Category Archives: Case Study Commentary

Commentary Schools should deal with complaints swiftly and sensitively.  Complainants need to know that their concerns are being taken seriously and that they are being listened to, which was the case here.  Usually, the Chair and members of the governing body get involved in school-based complaints when there are concerns raised about the headteacher, orContinue reading “Resolving complaints made by parents against teachers”

Commentary The issue here is whether the teacher was complaining about a parent, who was also a governor at the school, or complaining about the person in their role as a governor, who was also a parent at the school.  These are two very distinct situations and would be dealt with differently. If it wasContinue reading “How to address tensions between governors and members of staff”

Commentary All schools must have a Grievance policy to deal with issues that staff may have with their working life at the school.  There is usually a 3-stage process, with an informal stage taking place first. It was shame that the issue couldn’t be resolved informally in the first instance, but unfortunately this sometimes happens. Continue reading “Dealing with a grievance against the headteacher”

Commentary There are a number of federations in Wales, and these are increasing.  Most schools enter into a federation for sustainability, securing effective leadership and enhanced school improvement, and the ability to share resources across the federation (between two to six schools).  Being part of a federation certainly helps schools where they may have potentiallyContinue reading “From possible school closure to forming a school federation”

Commentary It’s always a good idea to have access to legal advice in case there are more serious issues to deal with at school, and most Local Authorities offer this under a Service Level Agreement.  All schools must have a behaviour policy which details how to manage pupil behaviour, noting who has the responsibility toContinue reading “Addressing the rise of complaints and unreasonable behaviour from pupils and parents”

Commentary There many benefits of using social media but unfortunately there is a downside too. Schools should have a policy for using social media for staff, governors and parents, in conjunction with any information from the Local Authority.  South West Grid for Learning has as suite of resources for online safety, including  a model policyContinue reading “How to deal with parents disrespecting staff on social media?”

Commentary Exclusion (fixed term and permanent) from school is a very serious matter and is not something that is done lightly. Several factors would have been considered before the Headteacher made this decision. Whilst the specific details are unknown, here are some useful publications to assist you: https://gov.wales/school-bullying https://gov.wales/rights-respect-equality-guidance-schools – pages 29-31 provides information onContinue reading “Excluding racist pupils”

Commentary Yes, the role of a governor is demanding and challenging but it is also rewarding too. However hard it can be at times, please never forget that! There is no doubt the mandatory governor training is a step in the right direction to inform governors about the role, but ongoing training is essential toContinue reading “The demands of the governor role”

Commentary The number of federated governing bodies is increasing in Wales so it is helpful to look at the specific requirements and how a ‘federation’ comes about in practice. Welsh Government guidance provides useful advice and information on the process to follow to set up a federated governing body, as well as practical aspects toContinue reading “Becoming a federated governing body”