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THE EFFECTIVENESS OF GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT
The structure and management arrangements related to the governing body (known at St Margaret’s as the Council) are well defined and support effective oversight of the school. The Council also receives advice and support from the Woodard Corporation, which increases its effectiveness and brings a wider educational perspective to the governors’ deliberations. Members of Council sit on school committees such as the ICT, health and safety and Christian ethos committees, and are linked to specific departments in the school, which enables good oversight of the running of the school. . The Council strongly supports the Christian ethos of the school. Its members are firmly based in the locality which contributes to their clear insight into the nature of the school and its future direction, and its members have a wide and appropriate range of expertise. The council is an important contributory factor to the success of the school in meeting its aims. Members of the Council are very aware of their responsibilities and have been closely involved in forward planning, financial control and the educational direction of the school. The development plan was due for review in the summer; this has been postponed until November 2006 because of pressure of business. The Council is aware that the plan needs more objective criteria and intermediate targets. The headmistress and her staff speak highly of the support and knowledge of the Council. Members are regular visitors to the school, not only for school functions but to observe lessons in the junior department. They know the school well, regularly inviting heads of department to talk about, and respond to questions on, the work of their departments. They also know the staff , who appreciate their concern at times of bereavement, for example. The Quality of Leadership and Management The headmistress provides strong leadership and she is supported by a strong management team, whose roles have been clearly defined in response to the last inspection report. The school’s self-evaluation shows that they are aware of the areas of improvement needed in the school and that a start has been made. The staff greatly appreciate the approachability of the headmistress and her team and the support they receive from the leadership of the school. Clear educational direction is reflected in the high standards of the education provided, the care of the pupils and the success of the school in fulfilling its aims, but more focus on monitoring teaching is needed. The development plan is still more of an outline than a worked out strategy, and it needs more input from the rest of the staff, but its direction is clear and so are its priorities. Planning how to make the best use of the ICT suite needs immediate attention. The staff handbook contains a wealth of policies and procedures which are followed by the staff. Monitoring takes place in some areas, for instance heads of departments check mark books and exercise books for compliance with the assessment and teaching policies, and lesson observations take place regularly in most departments. Financial control is stringent. Day to day spending is carefully monitored to ensure that departments stay within budget. Resources are well managed to provide the equipment needed for the pupils’ teaching and learning, and improvements to the accommodation are carried out regularly; the junior library has just been re-housed so that it is at the centre of the building. Day to day administration is very efficient. For reasons outside the school’s control, electricity was cut off to part of the school during the inspectors’ visit, and alternative arrangements for the afternoon lessons were made quickly and communicated efficiently. Since the last inspection, and in response to the recommendations, there has been a considerable improvement in management. The junior department is now clearly under the control of the head of the department, who is a member of the senior management team. Roles within the leadership group have clear job descriptions and have freed the headmistress from sole responsibility for the curriculum – a key recommendation of the last inspection report. The school decided not to appoint a director of studies, as recommended, but the different aspects of that role are carried out by the curriculum committee, the key stage co-ordinators, and the assessment co-ordinator. Appropriate checks on all new staff, including references, confirmation of qualifications and CRB procedures are meticulously carried out. All longer-serving staff have been checked with the Department of Education and List 99. The programme for the induction of newly qualified teachers is good, as is the internal induction process for newly appointed staff, who have regular, timetabled, formal and informal meetings with senior staff throughout their first term. The school meets the regulatory requirements for the suitability of proprietors and staff and for premises and accommodation [Standards 4 and 5]. The school participates in the national scheme for the induction of newly qualified teachers and meets its requirements. |
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