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Working Together For Young People

Expert Working Group on Governance

Background

Governors are central to the stewardship of schools in England. Recruiting school governors of the best possible quality and ensuring that every school is a great school with an excellent governing body are significant national priorities.

Recent waves of policy change may have improved the performance of schools, but research by the University of Bath in 2008 showed that they have also made the role of governors, already a substantial one, even more complicated and demanding. It also confirmed that governors from the business community - employee governors - can and do make a significant contribution. The report by Business in the Community, 'Governing our Schools' which was published in October 2008 contained three recommendations about the role of employee governors as follows.

  1. The role of employee governors in the development of education-employer partnerships needs to be encouraged.
  2. There should be a national campaign aimed at ensuring that employers (particularly large and medium-sized employers) recognise the value and importance of supporting their employees as school governors.
  3. Employers should send out strong signals from the highest level in support of employee governors, as part of a wider community-volunteering programme, and as a core element in partnerships with schools and the local community.

The recent White Paper, 'Your Child, Your Schools, Our Future: Building a 21st century Schools System' which addressed key issues in school governing was clear that 'The role of employee governors in the development of education-employer partnerships needs to be encouraged' and that the government intends to 'encourage all governing bodies to foster links with business, to recruit governors from those businesses'.

Enhancing the partnership between education and employers in the governing of our schools - and indeed through the governing of our schools - is clearly an important and substantial matter.

The aims of the group

The overall aims of the group are to

  • analyse the ways in which the mutual benefits of schools and employers working in partnership in school governing can be maximized
  • develop practical ways of enabling the maximization of the benefits to be achieved.

Objectives of the group

The objectives will be to:

  • review the benefits of schools and employers working in partnership in school governing
  • further understand the role employee governors can play in supporting education-employer partnerships
  • consider the barriers to the development of these partnerships and how these barriers may be overcome
  • explore ways in which employers can be encouraged to support their staff to serve as school governors
  • explore ways of encouraging schools to consider external volunteers to act as governors
  • identify ways of encouraging  employers to support school governing in those schools where the needs are greatest
  • consider how the recommendations made in the 'Governing Our Schools' and the recent White paper can be implemented
  • ensure that the Taskforce, its partners and wider stakeholders are aware of the most compelling and robust evidence on the role played by governors

Membership

The members of Expert Group on Governance

  • report to the Partnership Council and Board of Trustees, providing advice on policy matters
  • meet quarterly, unless members agree otherwise
  • provide advice and guidance to partners, and other stakeholders, on governance issues
  • support the objectives of the Taskforce in ensuring that communications, and other activities, are informed by relevant and robust evidence
  • review the continuing purpose and effectiveness of the Taskforce Expert Group on Governance after 12 months of operation

Chair

Professor Chris James, University of Bath

Members

  • SGOSS Steve Acklam
  • Worthing High School Alison Beer
  • Lent Rise Primary School Brenda Bigland CBE
  • BITC Caroline Brown
  • National College Kate Campion
  • Education and Employers Taskforce Nick Chambers
  • Nsure Tony Cohen
  • National Governors Association Clare Collins
  • RBS Natwest Ian Courtney
  • Institute of Education - Dr Megan Crawford
  • BP - Ian Duffy
  • EdComs Martin Finn
  • DfE Geoff Friston
  • HMRC Judy Greevy
  • LawWorks Rebecca Hilsenrath
  • National Governors Association Emma Knights
  • NCOGS David Marriott
  • Education and Employers Taskforce Christian Percy
  • NCOGS Helen Richardson
  • FEdS Brian Stevens

 

Recommendations

The Expert Group produced recommendations on how school governance might be improved, including recommendations specifically for employers, which the Expert Group and the Taskforce will seek to support and implement, where practical and appropriate. The recommendations are dated summer 2010. Click here for the document.