Governor meetings and courses are led by Derby and Derbyshire Governance Partnership (DGP).
What is a Governor?
Governors provide strategic leadership and accountability in schools. Governors appoint the head teacher and deputy headteacher. In some schools the site is owned by the governing board. It is the governors who hold the main responsibility for finance in the school and it is governors who work with the headteacher to make the tough decisions about balancing resources.
Governors have three core functions:
- Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction
- Holding the executive leaders to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils and the performance management of staff
- Overseeing the financial performance of the organisation and making sure its money is well spent
For more information please see the NGA National Governance Association
The governor meetings and courses we hold enable governors to fulfill their role. For course enquiries or general questions, please email booking@dtsa.org.uk or phone 01332 706806.
Further Support for Governors and Governing Bodies
Click on the links below for more information:
Due to venue cancellation policy all governor meetings and courses need to be viable 3 weeks beforehand. To avoid your course being cancelled please ensure that you book well in advance. If you can see the course on this page then it is not in a cancelled state.
Governor Meetings and Courses
Governance Improvement Partnership (GIP) Meetings
A chance to collaborate and share practice, concerns and ideas with other governors. A facilitated discussion session looking at a theme identified by governors themselves.
Previous sessions have covered :
- Parental Engagement
- Ofsted preparation
- British Values
- The Monitoring Role
3 December 2020
21 April 2021
Facilitator: Various
Venue: Zoom
Time: 7pm – 9pm
Cost: £50
NGA Update
A chance to be updated every term by DGP and senior NGA personnel on issues of the day facing governors and clerks. A friendly interactive session where you can have your questions addressed – far more than just information giving.
Thursday 22 October 2020
Via Zoom
Time: 7pm – 9pm
Cost: Free
Thursday 11 February 2021
Venue: TBC
Time: 7pm – 9pm
Cost: £75
General Governance Courses
Well-Being
An essential to a successful school but how do governors ensure it for staff and pupils?
A great deal is written and talked about in this area of school life and how hard it is to achieve with the constant challenges we face. What is our role here?
Governor Induction
Underpinning all of our courses is the DGP Governor Induction Programme which consists of three modules, each one covering a core strategic function as detailed in the latest DfE Governor Handbook.
We strongly urge any governor or clerk who has not followed this programme to book a place – information about the next session can be found in our regular e-newsletters or on our website.
Governors are busy people but there is a national expectation that they will keep their skills up to date and this is something Ofsted will consider.
Having followed an induction programme governors can develop their skills further by following up with other courses linked to the core strategic functions.
Three sessions plus on going mentoring
Cohort One – Autumn Term 2020
Thursday 5 November 2020
Thursday 12 November 2020
Thursday 19 November 2020
Facilitator: Sandra Fletcher
Venue: Zoom
Time: 6pm – 8pm
Special Price for Zoom Meetings:£200
Cohort Two – Spring Term 2021
Wednesday 3 March 2021
Wednesday 10 March 2021
Wednesday 17 March 2021
Facilitator: Sandra Fletcher
Venue: To be confirmed
Time: 7pm – 9pm
Cost: £270
Competency Area 2 – Accountability
FINANCE: Overseeing the Financial Performance of the School
Discharging this core function and looking at the implications of flat budgets. You’re your school have the financial expertise to cope in these very challenging times ahead?
SCHOOL PERFORMANCE: Gathering First Hand Monitoring Evidence
Gain a greater understanding of the purpose of governor visits, how the evidence you gather support monitoring of the school development plan and strategic vision.
Thursday 4 February 2021
Venue: Derby Conference Centre, London Road, Derby DE24 8UX
Time: 7pm – 9pm
Cost: £75
Competency Area 3 – People
CHAIRING: Skills of Chairing – Practical Tips for Aspiring Chairs of Governors and Chairs of Committee
An opportunity to consider the skills needed to chair an effective meeting and the essential components of a good meeting.
Date to be confirmed. To register your interest please email booking@dtsa.org.uk
Venue: Zoom
Time: 7pm – 9pm
Cost: £50
Competency Area 5 – Compliance
PUPIL PREMIUM: The Governor Role
An opportunity to understand how this funding can be spent. The need to be fully aware of its impact on the performance of this group of pupils in the school.
The need to evaluate spending and be well prepared for conversations with Ofsted.
This covers Competency Areas 2 and 5
Thursday 25 February 2021
Venue: Derby Conference Centre, London Road, Derby DE24 8UX
Time: 7pm – 9pm
Cost: £75
SEND: The Role of the SEND Governor
SEND is the responsibility of ALL governors, not just the designated governor. How does your governing body discharge the responsibility? Understand the principles of inclusion and how to champion the needs of SEND children in your school.
Wednesday 31 March 2021
Venue: Derby Conference Centre, London Road, Derby DE24 8UX
Time: 7pm – 9pm
Cost: £75
LOOKED AFTER CHILDREN: The Governor Role
How to approach this responsibility, the importance of assessment needs and appropriate support and provision for this very vulnerable group.
Wednesday 13 January 2021
Venue: Derby Conference Centre, London Road, Derby DE24 8UX
Time: 7pm – 9pm
Cost: £75
DfE Funded Courses
NGA Leading Governance Programme for Chairs
DGP is working with the NGA to deliver the National Training Programme for Chairs of Governors and Aspiring Chairs (also appropriate for vice chairs and chairs of committees). This programme has been developed by the National College for Teaching and Leadership / DfE to develop leadership skills with school improvement as a key theme. It has been designed to help you focus on the essential elements of being an effective chair. Please see www.leadinggovernance.org for more details.
Cost: £399
There are DfE scholarships available. Please see the NGA website or contact the office to discuss your immediate requirements at booking@dtsa.org.uk.
NGA Leading Governance Programme for Clerks
Level 3 Certificate in Clerking of School and Governing Boards
This accredited NGA Leading Governance Development for Clerks school and trust settings. It helps develop the knowledge and skills needed for high-quality clerking.
This programme offers a blend of flexible learning over approximately a nine month period. Led by experienced facilitators, participants will attend workshops and access effective one-to-one mentoring throughout the duration of this programme. Learning will be both group-led and independent.
Cost: £350
Some DfE funding is available and the programme will cost £75 if you are eligible.
Please see the NGA website or contact the office to discuss your immediate requirements at booking@dtsa.org.uk.
Courses for Clerks
Clerks: Developing Systems to Support Effective Governance
Governors work as a corporate body. The clerk, chair and head are charged with developing systems and structures which allow a board to work efficiently and effectively. How do you, as a clerk, do this?
Thursday 21 January 2021
Venue: Derby Conference Centre, London Road, Derby DE24 8UX
Time: 7pm – 9pm
Cost: £75