1. Clare Collins
Chair
National Governors’ Association

2. The Schools White Paper: the end of the
council role in education or a new
beginning?
30th June 2011

3. • A membership organisation representing the voice of school governors in
England at national and regional level
• We aim to improve the effectiveness of governing bodies by providing
expert and tailored information and advice
• We represent governors from all state funded schools, including academies

4. Aims:
To improve the well-being of children and young people
by promoting high standards in all our schools,
and improving the effectiveness of their governing bodies.
We do this by:
1. Providing information, advice and training to Governors – EXPERT
2. Ensuring the voices of Governors are heard – REPRESENTATIVE
3. Being recognised as the leading organisation on school
governance, exercising influence through high quality policy
publications and communications, and through appropriate
partnerships – INFLUENTIAL

5. The role NGA sees for councils in the local education system
New clarity as the champion:
• for parents and families
• for vulnerable pupils
• of educational excellence
Still has a role:
• as a provider of:
– community schools
– statutory services
• when standards drop or serious issues arise e.g. financial
irregularities
• appointing Authority governors for community schools

6. What support do governors want
from councils?
• Training and development
• Information, Advice, Guidance:
– current issues
– system changes
– professional matters (HR,
legal, finance)
• Consultancy i.e. School
Improvement Partner role for:
– data analysis
– performance management
– school improvement support

7. What are the challenges and opportunities in a system with more school
autonomy?
– NGA asks governing bodies to think carefully about the notion of greater
autonomy / tension between autonomy and collaboration
– Reduction in LA central funds may impact on depth and breadth of
service provision, cross subsidisation and economies of scale /
challenge for LAs will be to decide which services to retain, and to
maintain the quality of those that they do
– Challenge for GBs will be to ensure their schools are equipped with the
time and skills to:
• assess the LA offer
• to look elsewhere if alternatives are required
• to quality assure
• to judge value for money and price stability

8. How will things work if the majority
of schools choose academy
status?
LA services may:
– focus on the statutory
– struggle to fulfil strategic
functions e.g. place planning
– be more focused on ‘disaster’
management
– become uneconomic

9. What does the future hold?
– Time of transition → period of uncertainty …
– Challenge is for governing bodies to be truly strategic i.e. deciding what
their values and aims are, and how best they can be delivered
– Governing bodies should be asking themselves:
• Is our governing body fit for purpose?
• Do we have governors with the right skills to do the job?
• Where will we get the support that we need?

10. NGA’s view on the proposals to reform school funding and bring in a
national funding formula
– NGA has responded to the consultation
– Recognises that the current system needs reform
– Supports some flexibility in order to address local issues

11. www.nga.org.uk
governorhq@nga.org.uk
0121 237 3780