Governors, are you prepared for Ofsted?
Calderdale Governors Association/ Calderdale School Effectiveness Service
Tuesday March 28th
Savile Park at Heath 6.30-8.30
1
• Ofsted’s expectations of Governors
• The view from Ofsted (video)
• Identifying Key Lines of Enquiry
• Recent experiences of inspection
• What will you do to make sure you and your colleague governors are prepared?
• Getting it right
• Final Questions and discussion
2
Ofsted’s expectations of governors
Tony Hillyard
3
The view from Ofsted
Ofsted Video
Belita Scott HMI
4
The view from Ofsted
Ofsted Video
Belita Scott HMI
5
Identifying key lines of enquiry
Michelle Joyce
6
• Context of the school
• School website
• Previous inspection report
• RAISEonline/Dashboard
7
Context of school
8
Dashboard
Weaknesses in 2016
• KS1 writing was well below the national figure for expected+ (E+) or greater depth (GD) for the EYFS group: expected (E+).
• KS1 mathematics was well below the national figure for expected+ (E+) or greater depth (GD) for the EYFS group: expected (GD).
9
Activity
Using the information provided what do you think the lines of enquiry would be?
Back in school…
• What are the lines of enquiry for your school?
• How are governors supporting, challenging and holding leaders to account?
10
Recent experiences of inspection
Karen Morley (Scout Road)
Wendy Black (Midgley)
Su Aaron-Abel (St Michael and All Angels)
John Dunford (Norland)
11
Preparing for Ofsted at Scout Road Academy
• Recognised that there was preparation work to be done - 2015
• “Mockstead” – sounded attractive but we didn’t get there. Too much to do moving school location.
• Landslide at Scout Road – out of school from Christmas 2015 to end of October 2016.
• Less than 2 weeks back in school and we got the call !
12
Our Preparations
• Ofsted working party
• Policies – checked that they were in place and up to date.
• Website - compliant
• Secure area for governors – with everything in the one place electronically.
• Agendas and minutes that demonstrated challenge – in the secure area.
13
Our preparations …………..continued
• SEF – self evaluation form – done by an external professional –honest and open – focused on area’s that needed improving as well as what was good. We knew the story and assisted in its production.
• SIP – self improvement plan – evidenced by reports and minutes that as a governing body we were monitoring and challenging LT.
• Working parties aligned to the SIP – and against key priorities• External evidence of achievements against the SIP.• Data Scrutiny – enlisted an expert as associate governor to assist
the governors to know what the data was telling us – focus on the areas that needed to improve. Knew what the story was behind the data !
14
Our preparations ……………continued
• Strategic Plan refresh
• Governor improvement plan
• Right people around the table – use of associate.
• Key players – identification of the key players and what each would take as a key role. Link Governor role - safeguarding
• Professional clerk
15
The Call before the storm
• Not us we have only just got back in school and we are all recovering !
• Can you come another day ?
• No not really
• Don’t panic – it will soon come and go.
• Frantic scramble to get the school looking lived in !
• The HMI arrived just as Hubby and I were fixing up the “welcome back” poster that flew off in the gales during the night.
16
Information provided before the visit
• Everything that we could
• Open and honest
• Access to the governors secure area
• The crib sheet -
our chair worked extremely hard to keep the crib sheet up to date right until the last minute.
17
On the day
• Make sure that the HMI is looked after.• Support your Head and your staff – box of tissues, pat on
the back.• Get the governors together to brief and debrief – live for
the moment.• Be ready when the HMI is ready to talk to the governors.• If the HMI is missing evidence get it to them – and
challenge if you think they have misunderstood or got it wrong.
• Be ready to acknowledge weaknesses and how they have been tackled to date and what the plan is going forward.
• If it goes to day 2 DO NOT GIVE UP – keep your staff going.
18
What will you do to make sure you and your colleague governors are prepared?
Janet Gabanski
19
Getting it right
Janet Gabanski
Tony Hillyard
20
Final questions and discussion
21