance community. You can take part in this year’s survey at https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/NGAsurveyn/ where your responses will help shape the future of school governance.

Gathering parent views on education and COVID-19 through ParentKind research

ParentKind want to find out if and how parental attitudes have changed now that lockdown has become the “new normal”, whether they are key workers with children still attending school or working from home with their child(ren) learning from home. Understanding how parents are experiencing and responding to the pandemic will be important information for governing boards to consider when thinking about their school reopening and engaging with parents on this. In the first survey, the results of which we covered in the newsletter on 3 April, most parents said that their biggest concern was their child/children falling behind or missing out on learning along with the loss of socialisation and exam results.

If you are a parent or if you can share this follow-up survey with parents at your school, ParentKind would appreciate your input: https://r1.dotmailer-surveys.com/1114x93a-984mj1a3. It closes on Monday 4 May.

Extraordinary leadership and collaborative resources for your school

Writing a special blog for NGA on extraordinary leadership, Professor Dame Alison Peacock, Chief Executive of the Chartered College of Teaching says that the partial closure of schools meant that “our governors and headteachers would be suddenly required to respond to previously unthinkable challenges.”  On the leadership offered by governing boards, Alison writes that “this is the kind of leadership where you know that there is much at stake that is unknowable and frightening, but that courage will be found through conviction about public service and doing what feels right… You provide wise, measured advice. You ensure that safety is paramount and above all, you are part of a team doing the very best they can in impossible circumstances.”

Read the full blog here.

On the theme of collaboration, lots of resources are available to your school to facilitate online and remote learning. Governing boards may wish to highlight these resources to their school and be aware of them when you are at your next meeting ask discussing the remote learning offer being provided to pupils:

• The Chartered College of Teaching has a comprehensive list of remote learning resources https://chartered.college/2020/03/18/covid-19-and-teaching/
• Oak National Academy offers an online classroom and resources for teachers to use https://www.thenational.academy/
• The BBC has daily lessons for most year groups across a range of subjects https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize
• The Council for Subject Associations has produced a new directory covering subjects taught in schools and the related subject association https://www.subjectassociations.org.uk/the-cfsa-directory/

Schools to benefit from education partnership with tech giants

The DfE has announced that thousands of schools will benefit from a partnership with tech giants, Microsoft and Google to access education platforms alongside training on how to use these resources. Schools and students will gain access to online resources, support getting set up, webinar and peer- to- peer support between schools. Guidance will be available to schools to choose the right education platform to meet their needs.

This ‘groundbreaking’ partnership follows the government’s £100 million investment to improve remote education through the supply of devices and internet access for vulnerable and disadvantaged pupils across England. Last week, the government wrote to local authorities, trusts and other relevant organisations overseeing schools and children’s social care, outlining the process for ordering the devices as schools, parents and children adapt to the changing learning environment.

Support for online learning announced by education secretary

Education secretary Gavin Williamson has announced a new support package aimed at ensuring that children and young people continue to receive the education they need and deserve.

In particular, the package will give a boost to remote education for vulnerable and disadvantaged pupils who are set to receive access to laptops and tablets as well as 4G routers, ensuring access to online resources where mobile or broadband internet is not already available. Select resources will also be made more accessible by temporarily exempting them from data charges.

Importantly, schools and colleges will be allowed to keep the laptops and tablets for use once they reopen, thus aiding future learning.

The government has also funded the launch of the Oak National Academy, which will provide 180 video lessons each week to complement existing resources announced earlier this month.

Schools seeking to assist parents in furthering their child’s education and development should refer to the latest guidance to support learning at home. Governing boards will also continue to receive updates via NGA’s dedicated Coronavirus information page.

Government take steps to extend and improve Free Schools Meal Programme

The government’s scheme for feeding free school meal (FSM) eligible pupils during the current crisis has received a lot of attention while also coming under some criticism. Governing boards will be taking note as they continue checking that their school is meeting the needs of vulnerable pupils, including those FSM eligible, during this unprecedented period.

In response to the reaction to their programme, the government announced some changes this week. Firstly, eligibility for free school meals has been extended, to include some children of groups with no recourse to public funds. This includes the children of Zambrano carers; the children of families with a right to remain in the UK under article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights; and the children of families receiving support under section 17 of the Children Act 1989 who also have no recourse to public funds.

The government also announced the addition of Aldi to the free school meal voucher scheme. This is intended to give more options to parents seeking to use their child’s vouchers.

NGA are keen to hear how schools are supporting disadvantaged pupils at this time, and there is an option for sharing your experiences as part of our annual school governance survey.

Gavin Williamson writes to sector on supporting attendance of vulnerable children and young people

Secretary of state for education, Gavin Williamson, has written a letter to the education providers amid concerns over the low attendance of vulnerable children and young people in schools.

In the letter, Williamson outlines the government’s ‘expectations on who should attend’ along with recommendations to providers on following up on non-attendance of these groups:

Williamson also calls for education providers to “continue your close partnership working with social workers, local authorities and other professionals to keep in touch with vulnerable children and young people and their parent or carer”.

As governing boards hold a responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, the Department for Education (DfE) has advised that school leaders should stay in touch with their boards during this time including updates on the welfare of staff and pupils. For more information on this topic, NGA members can access our information sheet on safeguarding during COVID-19 along with all of NGA’s other resources for those governing during this time.

Accessible resources for remote learning

The Education Endowment Foundation has released new research findings focusing on the features of pupil engagement with remote learning. The research states that engaging with online content and supportive materials allows knowledge to be built upon and enables clear understanding, emphasising the importance of access to technology for both the learning and interaction with peers. Disadvantaged pupils are thought to be the most impacted as a result of school closures and this week, the government introduced the new measures take to reduce this impact through remote learning.

The partial closures of schools has led many teaching staff to identify a new way of working to support and maintain the learning of their students. This week, Oak National Academy trust has launched their resource hub to provide teachers with supportive learning resources. The resources cover a range of subjects including maths, English, language and arts which are designed to complement teacher’s lesson plans whilst remote teaching takes place. All lessons are free to use for all teachers and pupils.

The BBC have also launched their own education package supporting pupils from aged 3 to 16+. The package allows online lesson scheduling, toolkits for parents aiding students with SEND along with videos and engaging tools for a broad range of subjects.

NGA and Ofsted joint research project into the impact of COVID-19 on governance

NGA and Ofsted have begun a joint research project that will investigate how governors and trustees are continuing to support and challenge schools during these difficult times.

The research will look at the short- and long-term impact of school closures on priorities for governors and trustees and how they are responding to new situations. We want to understand how governors and trustees in all types of schools are managing business as usual and thinking about the longer term issues they may need to address when schools reopen. We hope this research will give insight into how governance has responded to an extraordinary situation and support the work the NGA does providing advice and guidance to governors and trustees.

As part of this research we would like to speak to governors and trustees in different types of schools across different age phases. If you are interested in taking part in this research, please contact ResearchQuestion@Ofsted.gov.uk.

Why sharing your view in the annual school governance survey is important

Earlier this week, we opened the annual school governance survey for responses. It’s open to all governors, trustees and local academy committee members. Regardless of your position on the board or how long you have been governing, your views and experiences are valued and welcomed.

Now in its 10^th year, the findings of the survey provide crucial insight and information for NGA, policymakers and education organisations about who governs, your views on education policy and the practice of governing boards.

With last year’s findings, we:

• published a comprehensive report and shared and discussed these findings directly with representatives from the DfE and education sector organisations at our roundtable
• secured national media coverage of your concerns around additional support for pupils
• represented the view and experience of school governance volunteers in conversations with ministers, officials and representatives, and at events and roundtables
• used your insights and views to underpin our work on funding, staffing, parental engagement, disadvantage, diversity and more
• shared your collective view through our responses to key consultations and inquiries
• further improved and tailored NGA’s guidance, advice, consultancy, and training to your needs

The more responses, the stronger the voice of governing boards in national education policy – don’t miss the chance to have your say!

You can take the survey at https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/NGAsurveyn/ and help spread the word by sharing our Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn posts.

Thank you to those that have already responded and to everyone who has promoted the survey within their local area, networks or trust.

On NGA’s decision to carry out the survey this year, Emma Knights, chief executive of NGA said: “After careful consideration, we decided to go ahead with this year’s survey to capture the immediate views and experiences of those governing our schools in such an unusual and testing period. This survey – the only one of its kind in the education sector – gives us the opportunity to share your feelings and concerns directly with the government and policymakers, one of which will certainly be the impact of COVID-19 on your school or trust. This is the tenth consecutive year of the annual survey and its longevity adds to its weight as we can spot trends and changes, so we did not want to have a gap in 2020. Given the cancellation of our events it is especially important that we have this route of engaging with you and listening to what you need – and you may also welcome the distraction. I do understand that everyone has their own experience of the COVID period and there will be many different reactions to the survey – so of course please do only complete it if you are able to.”

New NGA webinar: Board dynamics, relationships and trust in challenging times

In the latest NGA webinar, NGA’s head of consultancy Clare Collins outlines the importance of board dynamics, relationships and trust in challenging times and signposts some of the tools that governing boards can use to ensure that all those involved in the governance of their organisation can stay professional and effective, even in fast moving and unusual circumstances.   

You can view the webinar here.

We will be announcing our next webinar session on Monday, keep an eye on your inbox and our social media channels for more information. If you have any suggestions for webinar topics that would be useful to you or your governing board, please email richard.crabb@nga.org.uk.

New advice insights blog on governing remotely and data protection

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced governing boards to reconsider and adjust how they hold meetings and carry out board business. For many this has meant using technological devices, teleconference, and videoconference applications to continue to communicate and govern remotely. Although adjustments have had to be made, the requirement to ensure compliance to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) remains.

The most recent addition to NGA’s advice insights blog series, explores and provides practical advice on how governing boards can continue to comply with the requirements of the GDPR during these unprecedented and challenging times. You can read the blog on NGA’s website here.

DfE guidance for governing boards on Covid-19

The Department for Education (DfE) have released their collection of COVID-19 guidance for schools. Included in the collection is information about the closure of schools and the educational provision for vulnerable children and children of key workers. It also provides practical advice and guidance on matters that we know are concerning senior leaders and those that govern, such as the impact school closures will have on pupils who currently receive free school meals and how social distancing measures should be implemented in the various settings.

DfE has also released their March School Governance update to advise boards on how they can continue to carry out their governance role. The update reiterates NGA’s advice that governors and trustees should be adopting alternative arrangements for meetings and focusing on urgent, time-bound decisions. Governors and trustees are also reminded to support their senior leaders and staff through these difficult times.

Concern for vulnerable children

A few chairs of governing boards have raised concerns with us about the number of vulnerable children who have not taken up the offer of a continuing place at school during the partial closure. NGA’s chief executive has discussed this concern with the DfE and we have received assurances that there are processes in place to safeguard those children’s welfare.

The Secretary of State has set out his expectation that local authorities' Directors of Children's Services work with all schools, both local authority maintained and academies, to ensure that there is sufficiency of school places for children of key workers and vulnerable children. Where necessary local authorities will be coordinating the pooling of resources so pupils can access provision elsewhere if their usual setting cannot open. He has also emphasised local authorities' crucial responsibilities in maintaining effective safeguarding and child protection services in this challenging time. Regional Schools Commissioners and their teams, alongside the Department's Children's Social Care Regional Improvement Support Leads are working closely with local authorities to support them with local issues as they arise.

There is an expectation that vulnerable children who have a social worker will attend school, as long as it is safe for them to do so. In circumstances where a parent does not want to bring their child to school, and their child is considered vulnerable, the social worker and school should explore the reasons for this, directly with the parent, and help to resolve any concerns or difficulties wherever possible. The Department is very grateful to governors and trustees for the ongoing support they are providing to their schools on issues such as these at this time.

If you have any questions or feedback on this or other COVID 19 issues, please contact gold@nga.org.uk or call 0121 237 3782.

New mental health support for schools and colleges

At the end of last week, the NHS revealed details on the new mental health support they aim to supply for schools and colleges. Their two key commitments for the programme are the creation of new Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs) who intend to provide early intervention and the trialing of four-week waiting time for access to specialist support, nationwide.

The Link programme, which is delivered by the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families, will also be rolled out over the next four years. This will include training workshops for every school, college and alternative provision, to gather their resources and knowledges as well as create long term plans for their schools. These workshops will be supported and coordinated by Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs). Following the original trailblazer MHSTs in 2018, they have been building their capacity during 2019. In 2020, this will lead to the further development of 123 MHSTs.

For NGA’s guidance on pupil mental health and wellbeing, there is further information in the knowledge centre.

Mentally Healthy Schools publishes resource pack on coronavirus

In response to the coronavirus epidemic, Mentally Healthy Schools have produced an extremely useful resource including a variety of resources that can be used to ensure pupil mental health and wellbeing is being maintained during this uncertain time.

The response includes free resources from organisations such as the Anna Freud Centre, Place2Be and Young Minds with a range of activities such as methods for coping, how parents can talk to young people and illustrations. The pack also includes a number of helplines that staff and parents can use if they themselves need support or advice.

Governing Matters: new edition

Members who have opted to receive NGA’s hard copy magazine should now had March’s edition delivered by post. If you prefer to read the digital copy, it can be found here.

If you wish to change your communication preferences you can do so on the website. If you normally receive the hard copy of your magazine to your school address, you may wish to update your postal address, so it comes directly to your home.

Alternatively if you need help, do email enquiries@nga.org.uk or phone 0121 237 3780.  NGA staff are all working from home but are able to continue to serve our members.

A little of the content of Governing Matters has been superseded by coronavirus, in particular our events programme, as our chief executive explains in her blog.

BeReady school services

BeReady will be providing a free, online, interactive platform for secondary school teachers and pupils that will now feature curriculum content, in response to the coronavirus and school closures. Teachers can assign modules, track pupil activity and performance, and set lesson deadlines and reminders for pupils. The site also has classroom-based content for teachers working with pupils who are attending school. The platform can be customised using schools or trust branding including school colour and logo.

The site was originally created to help schools meet Gatsby Benchmarks. It therefore already includes over 16 hours of CPD accredited employability training content on subjects such as resilience, communication, job-hunting and preparing for university.

NGA is aware that there are many platforms available for schools to use and we are not recommending this above all others.  However, it is supported by Brian Lightman, previous ASCL general secretary: “BeReady is an invaluable free service and one that I urge all schools and teachers to contribute to and benefit from”.

You may want to suggest your school leaders have a look at: https://bereadygroup.org/. To request a free platform and curriculum contact email kyle.burrows@bereadygroup.org or sign up here.

Ofsted report publication paused

Following the Education Secretary’s announcement that school inspections would be temporarily suspended, Ofsted has since released that the publication of all inspection reports during the coronavirus outbreak are to be paused. Ofsted will continue to send reports to the education providers however, they will not be published until further notice. The inspectorate states that it will inform providers when the reports will become published.

In other Ofsted related news, the inspectorate has decided to pause its work around handling complaints related to inspection reports. Providers will not be contacted in relation to new or existing complaints until further notice.