Useful information and news

Questions Bedfordshire governors should ask - summer 2007 booklet

 Questions Bedfordshire Governors should ask| (PDF document opens in new window)

Governors' Health Check - criteria for effective governing bodies

The Governors’ Health Check has been designed to enable governing bodies to prepare for an Ofsted Inspection with the confidence that those responsibilities the Inspectorate will examine are being effectively addressed.  Revised Summer 2007.

 Healthcheck Summer 2007| (PDF document opens in new window)

Suggested governing body agendas

A purposeful agenda is one which enables the governing body to focus attention on the main tasks, i.e. promoting high standards of educational achievement and securing the welfare of its pupils. There are several ways in which an agenda can be organised or structured. 

We provide a core agenda for each term which governing bodies may wish to use, while others will prefer to create their own.

For the summer term, we have illustrated two differing methods of agenda planning:

• Sample 1 shows an agenda split into Part 1 and Part 2 agenda items
• Sample 2 shows an agenda built around the strategic/critical friend/accountability roles of the governing body with finance highlighted separately.

 Autumn term| (PDF document opens in new window)
 Spring term| (PDF document opens in new window)
 Summer term 1| (PDF document opens in new window) 
 Summer term 2| (PDF document opens in new window)

Financial data online

Teachernet provides the School Financial Benchmarking| (new window) tool which enables schools to compare their income and expenditure profile with that of other schools.

Ofsted have published 'Keeping your Balance' which contains a helpful self-evaluation questionnaire. This can be used for identifying strengths and areas for improvement. The booklet can be ordered from Ofsted by telephone 0207 4216 800.

School security

Schools are becoming increasingly aware of the need for sound security systems. Governors will be pleased to note that the DCSF have produced a video 'Can you see what they see?' (DfEE ref 0045/2001). This helpful and interesting video looks at practical ways of improving security and carrying out realistic risk assessments. It is freely available by contacting DCSF Publications (Prolog) on 0845 60 222 60.

Making it Better

Ofsted have produced a report on school governance entitled 'Making it Better' (ref HMI 143). The report contains information on how governors in schools in special measures have improved their work. The lessons learnt by those governors can equally apply to all governors who wish to be more effective. Contents include sections on the Action Plan, Getting the Paperwork Right and Monitoring and Evaluating the School. Copies can be obtained by telephoning 020 7421 6800 or downloaded from the Ofsted| (new window) website.

Website providing information and support for parents on how to help their child’s learning throughout their education. 

Education Action Zones

None of the country's 73 Education Action Zones will be renewed when they reach the end of their five-year funding. Instead, successful initiatives will become part of the Excellence in Cities scheme or Excellence Clusters.

Sex and Relationship Education

A leaflet for parents and carers is available from DCSF publications on 0845 60 222 60 (reference DfES 0706/2001). This explains parents’ right to be consulted by the governing body and the school whenever the policy is being revised or developed.

Common abbreviations and acronyms

Please find below a list of commonly used abbreviations and acronyms:

• ACE - Advisory Centre for Education
• ATL - Association of Teachers and Lecturers
• BTEC - Business and Technology Education Council
• CASE - Campaign for State Education
• CEDC - Community Education Development Centre
• CEO - Chief Education Officer
• CRE - Commission for Racial Equality
• DCSF - Department for Children, Schools and Families
• EBD - Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties
• FE - Further Education
• GCSE - General Certificate of Secondary Education
• GNVQ - General National Vocational Qualification
• HE - Higher Education
• HMCI - Her Majesty's Chief Inspector
• HMI - Her Majesty's Inspectorate
• ICT - Information and Communications Technology
• INSET - In-Service Training for Teachers
• ISGC - Information for School and College Governors
• ITT - Initial Teacher Training
• KS1 (2/3/4) - Key Stage One (Two/Three/Four)
• LA - Local Authority
• LME - Local Management of Education
• NAHT - National Association of Head Teachers
• NALGO - National and Local Government Officers Association
• NASEN - National Association for Special Educational Needs
• NAS/UWT - National Association of Schoolmasters/Union of Women Teachers
• NATFE - National Association of Teachers in Further Education
• NC - National Curriculum
• NCVQ - National Council for Vocational Qualifications
• NFER - National Foundation for Educational Research
• NGA - National Governors' Association
• NPQH - National Professional Qualification for Headship
• NQT - Newly Qualified Teacher
• NUT - National Union of Teachers
• NVQ - National Vocational Qualification
• OFSTED - Office for Standards in Education
• PANDA - Performance and Assessment
• PAT - Professional Association of Teachers
• PSHCE - Personal, Social, Health and Citizenship Education
• PTA - Parent Teacher Association
• PTR - Pupil Teacher Ratio
• QCA - Qualifications and Curriculum Authority
• RgI - Registered Inspector
• SATs - Standard Assessment Tests
• SDP - School Development Plan
• SEF - Self-evaluation Form
• SEN - Special Educational Needs
• SENCO - Special Educational Needs Coordinator
• SLA - Service Level Agreement
• SLD - Service Level Difficulties
• SMT - Senior Management Team
• TDA - Training and Development Agency for Schools
• UCAS - Universities and Colleges Admissions Service
• VA - Voluntary Aided
• VC - Voluntary Controlled