Education CommitteeWritten evidence submitted by The Archdiocese of Liverpool Trustees
There is concern felt in many circles currently about the role and function of school governors. There is some concern that, given the increasing demands and levels of accountability being placed upon people who are acting in a voluntary capacity for the benefit of school communities, problems will arise around recruitment and retention.
Schools’ Officers believe, however, that with the right systems, training and support in place this pool of willing volunteers can continue to make a valuable contribution to the education system.
It is widely accepted that schools of a religious character provide high quality education for their pupils, so much so that places therein are often widely sought after and the schools oversubscribed. Data demonstrates that pupils in these schools have comparatively high levels of attainment and progress in comparison to community schools. Significantly more Catholic schools have been graded good or outstanding.
In order that schools of a religious character continue to promote not only the highest standards but also to operate within a Catholic Ethos, the role of Foundation Governors is vital. It is essential that we have Foundation Governors with the remit of upholding the educational vision and mission of the Church that is enshrined in law. These governors are responsible for ensuring and supporting the strategic direction of our schools. Both hard data and our close working knowledge of the schools within the Archdiocese enable us to state with confidence that the required roles and functions are very well exercised in supporting the delivery of high quality education for all pupils. Furthermore, their regard for the entitlement of all pupils and desire for inclusivity contributes to the progress and attainment of all groups of pupils.
We believe that our school communities, including governors, have risen admirably to the task of meeting the changes and challenges in education over many years. Evidence supports the view that our governors are more than capable of fulfilling their roles including addressing and implementing policy changes and developments as they arise. Our governing bodies are characterised by dedicated people who demonstrate remarkable dedication to our schools in this voluntary capacity.
In order for governing bodies to continue to function effectively they need to be able to access high quality, up to date and relevant training. This will enable them competently and comprehensively to meet the demand made of them in fulfilling this role. Diocesan authorities have always had, and will continue to have, a key role in the recruitment, training and support of all governors including Foundation Governors.
We consider that the present structure of governing bodied reflects appropriately the diversity of interests as well as the distinctiveness of Catholic schools. The structure enables schools to draw together an appropriate balance of representation and skills reflecting a cross section of their communities.
Our governing bodies have always understood the need for transparency and accountability. Under the current Ofsted framework, governance has an even higher profile in the leadership and management of our schools. Our experience is that governors are well aware of their accountability and take this seriously and are actively seeking to increase their skills and knowledge in this area. They are clearly accountable for supporting and challenging school leaders and their effectiveness is evidenced in the high quality of education in our Catholic schools. 74.7% of Catholic primary schools have Ofsted grades of good or outstanding. (64% nationally) At age 11, Catholic schools outperform the national average English and Maths SAT scores by 6%. At GCSE Catholic schools outperform the national average by 4.9%. Officers of the Archdiocese are in regular dialogue with governors to ascertain and address their needs in order to improve their effectiveness.
All evidence and indicators support our view that, by and large, we have a high level of willing and effective representation who give of their time on a voluntary basis. We are of a view that remuneration for Governors is not a path we would seek. We do suggest, however, that the role of the Clerk could be considered. Perhaps an accredited qualification could be pursued to provide present and potential clerks with additional skills and knowledge to support and offer strong and independent advice to Governing Bodies, with suitable remuneration in return—(NQCG National Qualification in Clerking to Governors).
Our Catholic schools recognise the importance and necessity of being grounded in the communities they serve. Effective partnerships exist between school leaders and governors which readily lead to clarity of focus for any required support and development. Again, our evidence shows that governing bodies actively engage with a wide range of external partners identified as being crucial as they strive constantly to raise standards for young people. We have many contemporary and successful examples of schools and governing bodies working in partnership with their local networks, local authorities, Archdiocese and national bodies such as DFE. This has enabled them to embrace a variety of local and national initiatives to secure rapid improvements wherever and whenever they have been identified.
Liverpool Archdiocese values the significant role our governors play in the success of our schools. We value the current framework of governance as it provides appropriate flexibility to reflect and represent local needs most effectively; it gives the opportunity to engage with the voice of the Church and the local community.
December 2012