Governance Today Summer 2021

There are always things to do which are specific to each term and one of the important tasks for many boards before they pack away their policies and procedures for the summer is to think about their vision. Our summer term resource ‘DAG Effective Chairs’ reminds chairs to consider the first of the board’s three core functions: ‘Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction’. If we are all honest, our vision is likely to be the one core function of the three that we probably don’t do particularly well. We can all grasp that we need to balance our budget and we now have a much better idea about holding our headteacher/CEO to account for pupil performance, but the vision often gets to be an annual (if we are lucky) glance at a page, which may then sit on our website as a solitary DEVON ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNANCE collection of nebulous words rather than part of a cohesive 3-5 year plan to improve outcomes for our pupils. So this term we have been asking our members in chairing positions to consider if their board vision has changed during COVID-19 and whether their strategic plan still enables their school to achieve that vision in the timeframe agreed. Find the termly ‘DAG Effective Chairs’ resource on our website www.dagdevon.uk. Here at the Devon Association of Governance (DAG) we not only provide bespoke resources, we also provide news articles each week and a weekly email newsletter all designed to keep governors, trustees and clerks up to date with local and national developments. From the start of this year we have also provided half-termly online networking events for chairs and separate events for clerks too. Whilst you are on our website have a look at the Busy Governor Guides, just a few pages to summarise important topics that governors and clerks need to know about. Clerks have told us that they would welcome some support around the governance role in school admissions and we have developed the ‘DAG Busy Clerks Guide to Admissions’ as a result. The guide, created in conjunction with the Local Authority and the Diocese, provides information about the role the board plays in this important and complicated aspect of education, find it on www.dagdevon.uk . If you haven’t registered on our DAG website, then please do so a t www.dagdevon.uk it is free for governors, trustees and clerks within the Devon Local Authority area. For enquiries please contact: info@dagdevon.uk Getting the right people, with the right skills, who act as advocates and role models is key to supporting the young people of Devon. Below are two areas of work we are involved in this term related to this theme which we hope you will be interested in. If you would like to find out more, or about the work of the Diocese in relation to governance in general please contact: education@exeter.anglican.org Bridging the Diversity Gap Recently we have seen a significant focus on diversity. This has included Stephen Lawrence Day, the publishing of the Sewel report and a Panorama programme which looked at the Church of England and racism as well as wider media coverage on this issue. The Church of England also published its much anticipated Anti-Racism Taskforce report, ‘From Lament to Action’ , containing significant and culture-shifting recommendations for the wider church, alongside some key educational recommendations. DIOCESAN NEWS As part of our response we recently held training on Bridging the Diversity Gap in Governance to support schools and trusts in the ways they can be in inclusive and proactive when advertising vacancies and widening their reach. Sharing the Story The Education Team, with the endorsement of Bishop Jackie, is launching the ‘Sharing the Story’ initiative which is open to both Community and Church Schools. This will link volunteers from churches, pupils in schools and homes with supporting, developing and encouraging the love and joy of reading. We know reading is key to young people accessing the wider curriculum and job opportunities in future life. This project is based on volunteers working alongside pupils identified by schools who will benefit most from this connection. Would your school like to get involved? We will be offering on-line training in partnership with the Ilsham English Hub. Schools will be responsible for their own safeguarding arrangements and local induction. If this might be helpful to your school, ask your church to get involved and email tina.wilkes@exeter.anglican.org for more details or call 07940 482934. The Old Deanery, Exeter, EX1 1HS 01392 294950 24 Governance Today