Commentary All local authorities have a School Forum which was introduced to develop dialogue between local authorities and their schools on “budgetary issues, including school funding levels for the coming year, pressures on future years’ budgets, changes to local funding formulae, as well as reviewing contracts/service level agreements for services to schools.” Do you know whoContinue reading “Financial shortfall and potential redundancies”
Author Archives: wiserd_blog
Getting to grips with the role
Commentary All new governors must attend mandatory training on induction and understanding school data, which is provided by your Local Authority or Regional Consortium. This training must be completed within 12 months of being appointed or elected. This will give you more of an understanding of the governor role. Here are the links to theContinue reading “Getting to grips with the role”
Suspension and dismissal of a member of the senior leadership team
Commentary Human Resource issues can be very complex, so it is important that governing bodies review their policies and are familiar with the correct processes to follow. Your Local Authority may also provide a range of training for you to attend, particularly if you are a member of any of the relevant statutory committees, inContinue reading “Suspension and dismissal of a member of the senior leadership team”
How to cover budget shortfalls
What was the issue addressed? There was an insufficient budget to deliver the curriculum and add value to students learning. This was difficult as staffing had to be cut to achieve a balanced budget and parents were then concerned when TA cover was reduced. What happened? We lobbied the Local Authority & Welsh Government. TheContinue reading “How to cover budget shortfalls”
Appointing a new headteacher key to addressing other school issues
What was the issue addressed? Large budget deficit, unsatisfactory Estyn report and a series of acting headteachers. We also faced a problem of overstaffing and an adviser who attempted to rectify the situation as we did not have a permanent headteacher in place. What happened? Overstaffing was difficult to resolve because the LA had triedContinue reading “Appointing a new headteacher key to addressing other school issues”
Addressing concerns caused by recurrent teacher absences
What was the issue addressed? We have had to deal with recurrent staff absence which led to the initiation of disciplinary/competency proceeding. Balancing the wellbeing of staff against the needs of the children and the wider school community can be challenging. Dealing with HR and the red tape surrounding teacher competency can be frustrating, particularlyContinue reading “Addressing concerns caused by recurrent teacher absences”
Appointing a less than satisfactory subject specialist teacher
What was the issue addressed? We needed to recruit a subject teacher and had advertised three times. We had one applicant who following the interview we felt was not quite up to the standard we expected. The question we had to wrestle with was whether to appoint the teacher and place a not quite goodContinue reading “Appointing a less than satisfactory subject specialist teacher”
Establishing correct health and safety policies
What was the issue addressed? The school had concerns over school hall size and emergency evacuation, the numbers permitted for school fayre and controls over safe numbers of children and adults for a given space, also whether there was a clear exit plan. It was surprising that these things were not clearly stated. What happened?Continue reading “Establishing correct health and safety policies”
Reviewing and changing the evidence needed in a headteacher performance review
What was the issue addressed? The governing body revised the evidence required in a headteacher performance review and set new targets. This was difficult to do in one meeting with so much paperwork. Also problematic is that revising the guidelines each year means there is no opportunity to compare one year to next. What happened?Continue reading “Reviewing and changing the evidence needed in a headteacher performance review”
What happens when external organisations fall out on school premises
What was the issue addressed? We have had a dispute in the school with regard to two bodies providing out of school hours provision for the children. They both share the same premises. The managers of these bodies do notcooperate. This has resulted in an ongoing dispute involving legal issues which has had to beContinue reading “What happens when external organisations fall out on school premises”
School Governor Reflections Resource 