Presentation on school governance of Church Schools delivered at Liverpool Hope University Re-imagining Christian Education Conference 10 July 2012

1. Governance in the 21st Century:
Faith informing professional
engagement
MIKE SIMMONDS
Education Consultant
A project of
Governance in the 21st Century:
Faith informing professional engagement

2. Governance in the 21st Century:
Faith informing professional engagement

3. • a governing body is "A sprawling
committee and proliferating sub-
committees.”
• Governors are, “Local worthies who see
being a governor as a badge of status not a
job of work.”
• Meetings have, "Discussions that ramble on
about peripheral issues, influenced by fads
and anecdote, not facts and analysis.”
Governance in the 21st Century:
Faith informing professional engagement

4. ©sxc.hu/svilen
001
EQUIPPING CHRISTIAN GOVERNORS
FOR THEIR ROLE IN CHURCH SCHOOLS
Governance in the 21st Century:
Faith informing professional engagement

5. PROJECT REPORT
Chris James, Steve Brammer, Michael
Connolly, Miles Fertig, Jane James and
Jeff Jones
UNIVERSITY OF BATH
The ‘hidden
givers’:
A study of school
CONTEXT governing bodies in
England
Governance in the 21st Century:
Faith informing professional engagement

6. 83% of governors come from
professional or managerial
occupations and nearly 40%
having experience of an
©sxc.hu/spekulator
education-related occupation
(Scanlon, Earley & Evans, 1999).
THE DEVELOPMENT OF SCHOOL
GOVERNANCE
Governance in the 21st Century:
Faith informing professional engagement

7.  Academy Independence
 Professionalisation of governance
 Foundation Governors
©Westwood Academy, 2011
THE DEVELOPMENT OF SCHOOL
GOVERNANCE
Governance in the 21st Century:
Faith informing professional engagement

8. SIGNIFICANCE OF GOVERNANCE
Governance in the 21st Century:
Faith informing professional engagement

9. Good governance is characterised by,
"smaller governing bodies, where
people are there because they have a
skill, not because they represent some
political constituency. They
concentrate on essentials such as
leadership, standards, teaching and
behaviour.”
Governance in the 21st Century:
Faith informing professional engagement

10. “an effective governing body
makes a difference and
standards of attainment are
more likely to be higher.
(Ofsted, 2002).
SIGNIFICANCE OF GOVERNANCE
Governance in the 21st Century:
Faith informing professional engagement

11. “I’ve already said our new
inspection arrangements will
focus much more on
governance than ever before,
and there will be a subsection
under leadership and
management to say important
things about governance.”
SIGNIFICANCE OF GOVERNANCE
Chief Inspector of
Schools, Sir Michael
Wilshaw,
Governance in the 21st Century:
Faith informing professional engagement

12. The Way ahead (Archbishops’ Council, 2001)
Chair of governors part of the
leadership, not only of the
school, but also within the
parish and diocese
SIGNIFICANCE OF GOVERNANCE
Governance in the 21st Century:
Faith informing professional engagement

13. England
school governing bodies in
The ‘hidden givers’: a study of
The role of the chair – a
The findings
significant educational and
community leadership
responsibility
SIGNIFICANCE OF GOVERNANCE
©sxc.hu/nickobec
Governance in the 21st Century:
Faith informing professional engagement

14. How many
survey of evangelical Christians
and what
suggested that 9% serve as
impact?
governors compared to 0.7% of
the population
CHRISTIAN PARTICIPATION IN SCHOOL
GOVERNANCE
Governance in the 21st Century:
Faith informing professional engagement

15. “role of Church School “foundation governors must
governors is expanded to preserve and develop this.
ensure the school is both They must also ensure
inclusive and Christian in compliance with the trust
nature” deed, if there is one”
(Archbishops Council, 2012). (Guide to the Law, 2012).
Foundation Governors
CHRISTIAN PARTICIPATION IN SCHOOL
GOVERNANCE
©sxc.hu/usi
Governance in the 21st Century:
Faith informing professional engagement

16. Foundation Governors
CHRISTIAN PARTICIPATION IN SCHOOL
GOVERNANCE
©sxc.hu/usi
Governance in the 21st Century:
Faith informing professional engagement

17.  Maintaining Ethos
Training and  Protecting Christian
support Distinctiveness
needs
Foundation Governors
CHRISTIAN PARTICIPATION IN SCHOOL
GOVERNANCE
©sxc.hu/usi
Governance in the 21st Century:
Faith informing professional engagement

18. ©sxc.hu/abcdz2000
Encouraging vocation
Defining ‘distinctive Christian
Character
A CALLING TO A DISTINCTIVELY
CHRISTIAN ROLE
©sxc.hu/doctor-a
Governance in the 21st Century:
Faith informing professional engagement

19. ‘distinctive’ means ‘characteristic
or ‘authentic’.
“the school aims to serve its community by
providing an education of the highest quality
within the context of Christian belief and
practice. It encourages an understanding of
the meaning and significance of faith and
promotes Christian values through the
experience it offers to all its pupils”.
Tim Elbourne (2009)
Governance in the 21st Century:
Faith informing professional engagement

20. ©sxc.hu/abcdz2000
Encouraging vocation
Defining ‘distinctive Christian
Character
Defining the purpose of
education
A CALLING TO A DISTINCTIVELY
CHRISTIAN ROLE
©sxc.hu/doctor-a
Governance in the 21st Century:
Faith informing professional engagement

21. www.purposed.org.uk
Governance in the 21st Century:
Faith informing professional engagement

22. “Knowledge is power. The moral purpose
that animates the work we all do”
16 June 2011
Governance in the 21st Century:
Faith informing professional engagement

23. Governance in the 21st Century:
Faith informing professional engagement

24. How does faith inform strategic decisions?
What in the Christian story results in distinctiveness?
Chairs and ‘servant leadership’
A CALLING TO A
DISTINCTIVELY CHRISTIAN
ROLE
Governance in the 21st Century:
Faith informing professional engagement

25. ©istock/hh5800/File #: 18373145
School is a part of
the ‘Churches mission to the
nation’
(Archbishops’ Council, 2001).
Missionary Context
THE TRAINING CHALLENGE
Governance in the 21st Century:
Faith informing professional engagement

26. “As guardians, their (Foundation
©istock/hh5800/File #: 18373145
governors) role must be enhanced; as well
as training and support improved by,
amongst others, the Diocesan Boards of
Education.”
Chadwick Report (2012)
THE TRAINING CHALLENGE
Governance in the 21st Century:
Faith informing professional engagement

27. “A Church of England College of Higher
Education might be expected to offer:
In its continuing professional development
courses, the college might be expected to
provide for the needs of head
teachers, teachers and governors of
Church Schools.”
The Way ahead (Archbishops’ Council, 2001)
MAKING PROGRESS,
PROVIDING SUPPORT
Governance in the 21st Century:
Faith informing professional engagement

28. 1. A review of governance in church schools and the
compilation of good practice, especially focusing on
Chairs of Governors and Foundation Governors
1. The establishment of a nationally agreed training
package for Foundation Governors on their role
as guardians of the Christian foundation;
MAKING PROGRESS,
PROVIDING SUPPORT
Governance in the 21st Century:
Faith informing professional engagement

29. 3. An online community developed specifically for
Foundation Governors.
3. The development of a web presence to equip Christians
who are school governors (possibly building on the existing
www.transforming governing.org.uk website) .
MAKING PROGRESS,
PROVIDING SUPPORT
Governance in the 21st Century:
Faith informing professional engagement

30. 5. A resource for clergy in training, to enthuse and inspire them
in their role and of their schools
5. A resource for churches (perhaps based on Grove Books Education series).
MAKING PROGRESS,
PROVIDING SUPPORT
Governance in the 21st Century:
Faith informing professional engagement

31.  The governors role in Spiritual, Moral, Social
and Cultural Development
 The effective Christian who is a governor in a
non-Church School
MAKING PROGRESS,
PROVIDING SUPPORT
Governance in the 21st Century:
Faith informing professional engagement

32. More overt recognition of the
importance of school
governance
Commitment to more fully
resourcing the
training, enrichment and
facilitation of foundation
governors in particular.
©sxc.hu/a_kartha
Governance in the 21st Century:
Faith informing professional engagement

33. “it is the task of the
Church in every century
to serve its generation
according to the will of
God.”
Canon Charles Smyth, Fellow of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, on
150th Anniversary of the Foundation of The National Society, 12.10.61
Governance in the 21st Century:
Faith informing professional engagement

34. ©sxc.hu/lusi
GOMikeS
.org.uk
mike@goministries.org.uk
Governance in the 21st Century:
Faith informing professional engagement