Governance Today Summer 2021

What has been the greatest challenge for the board over the last 18 months? The Governance Consultancy Team has been asking that question a lot and there is no shortage of challenges to choose from, but a consistent response from boards puts not being able to go into school at the top of the list. Undoubtedly governing remotely, or at arm’s length, is not the same as being able to spend time in school meeting the pupils, staff and leaders or spending time in the learning environment. The Governance Team have supported boards with tools and strategies to facilitate remote governance, but is it now time to start thinking about stepping back into school? As school governors and trustees there are elements we routinely expect to undertake in the role, including board meetings and school monitoring visits. Both these activities, up until 14 months ago, predominantly took place in person within the school or setting. Suddenly all meetings became virtual and monitoring visits either non-existent, virtual, or out of school hours fully masked and sanitised in line with the school risk assessment. As the situation with COVID-19 changes and evolves is it time to think about reviewing how the board operates? Could the time be right to turn back the clock to pre COVID-19 ways of working, or should boards consider finding a new normal, marrying the best of what worked well previously with what has proved effective more recently? The amount of face to face activity that boards are able to undertake within the school or setting must be dictated by the individual risk assessment (RA) the school has in place. Members of the board must always act within the parameters permitted within the risk assessment and if unsure seek clarity prior to acting. A further consideration for individuals is managing personal risk; everyone is different, some will have been vaccinated and others won’t, some may be, or feel, more vulnerable than others. Some governors and trustees will relish the return to the class room or school environment and others would rather not rush back. No one should be made to feel uncomfortable, and the strength of your board will hopefully be (not for the first time) in the mix of individuals governing. Blended meetings? If we consider meetings, there seems to be a resounding support for a ‘new normal’ or a blended approach. A mix of face to face and virtual board meetings would seem to deliver the best of both worlds. The past 18 months has demonstrated to most of us (once we got our heads around Teams and Zoom) that there are some real strengths to meeting virtually. Firstly no getting in the car and wasting time and energy driving, certainly a blessed relief on a cold, dark January night. It has also allowed governors and trustees to be recruited from beyond a schools immediate geographical area, attracting quality individuals to governance who may have been put off by distance or travel time. TIME TO RETURN TO SCHOOL? 6 Governance Today A well-structured virtual meeting can be more focused, stick to strategic areas, be to the point and often more timely. From the clerks perspective the availability of a recording after the event (with the permission of those attending) can also be helpful in clarifying discussions and questions to include in the minutes. Alongside the benefits there are also potential negatives to consider. More screen time at the end of a long day can be something of a strain, and in some areas of Devon the connectivity to facilitate a virtual meeting is simply not there. The frozen screen, individuals ‘dropping out’ of the meeting, poor sound quality and the inevitable “you’re still on mute” can all lead to frustration and a less than productive meeting. The clerk may face additional challenges in trying to minute a meeting, share documents on screen and manage the comings and goings of individuals within the meeting, challenges which are magnified in an area with poor internet speeds. If you are new to governance, be it as a trustee, governor, school leader or clerk you may be feeling a little disconnected in being part of a decision making board with individuals you have never met. For new governors and trustees it can be difficult to ask questions in a ‘real’ meeting, a difficulty which is compounded in the virtual setting. For the chair it can be a challenge to pick up on non-verbal communication cues from your fellow board members. Does the board tend to hear more from the chair with less contribution from others around the table in a virtual meeting? The corporate board is a team, sharing the accountability of decision making; it is much more challenging to create a shared ethos, working collectively to achieve a common goal, when individuals have not met each other face to face, or had the opportunity to share even a modicum about personal interests and experiences outside the board. For help with governor and trustee recruitment Governors for Schools www.governorsforschools.org.uk/ An independent charity dedicated to recruiting volunteers to serve on school governing boards across England. Inspiring Governance www.inspiringgovernance.org A free service that enables you to find appropriately skilled volunteers interested in becoming a school governors or trustees in your area, backed by the National Governance Association (NGA). Academy Ambassadors www.academyambassadors.org A not-for-profit organisation set up to support academies across England in the recruitment of skilled trustees. It is much more challenging to create a shared ethos, working collectively to achieve a common goal, when individuals have not met each other face to face “ Is it time to think about reviewing how the board operates? “