Governors, are you prepared for Ofsted?

Calderdale Governors Association/ Calderdale School Effectiveness Service

Tuesday March 28th

Savile Park at Heath 6.30-8.30

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• 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

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Ofsted’s expectations of governors

Tony Hillyard

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The view from Ofsted

Ofsted Video

Belita Scott HMI

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The view from Ofsted

Ofsted Video

Belita Scott HMI

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Identifying key lines of enquiry

Michelle Joyce

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• Context of the school

• School website

• Previous inspection report

• RAISEonline/Dashboard

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Context of school

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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).

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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?

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Recent experiences of inspection

Karen Morley (Scout Road)

Wendy Black (Midgley)

Su Aaron-Abel (St Michael and All Angels)

John Dunford (Norland)

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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 !

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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.

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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 !

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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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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What will you do to make sure you and your colleague governors are prepared?

Janet Gabanski

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Getting it right

Janet Gabanski

Tony Hillyard

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Final questions and discussion

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