Governor support for Multi Academy Trusts

This service is for all academies.

The governor support team, based within education and skills, aims to provide support and guidance to clerks and school governors to help improve standards in schools.

This is a bespoke service being offered to multi academy trusts (MATs) and their academies.

We are pleased to be able to offer packages that include GovernorHub, GovernorHub Knowledge (ex The Key for School Governors) and TheSchoolBus. Discounts are available for all the external organisations if buying through Derby City Council. 

GovernorHub Knowledge (ex The Key for School Governors) Membership Benefits (only available with GovernorHub).

What the service provides

Support and training is offered to multi academy trusts and their academy governing boards. For each multi academy trust we can build you a tailored package to suit your requirements. Please contact Jayne Hadfield to discuss. Packages can be bought by MATs for all academies or for individual academies.

Services available to choose from are:

• Access to the LA’s governor support helpline who can provide immediate advice and support.
• Support and advice for dealing with complaints.
• Clerks’ fact sheets regularly updated.
• NGA chairs handbook.
• Governor recruitment support and resources.
• Termly chairs briefing sessions.
• Access to the governor support subscriber pages on the schools’ information portal.
• Access to the weekly schools circular.
• Support for new clerks and new chairs available.
• Free places available on selected courses and conferences with discounted prices on courses from the annual training programme for governors and clerks.
• New governor induction training.
• Bespoke school based training for all governors subject to agreement.
• Training certificates.
• Governing body training record.
• NGA membership.
• GovernorHub membership.
• Access to FAQs and resources on GovernorHub.
• The key for school governors membership at a DCC discounted rate.
• TheSchoolBus membership at a DCC discounted rate.

Benefits

• Access to the governor support manager who is based within the professional advocates for children in education team, has school and local authority knowledge.
• Access to expert knowledge on DfE governance handbook.
• Training is delivered by senior LA officers, professional advocates for children in education with experience of inspections, LA officers, head teachers, experienced governors, external educational consultants.
• Ability to network and share good practice with other governing boards and clerks.
• Access to NLGs and external reviews of governance brokered.
• Virtual/on-site visits to new clerks are available.
• Choice of external memberships benefitting from discounted prices negotiated as part of the DCC governor support and improvement packages.

GovernorHub Membership Benefits

All GBs will receive access to GovernorHub in all of the DCC governor support and improvement packages benefitting from a 75% discount.

As a school governor you know that expectations are high. The demands on you are greater than ever. GovernorHub was invented by school governors to make life as a school governor as simple as possible. We give you the information and tools that you need - online and instantly.

• Keep up to date with the latest news and announcements from local and national sources.
• Have private online discussions with your fellow governor.
• Plan and book your meetings and school events in a shared calendar and link this to your personal diary on PC, tablet or phone.
• Store all of your governing body documents in one place.
• Find key data about your school via links to local and national sources.
• Look at data for similar schools or search for other schools.
• Browse and book training courses from your local authority governor support team.

Benefits of GovernorHub

• Governing body noticeboard and discussion page.
• Shared storage for all your GB documents, minutes and policies.
• Events calendar for GB members, at your fingertips or linked to your smartphone.
• Latest national news for schools and governors.
• Your GB membership list, committee membership and key roles.
• Governing Body constitution record and vacancy report.
• Quick governing body health check for key Ofsted criteria.
• iPad app for viewing your documents offline enabling your meetings to be paperless.
• Latest local news for schools and governors.
• Integrated support from your local authority governor support team.
• Ability to book training courses online with the LA. 

GovernorHub for MATs

GovernorHub also has built in support for multi-academy trusts, offering support for trust boards and local governing boards (LGBs). In particular it provides:

• A private area to store and track trust board members, meetings and documents.
• Access for trustees and members to all LGB documents and details.
• An area for MATs to share documents and news across all their LGBs. 

NB Access for the LGB is included but an extra charge is incurred for the MAT board.

The key for school governors membership benefits (only available with GovernorHub)

Being a school governor is quite the task. Knowledge gaps and limited time mean it is sometimes hard to feel confident making decisions and holding leaders to account. The flow of changes in education create a justified anxiety that something might be missed.

• The key app provides you with access to articles and news when you need it most; instantly view policies, research and daily news round-ups on the move and in your governing body meetings.
• DfE guidance and the law clearly explained, easy-to-read articles tell you how legislation and statutory requirements affect your school and board.
• Step-by-step advice on how to make big decisions, follow our expert advice on how to respond to changes in the sector and keep your compliance in check.
• Templates, checklists and audits - ready to use, avoid reinventing the wheel when it comes to the nuts and bolts of governance like elections and agenda writing.
• One-minute briefings to share with governors, share these alongside meeting papers to get your entire board up to speed on key issues.
• Ofsted preparation resources, you’ll know exactly what inspectors are looking for, and be ready to show your board at its best.
• Questions to ask during meetings and visits, arrive knowing what you need to ask (or quickly search our website mid-meeting), to make sure you get the information you need.
• Help to write, review and implement high-quality policies; you’ll know what good, compliant policies look like, and have access to more than 30 editable model documents.

NGA Membership Benefits

This year we are again offering governing bodies the choice of benefiting from the discount negotiated with NGA if you subscribe through the DCC governor support and improvement package. The silver package includes NGA standard membership and the gold package includes the NGA gold membership.

Silver package - The NGA standard membership entitles all governors in your governing body to:

• Receive the weekly e-newsletter.
• Access the members’ area of the website.
• One free place at all NGA member events.
• Three paper copies of the NGA magazine governing matters to home addresses.
• Member discounts on NGA guides. 

Gold package - The NGA gold membership entitles the whole governing body to:

• Receive the weekly e-newsletter.
• Access the members’ area of the website.
• Receive paper copies of the NGA magazine governing matters to home addresses.
• Get a free pack and member discount on NGA guides.
• Three free places at member events.
• Access the NGA GOLDline – legal advice service. 

NGA for MATs

• Receive the weekly e-newsletter.
• Access the members’ area of the website.
• Trust Board members receive paper copies of the NGA magazine governing matters to home addresses.
• Get a free pack and member discount on NGA guides.
• Three free places at member events.
• Access the NGA GOLDline – legal advice service. 

Bolt-on - TheSchoolBus

We are pleased to be able to offer TheSchoolBus as a bolt-on to our governor support and improvement offer again. GBs will benefit from a DCC 10% discount (subject to confirmation from TheSchoolBus).

With TheSchoolBus, you gain access to over 3,000 actionable articles, 1,000 practical templates and 300 compliant model policies applicable to all aspects of school leadership. Plus, if you can't find what you need, we'll make it for you!

Every solution is thoroughly quality assured and made in-house using the latest DfE and Ofsted guidance. We never provide unvetted third-party examples.

To see why thousands of schools and academies rely on TheSchoolBus to remain compliant, stay informed and drive educational standards, take a free trial. Visit TheSchoolBus website to get started.

Membership includes an account for all staff members and governors.

Bolt-on - NGA learning link e-learning

Benefitting from a 49% discount (subject to confirmation from NGA).

NGA learning link is an e-learning service via NGA which focuses on supporting governors, chairs, clerks, and trustees to develop their governance skills and knowledge.

The national governance association has teamed up with virtual college, one of the UK’s top e-learning providers, to deliver accessible, engaging and convenient e-learning. With 24/7 multi-device access to 50 modules, learning can be completed anytime, anywhere and at any place that suits the learner.

Bolt-on - modern governor e-learning (only available with GovernorHub)

Modern governor is an e-learning service that offers a constantly-growing collection of e-learning modules for governors and trustees in maintained schools, academies and free schools. By subscribing you will unlock a catalogue of engaging and interactive e-learning modules designed to work on smartphone, tablet and desktop. Even better, new modules are constantly added and made available to subscribers at no additional cost – so your modern governor service keeps getting better.

GovernorHub and modern governor have partnered up to bring you these benefits:

• Completion of modern governor modules reflected in your personal training record stored in GovernorHub.
• Inclusion of all modern governor modules completed by your board in your board’s training log.
• Access to your personalised modern governor completion certificates from within GovernorHub. 

Cost

For each MAT we can build a tailored package to suit your requirements. Please contact Jayne Hadfield to discuss. Packages can be bought by MATs for all academies or for individual academies.

Contact

Jayne Hadfield
Governor Support Manager
Tel: 01332 640364
Email: jayne.hadfield@derby.gov.uk

How to order

Now you have selected the services you require, please visit the how to order services section to find out how you can place your order.