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, NGA and Learning Link. Discounts are available for all the external organisations if buying through Derby City Council. 

GovernorHub Knowledge (previously The Key for School Governors) Membership Benefits

This is 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 and GovernorHub Knowledge membership
• Access to FAQs and resources on GovernorHub.

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 guide and the Academy Trust 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 discounted price.

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.

GovernorHub Knowledge membership benefits

This is only available with GovernorHub.

An essential on-demand training and knowledge bank that provides support when you need it - giving you confidence in your actions and the knowledge to be truly effective.

Access more than a thousand practical articles 

• Make sure everyone knows what is (and isn’t) expected of them, when to do something and, most importantly, how to do it well
• Find tailored resources for maintained schools and all layers of academy governance
• Get the right information quickly, with timely, up-to-date articles
  Written by our team of governance experts, for governors and trustees like you.

Grow and develop with on-demand, interactive training courses

• Help your governors and trustees to feel prepared and able to contribute, whatever their role
• Get new governors and trustees off to a great start with induction training
• Refresh your link governors’ knowledge with practical tips and real-life scenarios
• Dip in and out of each module to suit your needs and schedule
• Download your certificate on completion and add it to your GovernorHub training library.

Discover the policy bank

• Demystify policy monitoring for your board and make the most of your time
• Find guidance on when and how to review specific policies
• Hear about policy announcements and emerging issues as they happen
• Know what good, compliant policies look like and access 30+ 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 - NGA learning link e-learning

Benefitting from a discounted price (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.

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.