The project aims to strengthen governance in Blackpool schools by reframing governors’ understanding of their roles in line with the DfE’s Competency Framework for Governance.

This will involve developing:

  • A Blackpool Local Leaders of Governance programme
  • The Blackpool Governors’ Association

  • Blackpool Governors’ conference

We’re looking forward to building close working relationships with the schools and education partners in Blackpool. This strand of the Lead Blackpool project will work with Blackpool’s National Leaders of Governance, governing bodies, multi-academy trusts and the local authority to add value to the work currently being undertaken to develop school governance in Blackpool.

WHAT’S INVOLVED?

LLGs are successful school governors who can support other school governors to achieve sustainable school improvement through coaching and mentoring. LLGs are deployed to support schools who have identified an improvement area in their current leadership and governance or who wish to develop further in this area to improve outcomes for the school and learners. This opportunity is suitable for skilled and experienced governors who meet the requirements of the Competency Framework for Governance who will then work with schools that require support in developing their governance.

The precise role of the LLG and duration of support is flexible and based on the context. The support may include:

  • Supporting a governing board in undertaking a review of their effectiveness using an agreed self-evaluation tool
  • Acting as a new Chair of Governors or Chair of a committee
  • Supporting those with ‘lead governor’ responsibilities in such areas as Safeguarding, Special Education Needs and Disability (SEND), Financial Management etc
  • Coaching and mentoring new and existing Chairs of Governors
  • Providing a short term response to a loss of expertise in a Governing Board
  • We are looking for skilled and experienced governors who meet the requirements of the Competency Framework for Governance to become Local Leaders of Governance (LLGs) in Blackpool

A Blackpool Governors’ Association will bring together governors to support the wider improvements underway across all Blackpool schools to improve outcomes for children and young people.

The Lead Blackpool project is facilitating the development of the Association which will provide a focus for the governor recruitment and for development of school governors across Blackpool focusing on the governor competency areas of:

  • Strategic Leadership
  • Accountability
  • People
  • Structures
  • Compliance
  • Evaluation
Governing bodies will receive invitations to workshops, which will take place to shape the development and direction of the Association. This opportunity is open to all Blackpool school governors.

A major conference will take place in early September 2018 to celebrate the work of school governors in supporting school improvement in Blackpool. This highly interactive one day conference will launch the new school year and will ensure that governors have the knowledge and tools to support the work of the Blackpool School Improvement Board.

This opportunity is available to all Blackpool school governors.

HOW TO TAKE PART

For further information, contact the Lead Blackpool Programme Manager, Ann Fitzgerald on 0330 313 9871 or ann.fitzgerald@staracademies.org.