Education CommitteeWritten evidence submitted by Joseph Reynolds

1. School governance is ineffective. There is no real leadership. When Kingsmead in Wiveliscombe became an academy the parent governors were shut out. The new governing body includes only two parent governors. The governing structure has become an “old boys” network. The community governors are nominated by other governors, everyone re-electing each other. This re-enforces a governing body where everyone agrees about everything.

2. The governors are not accountable. Since the public does not elect them, they elect each other, there is no real accountability. This sustains a status quo.

3. The governing body does not deal with complaints honestly. The complaint structure is treated as something they have to do. But the governors do not take complaints on board. There is a laager mentality. No criticism of the school is honestly assessed.

4. The set terms are laughable, since they all just re-nominate and re-elect each other (save the two parent governors and staff governors).

5. The headteacher should not be a governor. There should be a separation of governors and head. Though the head can be invited to attend meetings and advised, he should hold no power.

6. There should be no staff governors.

7. The governors should be publicly elected officials. This is the single biggest problem in English education. An engaged electorate focuses a governor’s mind on delivering what the public wants. Two years ago I submitted a petition with over 500 signatures from the local community to remove The Simpsons from the school English curriculum and replace it with Shakespeare, which had been abandoned. The governors, since they had no accountability to the public, ignored the submission. This past year I appealed to the governors to remove Heat magazine from the English curriculum. Over 80% of respondents to a poll in the Somerset County Gazette agreed. The governors ignored this.

8. The governors should have set terms of two years. And the public should elect them.

9. There are too many governors. The 15 or 16 member body is unwieldy. There should be only five governors. All elected members.

December 2012