1. Bristol City Council
Association of Bristol Governors
5 March 2013

2. Changing landscapes: changing roles
+ expectations

3. Context and challenges

Changing
− communities,
− families
− local political governance

Local improvement trajectories:
− Good progress but….
− Too much ‘mediocrity’
− Gap between most and least disadvantaged
− School ‘lottery’?

Changing education firmament: academies, federations, teaching schools,

Ofsted visiting again + again + again ….

4. Then there’s Ofsted’s challenges:
− Serious inspection of governance
− Hold to A/C for Q of teaching + learning
− 40% nationally ‘satisfactory’ or worse
− Greater professionalism: paid vs volunteer
− ‘Lunches not quality of maths and English’
− School data dashboard

5. Unleashing Greatness – Directions
for Governance
‘Unleashing Greatness’ – RSA/Christine Gilbert
− All schools must contribute to system wide
improvement
− Openness about intake and outcomes
− Need radical shift in capacity, knowledge, attittude –
step into new l’ship roles of academised system
− More rigorous recruitment of chairs
− Central/Local Govt should encourage federation of
primary sch. w/out emphasis on academy status

6. What might this mean for us?

Local development of federations: threat or
opportunity

Focus on strategic role: your core purpose

Making GBs less unweildy

Consistent evaluation + challenge of self, others +
professional leaders

Transferring great local practice – role of ABG?

7. Some final comments…

Slimmer/nimbler LA – stronger focus on system
leadership, brokering, convening

Bristol to be involved in next phase of DfE action
research

Changes in other services – Traded Services with
Schools + First Response

‘Reflecting in tranquillity’ as precursor to action,
whatever the ‘weather’!