Herts for Learning (HfL) recently undertook briefings on the their new Assessment Framework for Primary Schools. It was presented to over 400 school Governors. Ben Fuller’s 45 minute briefing is now available for wider viewing and can be seen below:
This presentation addresses the following key themes:
why have ‘levels’ gone?
how will children be assessed in statutory national assessments without levels?
how might schools track pupil progress without levels?
what information could governors expect to see to support them with the task of holding the school leadership to account?
(Alternate link – http://vimeo.com/128528519).
For further information of the HfL approach to Assessment please review the download below or contact Ben Fuller, Lead Assessment Adviser, Herts For Learning Ltd., by email on Ben.Fuller@nullhertsforlearning.co.uk.
Kathy Dunnett Vice Chair of HASG and Mayor of BroxbourneVice Chair of HASG MP Broxbourne and interested volunteer
Governor Recruitment Roadshow Comes to Cheshunt – 16th May, Wolsey Hall.
Schools and Academies in the Cheshunt, Broxbourne and Waltham Cross areas were rallied with the support of the Hertfordshire Association of School Governors (HASG) to recruit people for their governing bodies. They held a successful Governor Recruitment Roadshow Event at the Wolsey Hall last Saturday 16th May. This was one of a series of events which will take place throughout May and June in other areas across Hertfordshire.
The national organisation which supports governor recruitment – School Governors One Stop Shop (SGOSS) and the local governance team from Herts for Learning also supported the event. The Mayor of Broxbourne Mayor, Cllr Mrs Bren Perryman attended in the morning and local MP Charles Walker during the afternoon (both pictured right), and both were delighted to meet experienced and potential governors from the locality.
Mike Scandrett, Chair of the Hertfordshire Association of School Governors stated…
Being a Governor is not just about attending meetings. It is much more about being part of your local school and local community while making a contribution towards the development and learning of young people who are the citizens of tomorrow. Governors are there to ensure that schools are run well, to shape their future and that children thrive and enjoy learning. Being part of that is a reward in itself. Be proud to be a Governor. I am.
As a school governor you are part of the strategic leadership team for the school. You will steer the school vision, aims and objectives, ensure financial best value and support and enable the staff to provide an excellent learning environment. Could you be a school governor?
If you have the time and commitment to help improve the education of the pupils in your chosen school
If you are prepared to attend governors’ meetings and visit the school
If you are prepared to attend training to ensure that you fully understand your role
Then you would make an ideal school or academy governor!
If you are interested in finding out more about becoming a school or academy governor, please try and attend the events at Stevenage on the 6th June at the council offices by the bus station and 27th June at Hemel Hempstead in the volunteer centre at Marlowes Shopping Centre.
The FFT Governor Dashboard is now available in FFT Aspire. FFT are holding free webinars to explain how they can help governors support and challenge the school leadership team.
The FFT Governor Dashboard has been developed in partnership with the National Governors’ Association and the Wellcome Trust. It clearly displays information about results and pupil progress, subject performance, progress of pupil groups, attendance and school context. Using our platform, school’s performance can be viewed instantly, and flagging up issues that governors can investigate. The Dashboard will also help governors get to grips with government’s new Attainment 8 measure, and from 2016 dashboards will also include Progress 8 analysis.
The Governor Dashboard was developed by governors for governors because we wanted to focus our design on presenting complex information in a way that would be clear and meaningful to you.
All subscribing schools can download the Governor Dashboard from FFT Aspire, and share it easily with governors. Alternatively, governors can be provided with their own account, giving access to not only the Governor Dashboard but also a range of other information to aid their ‘support and challenge’ role. The new Aspire has also been enhanced to include overviews of all key stages, providing a wealth of information in an accessible format.
FFT are holding free webinars for Governors to outline the new Governor Dashboard.
The summer edition of Hertfordshire Governor published by Herts for Learning (HfL) is now on-line and can be accessed online by logging on at www.hertsdirect.org/governors (select ‘Hertfordshire Governor – current issue’ under ‘Signpost’ at the foot of the page) or click the picture.
The Introduction:
Message from Governance
Dear Governors
As we enter into the summer term and head towards the end of the 2014/15 academic year it is a good time to reflect on the work carried out this year and the impact it has had on the progress and attainment of pupils. The pace is fast so we are very often only looking forward and thinking what needs to be done next, however as the academic year comes to an end it is important that you celebrate past success as well as identifying key actions for addressing in the future.
This term we have received feedback on an eSafety focus during recent Ofsted inspections within primary schools and academies, with governors knowledge being put to the test. Our eSafety Adviser has provided a useful summary for governors which you can find in the News section. Have a go at answering the questions included in the article and if you don’t know the answer that’s an action after Easter.
Also in the News section we have included a Health & Safety update on abestos. This is particulary relevant as we head towards the summer holiday season and many large building projects are planned in schools/academies.
We are also pleased to inform you of our forthcoming Governor Recruitment Roadshow supported and sponsored by Governance Team, Hertfordshire Association of School Governors (HASG), and School Governors’ One Stop Shop (SGOSS). Do you have vacancies on your governing body? If so, why not come along and help to recruit new governors and promote the role of governance in schools and academies – raise the profile of governors and give it the status it deserves!
The edition includes
Governor Recruitment: Details of forthcoming ‘Governor Recruitment Roadshows’.
eSafety (tips from the eSafety Adviser following feedback from recent Ofsted inspections).
Health & Safety update ahead of building projects over the summer: Managing asbestos in your School.
Summary of changes to recently updated DfE statutory guidance – ‘Keeping children safe in education’ and ‘Working together to safeguard children’.
Changes to the Teachers’ Pension Scheme.
Contact Cathy Irons Cathy.Irons@nullHertsforlearning.co.uk of the HfL Governance Unit for any questions or if you would wish to contribute to a future on-line edition.
The first anniversary edition of Training Times published by Herts for Learning arrives in Hertfordshire schools during w/c 20th April 2015 and can be viewed online through the following link http://bit.ly/TT-AprMay15 or clicking the picture.
To gauge how useful you have found the paper in its first year and to hear governors’ and teachers’ suggestions for improvement, HfL have created a short online survey suitable for all school staff to complete.
HfL is giving away a bumper hamper of goodies for one randomly selected entering school – the winner will be announced in June. No limitations on entries per school. Link to survey also found on front page of this edition.
This edition also includes:
teacher recruitment – the HfL recruitment fair and what’s next,
new online resources added to subscription service,
Parent2Parent ® – how can you help your parents in supporting their child’s learning?
the Early Years reception baseline,
news from primary and secondary schools across the county.
Extra copies or feedback?
If your chair of governors would like to receive extra copies for the governing body please get in touch. We welcome any feedback or content suggestions for future editions.
This HfL monthly newspaper has something for governors and staff based in schools, whether looking for a little light reading on current educational news or for courses to further your professional development.
This edition includes:
“Grit Gets Grades” – a look into the new focus on character education and what two Hertfordshire schools are doing to give pupils grit
Science and MFL – how can these teams support you? An introduction to the Lead advisers for Science (Joanna Conn) and Modern Foreign Languages (Jackie Rayment), their background and priorities.
Dame Carol Ann Duffy, Britain’s Poet Laureate, entertained at HfL’s national poetry conference, “The Power in Poetry: Language as Play” in March.
The Early Years pupil premium – School Leaders said they were inspired at HfL’s “Ready for Early Years Premium and Ofsted Inspection of Early Years” conference in February.
HfL’s new SBM service – headed by Natalie Dalvarez, the service aims to support school improvement, raise teh profile of SBMs and help standardize a role that is still new to many schools.
…and much more!
If your chair of governors would like to receive extra copies for the governing body please get in touch. We welcome any feedback or content suggestions for future editions.
These are fast becoming a useful tool to demonstrate and improve the effectiveness of your governing body. The review was originally designed for ‘Requires Improvement’ (RI) schools and is led by the National College for Teaching and Leadership. It has become more popular with governing bodies wanting to be Outstanding, and Outstanding governing bodies needing to run a ‘health check’ to ensure they are in line with the current framework.
In Hertfordshire the framework has been modified over the last two years, and a team of external reviewers have been trained and mentored. This good practice has been nationally recognised and, more recently, Hertfordshire (HfL Governance) has been involved in updating the national guidance and training which is currently being rolled out.
The Hertfordshire reviews are rigorously quality assured by the governance team, and the reviewers (all selected through an interview process) are given regular updates to ensure their work is of a high standard. Kathy Dunnett, Governance Officer and a National Leader of Governance, is leading on the process. She said, “More and more is being asked and expected of governors. A review can encourage a governing body to reflect and regroup. It is developmental and enables governors to know they are on the right track.”
HfL’s Governance Team are linking up with Hertfordshire Association of School Governors (HASG – www.hertsgovernors.org/) and SGOSS Governors for Schools (voluntary governor recruitment agency – www.sgoss.org.uk/) to run a series of weekend roadshows during May and June to support schools in recruiting governors, and to raise the profile of the role.
The responsibility of a school governor has changed dramatically over the last five years and so have the expectations. School governance is now a professional role, and governors therefore need the right skills and training to make the greatest impact. With current demands on everyday working life, recruiting good governors has become more and more difficult in some parts of the county.
To support governing bodies and schools, six dates have been confirmed with possibility of the Hertfordshire County Show (to be confirmed):
(9am – 4pm)
16th May – Wolsey Hall, Cheshunt
6th June – District Council Offices, Stevenage
27th June – The Roundhouse Volunteer Centre, Hemel Hempstead
HCC Offices (10am – 3pm)
9th June – County Hall, Hertford
15th June – Apsley, Kings Langley
29th June – Stevenage
If you would like to book a slot at one of these events or get involved in raising the profile of the governor role, please contact: kathy.dunnett@nullhertsforlearning.co.uk.
Sponsored by the Hertfordshire Association of School Governors, and organised in association with Herts for Learning
These awards aim to celebrate outstanding and distinguished service of school governors in Hertfordshire, and are an opportunity to say ‘thank you’ to governors that demonstrate exceptional practice. The winners will be announced at the Hertfordshire Governors’ Annual Conference in November 2015.
Awards & Prizes
each winning governor (total of three) will be awarded a £50 prize
prizes of £500 will be awarded to the schools of the three winning governors. The £500 is to be spent so it directly benefits the students; it is not to be spent on teaching or teachers as we would like the money to be spent on something the school has not included in its budget
all nominators will be put into a prize draw and three will be drawn at random and be awarded a £25 prize.
Entry
The awards are for individual school governors’ work, service, or commitment and not that of a governing body as a whole; the submission therefore needs to make clear the specific role that was played by the governor. Nominated governors will need to have given a total of at least five years’ service within Hertfordshire schools. However, this is not restricted to governorship at any one school.
Closing date for nominations: Friday 22nd May 2015
Shortlisting will take place during the summer of 2015. A member of the judging panel will then visit finalists’ schools for discussions with the nominator(s).
… is the Headline Article for the recent edition of Training Times now out in schools, reporting on HfL’s first National Conference held on 3rd December 2014, focussing on “preparing young people for life in modern Britain” and opened by Sir Trevor McDonald OBE.
This bumper January/February edition also spotlights HfL’s Financial Services for Schools team, reports on some upcoming events and a comprehensive training programme overview, as well as numerous news updates and introducing HfL’s new Coaching Service. The link to the online version is:
This Herts fro Learning (HfL) monthly newspaper has something for governors and staff based in schools, whether looking for a little light reading on current educational news or for courses to further your professional development. It aims to keep you up to date with what’s on offer from HfL, to share news from local schools, explore current issues from the education sector and to inform you a little more about your Schools’ Company – who we are and what we do.
If you are in a Hertfordshire school and your chair of governors would like to receive extra copies for the governing body please get in touch with Jessica Broadbent at jessica.broadbent@nullhertsforlearning.co.uk with your feedback or if you would like your school to be included.
Herts for Learning will be hosting a teacher recruitment fair on Saturday 14th March 2015 at the Hertfordshire Development Centre in Stevenage to help schools address the issue of recruiting quality teaching staff.
This event is being promoted through a national and local advertising campaign and is aimed at attracting current, past or new teachers, or anyone thinking of entering teaching as a profession. Every school in Hertfordshire has been invited to host a free exhibition stand and meet with attendees to discuss current and future teaching opportunities.
If you are a current, past or new teacher, or interested in teaching as a profession this is an essential event for you to attend.
Where can you meet 100s of schools face to face and talk about real jobs? Representatives from 100s of Hertfordshire schools will be available to discuss current and future teaching opportunities. Schools Direct and other teacher training providers will also be attending.
Free to attend.
Free on-site parking.
Inspiring workshops.
Free shuttle bus from Stevenage train station.
Event sponsored by Herts for Learning.
Come along and attend free workshops:
Unmissable tips on applying for your first teaching job,
Train to Teach (run by the National College of Teaching and Leadership),
Returning to teaching,
Thinking of a new career path? Re-train as a teacher from another profession,
Induction, support and training programmes for newly qualified teachers (NQTs) in Herts,
Fast tracking programme – increase your subject knowledge,
Hertfordshire Outstanding Governor Awards 2015 Nominations Open
Following the success of the 2014 awards the HASG are happy to announce that nominations have opened for the 2015 awards. We aim to celebrate outstanding and distinguished service by school governors in Hertfordshire. The winners of these awards will be announced at the Hertfordshire Governors’ Annual Conference in November 2015.
About the Awards
This is an award for an individual school governor’s work, service, or commitment and not that of a governing body as a whole. The submission therefore needs to make clear the specific role that was played by the school governor, as opposed to any other body or person involved in the school.
You may wish e.g. to nominate the governor who:
regularly goes above and beyond a school governor’s typical commitment,
has successfully dealt with a crisis or has been recently successful with a specific project or initiative, which was driven by the individual governor,
has contributed to improvement in the schools sector – for example, by supporting other governing bodies to improve.
These are only examples and should not be considered as entry categories – other ways of outstanding or distinguished service will be equally worthy of consideration.
Awards & Prizes
Each winning governor (total of three) will be awarded a £50 prize
Prizes of £500 will be awarded to the schools of the three winning governors, as given on the nomination form. The £500 is to be spent so it benefits directly the students; it is not to be spent on teaching or teachers as we would like the money to be spent on something the school has not included in its budget.
All nominators will be put into a prize draw and three will be drawn at random and be awarded a £25 prize.
New Approaches to Assessment
