Managing, Restraining or

Releasing School Governors

Managing, Restraining or

Releasing School

Governorswith Mike Simmonds

Managing, Restraining or

Releasing School Governors

Managing, Restraining or

Releasing School Governors

“the precious light of

ordinariness must be

allowed to shine on expert

activities if those activities

are to be healthy".Joan Sallis

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Releasing School Governors

2 Timothy 2.22-25

“...chase after justice, faith, love and peace; you’ll be in the company of

all who call on the Lord from a pure heart.... And the Lord’s servant

mustn’t be a fighter, but must be gentle to all people, able to teach,

able to bear evil without resentment, able to correct

opponents with a meek spirit...”

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The ‘hidden givers’:A study of school

governing bodies in England

PROJECT REPORT

Chris James, Steve Brammer, Michael Connolly, Miles Fertig,

Jane James and Jeff Jones

UNIVERSITY OF BATH

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The findings– School governing is

always changing– The role of the chair – a

significant educational and community leadership

responsibility.– The local authority

governor role - can be unsatisfactory.

– Scrutiny, scrutiny, scrutiny . . . .

– The lack of a capable governing body is a

substantial disadvantage The ‘hidden givers’: a study of school governing bodies in England

Managing, Restraining or

Releasing School Governors

Headteachers and senior staff value the governing body in the following

roles:

a critical and informed sounding board for the headteacher a support for the school

a help breaking down the isolation of the headteacher

a link with parents and community

a provider of direction and vision in partnership with the staff a forum within which the

teachers can explain their work a provider of a range of non-

educational expertise/experienceThe ‘hidden givers’: a study of school governing bodies in England

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Managing, Restraining or

Releasing School GovernorsThe ‘hidden givers’: a study of school governing bodies in England

“The lack of a capable governing body is not a neutral absence for a

school; it is asubstantial

disadvantage.”

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“A good experience of governance”

For Head, Governors, Staff, Children

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Leadership: The Custodians of Culture

Mobilising people to meet adaptive challenges … is at the heart of

leadership practice … leadership generates new cultural norms that enable people to meet on ongoing stream of adaptive challenges in a

world that will likely pose an ongoing set of adaptive realities

and pressures. (Heifetz, 2002) From: A Culture for Learning

An investigation into the values and beliefs associated with effective schools March 2004 Hay Group Education

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ManagingYour school governors

Kingdom focusSharing responsibilityA strategic role

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Managing, Restraining or

Releasing School Governors

Finding the spices ‘out of the cupboard’!

School Governing is a corporate activity

Skills Audit

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RestrainingYour school governors

Kingdom Focus

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C of E Mission The Five Marks of Mission

1. To proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom2. To teach, baptise and nurture new believers 3. To respond to human need by loving service 4. To seek to transform unjust structures of

society 5. To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation

and sustain and renew the life of the earth

(Bonds of Affection-1984 ACC-6 p49, Mission in a Broken World-1990 ACC-8 p101)

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“Historically, the Church, in this country and elsewhere, has

invested heavily in education as an aspect of the difference that

God's action seeks to bring about. . Christians continue to

be committed to education, therefore, as a matter of doing justice to humanity, seeking its liberation and self-awareness.”

Archbishop of CanterburyKeynote Address at Church of England Academy Family Launch Conference, Lambeth Palace , Wednesday 21 October 2009

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Archbishop of CanterburyKeynote Address at Church of England Academy Family Launch Conference, Lambeth Palace , Wednesday 21 October 2009

“for education to include intelligent and imaginative reference to what religious

belief means and has meant in human society is a necessity;

ignoring this dimension is another kind of injustice. .”

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RestrainingYour school governors

Kingdom FocusManage ExpectationsDevelop Possibilities

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ReleasingYour school governors

Kingdom focus/ImperativesKingdom Opportunities

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GRACE

GodRespectingAndChild Enabling

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GodRespectingAndChild Enabling

‘Grace’ by U2

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GOMikeS

mike@goministries.org.uk