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The Governor Support Service is an independent service offering governor training, advice, guidance and support to all Hillingdon Schools.  With over 20 years’ combined experience working within local authorities in Governor Support roles, we are able to offer local and legislative advice, support and training to school governors and clerks.

The Governor Support Service provides a programme of training and development sessions each term that governors, headteachers, associate members and clerks can access to help them carry out their duties effectively.

We provide governing bodies and schools with information, support, and advice to proactively promote and achieve outstanding governance.

Our service provision enables you to receive advice and guidance in an accessible way, and we pride ourselves on being approachable, adaptable, and knowledgeable in school governance matters.  The support we provide aims to enable you to focus on your key roles and responsibilities – therefore assisting you to enable your school to deliver a good quality education.

For schools that have purchased a service level agreement with us for 2021/2022, this is what is available to your governing body:

Advice and Guidance, including:

  • Email and telephone support for any governor, headteacher or clerk queries
  • Out-of-hours telephone support for urgent matters
  • Governing body membership issues e.g. elections and governing body member and associate member appointments
  • Support before/during/after an Ofsted inspection or HMI visit
  • Telephone conferencing into committee and governing body meetings (when requested and subject to availability)
  • Face-to-face support with complex issues, school complaints, and serious concerns – up to 5 hours per annum per governing body with charges for additional hours thereafter.

Learning and Development, including:

  • Attendance at the following “Essential Central Termly” courses:
    • Clerks’ Briefing Meeting
    • Chairs’ Termly Briefing Meeting
    • Hot Topics
    • Introduction to Governance – Part 1
    • Introduction to Governance – Part 2
    • Introduction to Governance – Part 3
  • Attendance at “All Other Central Training” offered on a termly basis
  • One “Whole Governing Body” training session each year.

Tailored Support, including:

  • 1:1, group, or whole governing body support (when requested)
  • 1:1 induction and ongoing support for clerks.

Access to Information, including:

  • The GSS website that aims to be a “one stop shop” for relevant policies, procedures, and other documents
  • A termly electronic bulletin sent to all governing body members
  • A “New Governors’ Welcome Pack” for new governors when they have been registered with our service.

Recruitment and Performance Support, including:

  • Advice on headteacher performance management and (in conjunction with the Schools HR Co-operative) headteacher recruitment
  • Advice on the recruitment of governors (all categories) and clerks.

Network and Consultancy Advice, including

  • Support to identify governing body external reviewers e.g. to undertake pupil premium external reviews
  • Access to a range of school improvement consultants
  • Access to school-to-school networks.

 

Telephone 01895 717321

Mobile 07881 238127 (out of hours number)

Email [email protected]