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Strategic planning

Growing governance campaign

Growing Governance was a national campaign developed by the National Governance Association to celebrate our 10-year anniversary in 2016.

We're challenging school governors and trustees in England to step up and set the educational agenda, inspire others with their ideas and creativity and establish themselves as strategic thinkers and leaders.

Campaign
17/05/2016

Our goals

  1. Celebrate the difference made by governors and trustees as strategic thinkers and leaders who act in the children’s interests

  2. Increase education sector awareness about the role and responsibilities of school governors and trustees  - particularly the responsibility to set the vision, and ethos of the schools and their offer to pupils

  3. Challenge governors and trustees to step up and embrace the ability to take charge of the educational offer, and to publicise their actions to a wider audience, including MPs

Growing Governance Day

We're asking governors and trustees to engage the whole school community  in a debate about the education of pupils, with the view to creating or refreshing an exciting vision that brings together the whole school in determining it.

We realise that a number of barriers might prevent boards from creating a clear and meaningful vision, not least the misconception that it is simply unnecessary or just a long-forgotten paragraph on the school’s website. 

But it is the starting point for everything the school is trying to achieve.  Think of your vision and ethos as the school’s DNA. 

Share your vision with the local community, local councillors and your MP. Talking about what you’re trying to achieve raises the profile of school governance and has the power to kickstart change.

Clarity of vision is one of three core functions for every governing board, and it’s our privilege as governors and trustees to ensure that the vision, ethos and strategic direction of our school or schools are clearly defined. From this vision stems your strategy; armed with your strategy, the school’s leaders can set about developing their plans to achieve your targets.

We know that there are many factors – qualifications and tests, performance tables, Ofsted, funding – that limit the freedoms governing boards have, or at least can feel as though they constrain us. Yet there is much room in the school year for doing things differently, if we all have the confidence to do so.

You should aim to collect the views of the whole school community – pupils, parents, staff, the wider community and local employers – and then use the time with your senior leaders to consider these views, to think about the school’s strengths and weaknesses, and the opportunities and threats on the horizon, before settling on the vision.

Being Strategic

Being Strategic: a guide for governing boards gives you everything you need to create a vision and strategic plan.

But don’t stop there. Share your vision with the local community, local councillors and your MP. Talking about what you’re trying to achieve and the challenges you encounter in the process raises the profile of school governance and has the power to kickstart change. 

Are you planning a Growing Governance day? Tell us about it! Tweet us @NGAMedia #growinggovernance

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