Towards Outstanding – Self Assessment Framework for Governors

An annual skills audit has a number of uses and benefits:

  • It enables the governing body to explore its skills and knowledge base, as part of an overall assessment of its effectiveness
  • It help the GB organise the membership of committees and the delegation of tasks to individual members
  • The GB can use the information to identify future training and development needs
  • A skills audit can help the GB develop its succession planning policy and the future recruitment of governors
  • It is a mechanism to ensure that its skills and expertise are matched to the needs of the school…and to improve outcomes for pupils
  • It can help individual governors become more aware of their skills
  • It will help inform the Governor and Management Support Services how we can help you via the training programme and other activities

Completing the skills audit

Apart from your time, commitment and enthusiasm, which is recognised and appreciated, governors need a range of skills and experiences to ensure they fulfil their roles and responsibilities effectively, and their schools provide a quality education for every child.

To help the governing body understand what skills they have, and haven’t, please complete the audit questions on the other side.  As a governing body we work as a team and believe everyone has a contribution to make, and the potential to develop. When answering the questions it’s important to remember that a skill can be acquired in a number of ways – for example, through training, taking a qualification, through the work you do, undertaking a voluntary activity, or life experiences themselves.

The exercise will be most effective if everyone takes part.

How to use the skills audit

  • Decide when the skills audit is best completed – ideally this should fit in with the GB’s own processes and cycle of self-review/ evaluation
  • Collate and analyse the results – the aim is to identify the spread of skills/ experiences across the GB, and to identify key gaps (training link governor)
  • Use the results to help complete the SEF (Section A4.3) [1] and identify possible areas for development for inclusion in the school improvement plan.  Individual governors should use the information to complete their Personal Development Planner 2009/10

Governing Body Skills Audit form

Name……………………………  Governing Body………………………………

How would you rate your knowledge/ understanding/ competence in the broad skill/ experience areas listed in the table:

Skills/ experience Very good Good Adequate Poor
Working as part of a team        
Communication skills:

  • Written
  • oral
        
Administrative/ Organisational        
Mediation        
Strategic planning        
Problem solving        
Project management        
Public speaking        
Chairing meetings        
Taking minutes        
Monitoring, reviewing, and evaluating school performance        
School finances        
School curriculum        
School policies        
Human resources/ staffing        
Equality and diversity issues        
Information technology/ computers        
Health and safety, including safeguarding        
Building maintenance/ facilities management        
School data analysis e.g. RAISEonline        
Special educational needs        
Marketing/ publicity/ public relations        
DIY/ practical work        
Education        
Others (details of any Skills/experiences you have not listed)        

Expertise/ experience

  • Interest in education/ children
  • Commitment (prepare for/ attend meetings, actively participate, get to know the school, attend courses)
  • Time
  • Enthusiasm
  • Professional development
  • Organised
  • Analysis/ judgement
  • Data handling
  • Challenge/ support
  • Confidence
  • Literacy
  • Finance/ business
  • Quality/ self assessment
  • Health and safety
  • Legal education
  • HR
  • Mediation
  • Problem solving
  • Leadership capability
  • IP skills
  • Team work/ share views
  • Like a challenge
  • Communication
  • Curriculum
  • Common sense
  • Facilities management/ H&S
  • Equality and diversity issues
  • It
  • Safeguarding
  • governance

[1] The effectiveness of the governing body in challenging and supporting the school so that weaknesses are tackled decisively and statutory responsibilities met.