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GOVERNORS' NEWS
NASG (formerly NAGM) members receive the in-house journal, Governors' News, five times a year. As well as the latest news and reviews on the latest developments across the profession, every issue contains special features designed to help support you in your professional capacity

GOVERNORS' NEWS - April 2005

CONTENTS PAGE

A VIEW FROM THE CHAIR
A NEW ASSOCIATION
FOR SCHOOL GOVERNORS?

NASG (formerly NAGM) has existed for some 35 years. For much of that time it was the only, or only significant, representative body for school governors.

However, some 10 years ago a new body, the National Governors Council (NGC) was established, largely funded by the (then) DfE with a specific remit to canvass the opinion of school governing bodies on matters of policy.

These events were before my time, so to speak, but I have been told that the establishment of NGC was in part the result of a feeling in the Department that NAGM was less able than they had hoped at generating rapid, representative, feedback on the increasingly voluminous corpus of educational policy.

In the last decade NGC has grown steadily and now has local associations in over 90 LEAs. At the same time, and especially in recent years, NASG/NAGM has also developed, enhanced its reputation for high quality publications, and become far more active in representing and promoting the interests of governors. When I first joined NAGM, there seemed to be an effective division of labour between the two organisations, with NAGM concentrating on advice and publications, and NGC on representation and consultation.

That position has changed. NGC has produced some very well-received publications (such as the 'Trigger Pack' for new governors) and NASG/NAGM has become very much more active in the representative/campaigning role (as witnessed, for example, by the frequency with which the views of executive committee members appear in the press and other media).

Consequently, the question is often asked (especially be people new to governance): 'Why are there two?' Why are there two national bodies representing one cadre of school governors?

The answer that I usually give is something along the lines of the above potted history lesson. But increasingly this appears to be an explanation rather than a reason.

I'm told that at the time of the formation of NGC there were some personal animosities and harsh words, and that the weight of this history has hung heavily on the relationship between the two organisations. But that is now a thing of the past. NASG and NGC have been working more and more closely in recent times; we have joint meetings, and share information.

So the question arises again: 'Why are there two?'

Just before Christmas, the NASG executive decided to take a lead in this matter and voted unanimously for a proposal to open talks with NGC colleagues on a possible merger of the two organisations. The approach was warmly received by the NGC Board and, at the time of writing, two exploratory meetings have been held. We have concentrated on the positive case for a merger: one unified voice for governors; pooled resources; considerable economies of scale (both organisations have separate offices in Birmingham); the ability of a very large organisation to attract funding; etc.

There is, as might be imagined, a wealth of detail and practical problems to address, but far more important than this is the degree of support within the two memberships for the move. If a workable proposal emerges from our discussions, NASG will consult as widely as possible with the membership to canvass opinions. There will of course have to be formal proposals at our AGM, a new constitution, new financial and legal arrangements, etc, etc. But such activities would be pointless if the memberships of both organisations were not wholeheartedly in favour.

So, what do you think? This is not a done deal, not a fait accompli - far from it. Nor are there any financial or other pressures propelling this course of action. There are no hidden agendas. The only issue is whether, in the view of both memberships, a single governors' association would be more effective in supporting, advising, representing and campaigning on behalf of governors than the present arrangements.

So please let me have your views. Write/e-mail to me, to Governors' News or to any members of the executive committee and let us know what you think. Contact details for us all are on page 2.

John Adams, NASG Chair

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Headteacher Appointment Process
- After Action Review

Garry Hearne, a member from N Yorkshire, shares some ideas for making your headteacher appointment go smoothly...

Our current long-serving headteacher decided to retire and gave the Governing Body a full year's notice. The selection process to appoint a new headteacher is complex, lengthy and can be very emotive if not handled properly. The aim of this 'after action review' is to highlight some of our key aspects for other governing bodies when they have to carry out the process.

We were fortunate to be given a full year's notice. It may appear to be sufficient but, as a new head may need to provide about a term's notice, we only had two terms to achieve our aim. We found that from advert to interview takes broadly a term so, if you are not successful with your first attempt to appoint you only have one term to re-advertise and select. Therefore, if you believe your current head is thinking of retiring, pushing for an early decision will be advantageous to the governing body. We managed to appoint first time so the school and staff were not left in limbo and can start involving the prospective head in any major decisions for the future.

Communications

There are a number of key groups with whom the selection panel must keep in touch:

• Parents - This was done by the Chair of Governors on three occasions; immediately after the headteacher's announcement to retire; on the application closing date and when the new head had been selected. Whilst the parents are not always vocal they are interested and communicating in this manner kept them involved.
• Pupils - The children were kept informed by the head and teachers. The school council had a direct involvement in the selection process. They conducted a 20 minute interview with each candidate. They decided on the questions and both the council members and their parents felt they were key to the whole process. (They were!)
• LEA - There was a lot of good advice and guidance from the LEA. Continuous e-communication with the LEA link adviser not only kept them aware of how we were progressing but also gave them confidence in our abilities.
• Staff - Communicating with the staff is crucial. It is not something we did particularly well. Appointing a new headteacher is a major change for the staff of the school. It is easy to fall into the trap of everyone knowing as much as the selection panel. Whilst staff cannot be made privy to every detail of the process it is worth keeping them abreast of progress, perhaps during staff meetings or inset days. Also involving the staff in the selection process by conducting school tours and in meeting and greeting will engender a feeling of being involved.
• Candidates - On behalf of the governors, I sent letters to all applicants as part of the application pack. I also wrote on receipt of a completed application but prior to the sifting process. On completion of sifting I wrote to both unsuccessful and successful candidates. I think above all else it is worth remembering that you want to keep everyone interested as you do not know who is the best candidate until the final interviews. Also the candidates invest a lot of time and effort in applying so we should recognise and reward this commitment by being polite and informative.

Management Style

It should be borne in mind that a school or LEA organisational management style may well be different to that in your place of work. The organisation I work for has a number of management layers and is also a firm proponent of empowerment. I found that applying an empowerment style to the selection process was not always practicable. Schools are often very 'flat' in organisational structure and do not necessarily have the time or resources to act in an empowered manner. Their focus is quite rightly on developing children.

Ownership

The sooner the Governing Body realises that they own the appointment process the better. It should be viewed as an opportunity to really take on board the unique features of their school. Our school has a high population of children who move often and the governors and staff know more about this issue than the LEA. This issue was therefore able to take a high priority in the selection process. It is also worth making clear to the selection panel, from the outset, that they will own the decision making.

Use of Governors

You will have to form a selection panel of governors. This group will be the only people empowered to make the selection decisions. This does not however preclude the other governors from taking supportive positions such as assisting the school administrative officer. We did not do this well, consequently the workload of some areas of the school increased unfairly.

Use of the Outgoing Headteacher

A very difficult area and I would suggest it is wholly personality driven. Our head was very accommodating and assisted in showing prospective candidates around on visits. The bare minimum is to keep him/her abreast of progress on a one-to-one basis. You can also use him/her as a conduit to finding out how the staff are feeling.

Summary

If I were to do this again I would advocate starting the process as early as possible, accepting ownership of the process and communicating widely and often are key to success. Above all, you are looking to appoint a headteacher for your school, therefore be unique, be focused and appoint the best headteacher for your school. This may not necessarily be the 'best' overall headteacher.

Garry Hearn
Chair of Governors Hipswell CofE Primary School, N Yorks.

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School Food Shake-up

Food in schools is about to undergo radical reform following the recent public health white paper Choosing Health and newly announced cross-government proposals.

Governors may have seen media coverage of a new drive to improve the quality of school dinners from September 2005, but this is just one of many new initiatives.

In the last issue of Governors' News we outlined the main points of Choosing Health, which set out the following commitments:

• A Healthy School will provide a supportive environment, including policies on healthy and nutritious food and physical activity. The Government aims for all schools to be part of the Healthy Schools Programme by 2009.
• Tougher minimum standards for school meals will be introduced (from September 2006). In the longer term these standards may be extended across the school day.
• A new vocational qualification for school caterers will be brought in to help them promote healthy food, and deliver high status school cooks who are integral to the whole-school team (from mid 2005).
• There will be more help for schools and local education authorities in drawing up catering contracts to source healthy school meals' services, and healthy food in vending machines, tuck shops, or breakfast clubs (mid 2005).
• Healthy eating will be part of the Ofsted school inspection process (from September 2005).

These build on some of the existing successful Government initiatives on healthy eating. One example is the School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme, through which nearly two million four to six year old children in LEA maintained infant, primary and special schools are now eligible to receive a free piece of fruit or vegetable every school day.

In February, Ruth Kelly, Secretary of State for Education and Skills, announced new minimum standards for processed foods such as beef burgers, sausages and cakes, to reduce their fat, salt and sugar content. These will be implemented from September 2005. She also called for a new independent school food organisation, which would give support and advice to schools and parents to improve the standard of school meals. She said she was anxious for parents to have a greater say about the content of school dinners.

A package of proposals to improve nutrition and healthy eating in schools is being developed, building on the action Government is already taking.

Food in Schools

The joint DH / DfES Food in Schools programme is assisting schools in achieving the healthy eating aspect of the Healthy Schools Programme (which supports the delivery of PHSE and citizenship) and implementing the whole school approach to healthy eating and drinking.

In 2004, a cross section of over 300 primary and secondary schools in England took part in eight pilot projects: healthier breakfast clubs, healthier cookery clubs, healthier lunch boxes, growing clubs, dining room environment, water provision, healthier tuck shops and healthy vending machines - part of the Dept of Health-led strand of the Food in Schools Programme.

The evaluation of the schemes found that a number of ingredients are essential to establish successful and sustainable healthy eating initiatives in schools:

• Generating support, enthusiasm and commitment from everyone involved - including parents, teachers, students, and caterers
• Ensuring the project is part of a 'whole school' approach to healthy eating, part of school policy and supported by curriculum activity
• Consulting students and involving them in decision-making processes from the beginning to improve levels of enthusiasm and attendance

Resource

Each of the pilots has now been evaluated and an exciting new interactive Resource Centre, available online at www.foodinschools.org, has been launched to inspire and assist governors, senior managers and teachers to implement their own activities with the help of key findings from the pilots.

The Resource Centre consists of guidance, advice, case studies and templates brought to life by interactive elements such as a 'Food Audit', to help schools create their own customised solutions. The guidance includes suggestions and curriculum links to areas such as PHSE and Citizenship.

It also contains a print centre which gives schools access to reference materials, downloadable posters, template questionnaires, booklets and presentations. A create centre allows schools to adapt these to suit their needs.

Governors can view the toolkit online on www.foodinschools.org and bring it to the attention of their school leadership teams. If they want more help or information they can contact their Local Healthy Schools Coordinator. Names and details can be found on the Local Healthy Schools Programmes' website at www.lhsp.org.

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