The new framework for Ofsted inspection places a greater emphasis on inspecting the effectiveness and impact of governance on school improvement. The key to effective governance is to know your school well.
It is good practice to establish a yearly programme of governor visits to the school, focussed on gathering evidence to support school self-evaluation. The information gathered during these visits will enable you as governors to:
- shape the direction of the school in partnership with senior leaders
- have an enhanced understanding of areas of strength and weakness so that you can support and hold to account senior leaders effectively
- improve pupil outcomes
- secure statutory compliance
A model monitoring and evaluation programme is attached (see left). The governing body must ensure the school complies with its statutory duties. These are set out in table C at the back of the Ofsted online Self Evaluation Form (SEF). A copy of this table is also available on the left.
For more about governors monitoring and evaluation responsibilities and the Ofsted inspection process see the 'OFSTED SPECIAL' governor bulletin issued in October 2009 which is available to read from the GDS homepage.