Headteacher's Report to Governors

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The headteacher’s report to the governing body is one of the key documents used to inform the governors of the school’s activities and developments. It provides important information and helps governing bodies with their strategic and accountability roles, particularly their challenge and support role.

The content of the headteacher’s report to governors will vary from school to school and from one meeting to the next, to meet the school’s particular needs and circumstances at any given time, although we recommend the use of consistent headings.

It is recommended that the following are included as standard discussion items:
– Standards / learner progression
– The efficiency of the management of the school’s resources
– Progress in implementing the School Development Plan and its agreed outcomes and targets
– Quality assurance and self-evaluation report.

Governors should agree with the headteacher on the key school information that should be made available. This should include:
– Information on performance that ensures that the governors are in a position to discuss the progress the school is, or is not, making.
– School performance data
– Information on local and national legislation and policy developments.
– Information (for discussion and decision) on future developmental planning.

Regular reports from the headteacher provides a comprehensive analysis of the work of the school over the academic year, and should therefore make reference to monitoring and evaluation information to demonstrate the impact made, for example, initiatives relating to teaching and learning, staff and pupil wellbeing etc.

The head’s report will be more a more effective tool for the governing body if the report:
– is concise but as informative as possible;
– indicating any items that require a decision by the governing body;
– avoiding unnecessary jargon and acronyms; and
– presenting the data clearly with explanations.

This enables governors to ask informed questions.

There is a legal requirement for governing bodies to meet, as a minimum requirement, termly and that, at this meeting, the headteacher gives a termly report. Governing bodies which meet more frequently than the minimum will still receive a termly report but not a report for each meeting. The headteacher’s report must be received by all governors together with all other documentation for the relevant meeting i.e. at least five working days prior to the meeting. This enables governors to have the opportunity to digest the report and negates the need to laboriously read it at the meeting.

Throughout the report, it is recommended that no member of staff or pupil is referred to by name, unless in a congratulatory way. Initials should be used when discussing staff.

In addition to the report, governing bodies will have established committees or ad hoc working groups with responsibility to consider and discuss specific areas and to report their findings to the full governing body for final consideration. The headteacher’s report may refer to these committees / reports but need not duplicate their content.

Contents of the Head teacher’s Report to Governors

PUPILS
Number on roll
– Admissions data, trends etc

ALN
All schools have an identified governor with responsibility for ALN
– Organisation of ALN
– Deployment of staff
– Statistical information – nos. of statements, pupils on School Action Plus and School Action
– Identified areas of ALN within the school e.g. moderate learning difficulties, ASD, MAT etc

LOOKED AFTER CHILDREN (LAC) / CHILDREN LOOKED AFTER (CLA) / YOUNG PEOPLE LOOKED AFTER (YPLA)
All schools have an identified governor with responsibility for LAC/CLA/YPLA
– Number of pupils at the school
– Progress of these pupils in comparison to their peers
– PDG initiatives

SAFEGUARDING
– Update on Staff / Governor training
– DBS checks for staff register
– Policy reviews
– safeguarding arrangements
– Any other relevant information
– Confidential – number of referrals

STAFFING
– School organisation to include deployment of all staff, class sizes, etc
– Staff responsibilities – curriculum and non-curriculum
– How staffing is used to reflect the School Teacher’s Pay and Conditions Document (PPA etc).
– Other specific issues that may need to be highlighted

STAFF PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT / REVIEW
Governors must be informed that the process is ongoing and where the school is within its annual cycle. This will include teaching and non-teaching staff as appropriate. The governors do not have reported to them individual objectives against specific staff though may be informed of a whole school objective that is inclusive of all staff. Only the headteacher’s PM committee are informed of the headteacher’s objectives unless the head teacher chooses otherwise.

TRAINING
Governors need to know the impact of Inset on the learner and in the longer term what effect it has had on standards.
– Teaching and non-teaching training attended by staff (CPD), both on and off site, outcomes within the school, how these will be monitored and evaluated
– Planned Staff Development Programme and comment on since last report

BUDGET
Finance committee may also provide a report at the meeting. (This may also be covered in the SDP section).
– The budget for the academic year
– Budget allocations against targets set

PUPIL DEVELOPMENT GRANT (PDG)
Governors must monitor the impact of the PDG
– The PDG allocation for the year
– The proposed expenditure
– Improvement expectations

WELLBEING (Staff & Pupils)
– Attendance rates and against targets set / strategies
– Staff absence rates
– Strategies for improving pupil & staff wellbeing
– Report from wellbeing governor / committee
– Analysis of wellbeing surveys
– Wellbeing training / days

CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENTS
Whereas this may be the focus of a committee or working group, there is still a need to report as Headteacher. Your report may refer to the relevant minutes of the committee. Governors approve expenditure against the curriculum and this is a means for them to monitor.
– Autumn term may see you give an outline of teaching and learning philosophy within the school
– Priorities in learning
– Impact of agreed developments
– Topics undertaken within various classes
– Include comments which relate to a previous decision made by governors re: curriculum e.g. a decision to endorse a teaching approach.

ASSESSMENT / PERFORMANCE AND STANDARDS
Reporting on assessment needs to be done termly with data reported to governors at the first available meeting. It is important that the governing body monitors and evaluates progress. Governors must also be informed as regards outcomes from data analysis and interpretation. This ensures that there are no hidden surprises awaiting!
– On entry information
– Baseline assessment
– National reading and numeracy tests
– Personalised assessment tests
– Benchmarking data (Internal / external as relevant)
– Monitoring against the Assessment, Recording and Reporting Policy
– You can also report on moderation undertaken within clusters and school
– Review of results and outcomes for the previous year
– Pupil progress and performance (attainment and achievement)

OTHER CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENTS
This helps enable governors see the whole school picture of how it develops the whole child and will contribute to understanding well-being as well as the provision of a broad, balanced curriculum.
e.g. Healthy Schools Project, Eco Schools, local project … cluster based, national projects

SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT PLAN (SDP)
Reporting on progress against SDP is recommended to be included in each headteacher’s report.
– Termly progress against stated outcomes
– Revisions to SDP
– Impact of school stakeholders on construction and delivery of SDP

SCHOOL SELF EVALUATION REPORT (SER)
Reporting on SER is recommended to be included in each head teacher’s report.
– Termly report on self-evaluation
– Monitoring report
– Comment of standards observed
– Annual update against the three inspection areas
– MSP visit profile … sharing outcomes and planned objectives against school improvement

POST INSPECTION ACTION PLAN (if applicable)
There is a requirement to report on progress against the Estyn Report and its subsequent Action Plan termly

TRANSITION PLAN
– You may wish to give an update on transition during these terms if it is relevant
– Report on the evaluation of the current plan
– Report on the compilation of the ‘new’ plan

COMPLAINTS
The governing body should monitor complaints. If there any trends, they can address these by possibly reviewing policy and practice in the school.
– Number of complaints that have been received in the previous academic year
– Nature of complaints
– Any trends

BEHAVIOUR
The governing body should monitor behaviour. If there any trends, they can address these by possibly reviewing policy and practice in the school.
– Pupil achievements etc
– Number of discrimination / bullying incidents in the previous academic year
– Nature of the issues
– Any trends
– Information regarding the application of the relevant policies – good practice / issues etc

PUPIL EXCLUSIONS
– Pupil exclusion data – by type, gender, ethnic minority, any trends etc

BUILDINGS AND PREMISES & HEALTH AND SAFETY
– Details of any health and safety risk assessments carried out
– Any work to be carried out as a result of the risk assessment
– Any modifications to the school premises that are being undertaken

DATA PROTECTION / GDPR
With the introduction of GDPR it’s important that the governing body is kept up to date with data requirements and compliance.
– Details of any data breaches and referrals to DPO / ICO
– Updates to how data is being processed at the school
– Review of policy (as per the GBs review checklist)

SCHOOL ACTIVITIES
– Termly update

VISITORS TO SCHOOL
– Termly update against who, why and when

LIAISON
Include such things as:
– Liaison with community groups
– Other schools
– Local primary / comprehensive school / s
– Head teacher networks
– Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) / cluster work

PARENT/ COMMUNITY LINKS
– Parents in school / helpers / learners
– PTA / activities / pupil helpers etc
– Reporting to parents
– Seeking views of parents / communication with parents
– Community links (use of facilities