Governance
Last updated:The Local Authority actively promotes and supports high standards of governance in Buckinghamshire schools. To do so, Buckinghamshire Council will:
- be the champion of high-quality school governance;
- help to ensure that governors have access to support and training in order to develop the right skills to execute their role; and
- implement appropriate monitoring arrangements to identify signs of failure in relation to governors’ oversight of finance, safety or performance standards in maintained schools.
Buckinghamshire Council has a statutory duty to provide the following elements of school governance in the academic year 2023-24:
- Approve Local Authority governor appointments in maintained schools
- Checking instruments of governance (compliance) for maintained schools Oversee the appointment of Parent Governor representatives to Local Authority committees
- Establish Interim Executive Boards and shadow governing bodies in maintained schools and intervene where appropriate in cases of under performance
- Oversee administrative changes to school status
- Maintain a database of Chairs of Governors
- Provide access/signposting to high quality training
- Provide mandatory information such as policy updates and model documents
In addition to its statutory duties, Buckinghamshire Council will offer additional support for school governance during the academic year 2023-24. Some additional support will be freely provided, and some will be offered as a traded service branded as BESST – Buckinghamshire Education School Support and Training. Additional services will include:
- Scheduling and organising key meetings such as Corporate Director (DCS) briefings, termly governor priorities briefings and the Governance Consultative Board
- Memberships to digital tools and external online resources
- High quality training for governors delivered by local experts
- Partnership working with the Bucks Association of School Governors
Important Dates for Governors
Corporate Director Briefing |
06/09/2023 |
19.00 – 20.30 |
Weds |
Corporate Director Briefing |
08/09/2023 |
11.30 – 13.00 |
Fri |
Priorities Briefing for CoGs and Clerks |
12/09/2023 |
18.30 - 19.30 |
Tues |
An Introduction to Schools Finance |
19/09/2023 |
18.30 - 19.30 |
Tues |
Headteacher performance management |
28/09/2023 |
18.30-19.30 |
Thurs |
Safeguarding in schools – An introduction for governors |
03/10/2023 |
18.30 - 19.30 |
Tues |
Safeguarding updates for experienced governors |
12/10/2023 |
18.30- 19.30 |
Thurs |
Strategic Financial Management & Accountability |
18/10/2023 |
18.30 - 19.30 |
Weds |
The role of the safeguarding governor in an Ofsted inspection |
02/11/2023 |
18.30-19.30 |
Thurs |
Preparing for and supporting your school in an Ofsted inspection |
08/11/2023 |
18.30 - 19.30 |
Weds |
Understanding governance; what good strategic governance looks like |
14/11/2023 |
18.30- 19.30 |
Tues |
New Governor Networking Drop In |
30/11/2023 |
18.30 - 19.30 |
Thurs |
Prevent |
05/12/2023 |
18.30 - 19.30 |
Tues |
Corporate Director Briefing |
10/01/2024 |
19.00 – 20.30 |
Wed |
Corporate Director Briefing |
12/01/2024 |
09.30- 11.00 |
Fri |
Priorities Briefing for CoGs and Clerks |
16/01/2024 |
18.30-19.30 |
Tues |
Trauma Informed and Attachment Aware Schools |
26/01/2024 |
09.00 - 10.00 |
Fri |
Safeguarding in schools – An introduction for governors |
01/02/2024 |
18.30 - 19.30 |
Thurs |
Understanding governance; what good strategic governance looks like |
07/02/2024 |
18.30- 19.30 |
Weds |
Appointing an Executive Leader |
13/02/2024 |
18.30 - 19.30 |
Tues |
Preparing for and supporting your school in an Ofsted inspection |
05/03/2024 |
18.30-19.30 |
Tues |
New Governor Networking Drop In |
14/03/2024 |
18.30 - 19.30 |
Thurs |
Keeping Children Safe in Education and the Preventative Curriculum (PHSE) |
19/03/2024 |
18.30- 19.30 |
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For further details, costs and bookings please visit https://commercial.buckscc.gov.uk/our-services/besst/governor-support-training/
Key Contact
Kate White
Governance Support Officer
schoolgovernance@buckinghamshire.gov.uk