Reepham Primary School - Governor Visits/Monitoring and Link-Governor Guidance

Reepham Primary School - Governor visits/monitoring and Link-Governor Guidance

Governor visits at Reepham Primary School and the role of subject link-governors

At Reepham Primary School, to enable the governing body understand and review the implementation of school plans and policies and the SIDP, individual governors 'link' with subject leaders, as well as attend regular governing meetings. The role of a link-governor is to have a regular and on-going conversation with a subject leader. This conversation will focus on understanding how subjects are being developed, and what progress and challenges there are. Governor visits may form part of this process, but conversations can be taken forward in other ways, including regular email contact.

It is not the role of link governors (or any governors) to sit in lessons and assess the quality and methods of teaching. This is the role of the Head Teacher and School Inspectors only.

Linking governors and subject leaders: ways of working

The link-governor system aims to provide a structure for staff and governors to discuss subject developments, progress and challenges. It also provides a focus for governor visits and helps governors monitor the implementation of the schools strategic plans. Subject leaders and governors could organise their 'link' relationship in the following way:

Initial face to face meeting between subject lead and link-governor to discuss subject development, progress and challenges. At this initial meeting it would be useful if the subject leader and link governor look at what they are aiming to achieve from the meeting, including looking at the SIDP priority areas and potential questions/areas for discussion.

At least one discussion each term picking up on themes, questions or issues that come out of the previous conversation. These subsequent meetings could be done via email or telephone, or face to face - whatever works best.

Following each conversation, the governor and subject lead will make short notes. These notes can be made on a link-governor log sheet.

Link-governors can provide feedback to full board or curriculum committee, as appropriate.

This system links with the 2014/15 Governor Action Plan and the role of Governors as outlined in Priority 1 of the SIDP.

Where to start the conversation

Currently, the governing body of the school agrees a series of strategic priorities for the school each year; these form the back-bone of the School Improvement and Development Plan (SIDP). These priority areas should form the basis around which link-governors and subject leaders can initially shape their discussions. For the 2014/15 SIDP, the priority areas are:

Priority 1: Attainment and Progress – Improve progress in core subjects across KS2. Continue to ensure progress in phonics at KS1

Priority 2: Quality of Teaching – Ensure staff are confidant in teaching the New Curriculum. Support new team in EYFS and Year 1. Develop teaching and learning in Maths. Improve effectiveness of marking and feedback

Priority 3: Leadership and Management – Development of senior roles and responsibilities and role of governors. Support and develop all staff, including new NQTs. Share good practice across school.

Priority 4: Behaviour and Safety – Develop leadership roles and responsibilities. Ensure all staff continue to deal with behaviour in a consistent, fair and appropriate manner. Develop peer mentoring and children’s roles and responsibilities in school.

Priority 5: Improve Attendance – Continue to promote good attendance and punctuality in school and sustain current good attendance.

2.3 Potential questions around SIDP priority areas

There are a series of ‘actions’ around each of the priority areas and these have formed thebasis the suggested discussion areas below. These are just suggestions and can be changed and adapted. The aim is to have a productive relationship between a link-governor and subject lead, and these suggestions are there to help start the process off and give some guidance as to what would be useful in terms of feedback to the governing boardor curriculum committee (as appropriate).

These questions are not about monitoring teacher performance, they are about developing a discussion that helps all those invested in the school achieve the best outcomes for children; they are about monitoring progression of the SIDP, and enabling governors understand issues around subject developments, progress and challenges.

Priority 1: Attainment and Progress – Improve progress in core subjects across KS2. Continue to ensure progress in phonics at KS1

Potential areas for question/discussion:

Subject Action Plan
Challenges around attainment and progress, and strategies in place to support.
Use of pupil asset

Potential areas for question/discussion:

New Curriculum – embeddedness, confidence in teaching it.
Use of Pupil Asset as a planning tool.
Approach to monitoring standards in area of subject leadership, challenges, strategies for developing subjects.

Priority 3: Leadership and Management – Development of senior roles and responsibilities and role of governors. Support and develop all staff, including new NQTs. Share good practice across school (linked to priority 1 & 2) – to be monitored at appropriate committees and full board.

Impact of pupil involvement with decision making.

Please note that Priority 5: Attendance will be monitored and reviewed in the full Governor Meeting.

Link Governor – Subject Lead: Information Log

This log is for link governors and subject leads record their discussions over the course of the year and highlight priority areas for follow-up discussions. The link-governor is responsible for maintaining the log and sharing its content with their subject lead. This log forms the basis for reports to the governing board.

Link governor name
Subject lead name
Subject
SIDP Priority Area / Areas discussed and DATE (questions) / Challenges / Progress / Areas for next discussion
Priority 1: Attainment and Progress – Improve progress in core subjects across KS2. Continue to ensure progress in phonics at KS1
Priority 2: Quality of Teaching – Ensure staff are confidant in teaching the New Curriculum. Support new team in EYFS and Year 1. Develop teaching and learning in Maths. Improve effectiveness of marking and feedback
.
Priority 4: Behaviour and Safety – Develop leadership roles and responsibilities. Ensure all staff continue to deal with behaviour in a consistent, fair and appropriate manner. Develop peer mentoring and children’s roles and responsibilities in school.