Link Governor's Visit
This is to let you know that in the next week or so, Anna Eccleston will be sending to you a bound copy of the School Development Plan and the Link-Governor Visit Forms to the appropriate link-governors. Anna is filling in the forms with the basic information from the School Development Plan, so that they are ready for use by governors. The forms are fairly self explanatory, but if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to give one of us a ring.
As you know, many link-governors (including ourselves) have not undertaken a link-governor visit to all their respective team leaders so far this year. Considering that half a year has passed, this is a little embarrassing. However, there is a fairly good reason for this; namely, that we have had a review of link-governor visits policy and have established a system to make the visits more focused. However, we would like to set governors the target of undertaking:
- one visit before the end of the Spring term (i.e during term 4); and
- one visit during the Summer term (i.e. terms 5 & 6). Additionally, it will be important to undertake the summer visit early enough to ensure that you have time to email your Visit Form to the Headteacher; giving Becca time to forward the forms for consideration by the relevant Committee meetings. There are some key dates listed at the end of the email.
We cannot stress strongly enough that governors should work in partnership with their team leaders to ensure that Governor Visits are a positive occasion and we refer to the following objectives from the Link-Governor Visit Appendix to the Leadership and Management Policy (which was taken from the Ofsted handbook criteria for Outstanding Governing Bodies):
a. Governor visits should make a major contribution to the leadership of the school and should enable Governors to achieve the following:i. To be fully involved in strategic planning, formulating policies and supporting staff in implementing them.ii. To keep in close touch with the school’s work across all stages.iii. To link the governing body’s work to the school’s development cycle.iv. To be well aware of the school’s strengths and weaknesses and contribute to development planning.b. Link-Governors and Team leaders should work together to ensure a successful partnership.
If, as governors, we can accurately complete the Visit Forms, then this will help to reduce the burden on the teachers, because the Visit Forms can be compiled together to provide a review of this year's School Development Plan, including the progress made towards their targets.
We have attached a copy of the Governor Visit Appendix for your information and in the next week or so, you should receive a Visit Form for your particular area (or areas) of responsibility from Anna. As you know, the Self Evaluation of the school and the Leadership and Management is that the school is in the Satisfactory Ofsted category. I strongly believe that for the school to be consistently achieving the 'good' Ofsted category, it is essential that the Leadership and Management is working in the 'good' category first and therefore, as governors, if we can make this Governor Visit system work, then we will all be doing our part to make this happen.
Please do send Anna Eccleston an email as soon as you have arranged any Governor Visit meeting, so that she can add them to the diary and tick-them-off, so to speak, and please do let us know if you have any queries or concerns, whatsoever.
Best wishes,
Finnian and Sean
Key dates:
- End of Spring term: Fri 30 Mar 07
- Beginning of Summer term: Mon 16 Apr 07
- Community Committee: Thurs 21 Jun 07 (t.b.c.) - Link Governors would need to get their forms to the Headteacher by 07 June 07, if not earlier.
- Management Committee: Wed 27 Jun 07 - Link Governors would need to get their forms to the Headteacher by 13 Jun 07, if not earlier
- Curriculum & Standards Committee: Wed 18 July 07 - Link Governors would need to get their forms to the Headteacher by 27 Jun 07, if not earlier.