Updates, News & Resources

ESFA – Academy Trust Handbook 2023

The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) have published the new Academy Trust Handbook , which comes into effect from 1 September 2023.

This year the handbook has been sharpened and shortened, and trusts should ensure that they are aware of and apply the supplementary guidance signposted throughout the handbook. It contains several key changes, including:

• related party transactions: an increase in the threshold beyond which ESFA approval is required for related party transactions from £20k to £40k
• annual reporting: removing the requirement for explanations in annual accounts when holding fewer than 6 board meetings per year
• budget setting: providing an additional month to submit annual budget forecast returns
• budget monitoring: providing more discretion in the distribution of management accounts
• sustainability: confirming that salary sacrifice schemes can be set up for electric vehicles, in most cases without our approval

The ESFA have summarised the changes to the 2023 edition on page 7 of the guidance. The Handbook can be downloaded via the www.gov.uk website via the following LINK

DFE – Suspension and Permanent Exclusion Guidance 2023

The Department for Education has updated the Suspension and Permanent Exclusion Guidance which comes into effect from 1 September 2023.

The guidance is for maintained schools, academies and pupil referral units in England. The updates are in addition to those already established in the 2022 guidance and reflects the government’s ambition to create high standards of behaviour in schools so that children and young people are protected from disruption and are in a calm, safe, and supportive environment that brings out the best in every pupil.

This guidance provides schools and other bodies involved in this process with information so that they can continue to use suspensions and permanent exclusions appropriately. In addition, specific changes to the legislation governing the disciplinary school suspension and permanent exclusion process have been made and so changes have been made to the guidance to reflect this. The following is a list of updates:

• New guidance and amended regulations about a headteacher’s ability to cancel an exclusion before the governing board has met to consider whether the pupil should be reinstated. This practice is sometimes known as withdrawing or rescinding an exclusion. If this occurs, the parents, the governing board and the local authority, must be notified and, if relevant, the social worker and VSH. Further information on other actions that should take place following a cancelled exclusion is set out in paragraph 13.
• Governing board reinstatement meetings and IRPs can now be held via the use of remote access (for example, live video link) for suspension and permanent exclusions if requested by the parents, provided certain criteria are satisfied. Meetings held via the use of remote access should not be a default option and face to face meetings should always be encouraged. Further information is set out in Part Eleven.

The revised guidance can be downloaded via the www.gov.uk website using the following LINK

Collecting and Publishing Board Diversity Data

The DfE (Department for Education) has updated guidance on what maintained schools and academy trusts need to publish online.

To help boards ensure they are reflective of the communities they serve, the DfE is encouraging schools and trusts to publish diversity data on governing and trust boards. The DfE state “Diversity is important, and we want  boards to be increasingly reflective of the communities they serve. We encourage schools to collect and publish board members’ diversity data. Information must be widely accessible to members of the school community and the public. Board members can opt out of sharing their information, including protected characteristics, at any given time including after publication.”

The guidance can be downloaded directly from the ww.gov.uk website by selecting the following links:

What maintained schools must or should publish online

What academies, free schools and colleges must or should publish online

Bolton Governance Services through the NCOGS (National Co-ordinators of Governance Services) national network have provided an example on how this information might be presented which can be downloaded via the ‘download’ button (to the right).

Whilst there is no prescriptive way to collect diversity data from volunteers, the NGA (National Governance Association), have produced a diversity indicators form that can be used by governing boards in all types of school structure to gather diversity data on their membership and use this as a basis for discussion and action. This can be downloaded directly from the NGA website via the following LINK

Virtual School Conference 2023 – Working Together and the Power of Relationships

Bolton’s Virtual School are delighted to invite educational professionals, including Nominated LAC Governors and Trustees, to their summer term Virtual School Conference. The event will discuss the impact of the Virtual School over the last academic year, updates from the Department for Education and look at how we can continue working together to raise the aspirations of care experienced children in Bolton.

The marketplace will open at 12pm providing an opportunity to speak to a range of providers who can support children with a social worker.

This event is open to any education professional supporting Bolton’s children with a social worker, including nominated LAC Governors and Trustees.

Bolton’s Virtual School is committed to raising the educational attainment of all looked after children in the Borough, and in doing so reduce any existing progress gaps between our looked after children and their peers.

A copy of the agenda may be downloaded below and you can book your place on Eventbrite by selecting the following LINK

Safeguarding- Section 175/157 Audit of Educational Settings

As part of a co-ordinated approach, from this year, the Bolton Safeguarding Children Partnership are conducting the Section 175/157 audit on behalf of Bolton Local Authority. This comprehensive annual audit enables your school to capture important information about your safeguarding arrangements, as well providing assurance to the statutory safeguarding partners.

The 175 self-audit is being carried out via a dedicated online self-assessment platform, with each setting across Bolton asked to complete the audit. Detailed supporting information including S175/157 completion guidance, the self-assessment audit link and a variety of frequently asked questions is available via the Bolton Safeguarding Children Partnership website. The self-audit will enable schools and academies to identify and develop an action plan to share with governors and trustees.

The 2022/23 self-assessment is running across the Spring Term 2023. It opened on Monday 9th January 2023 and will close at 1700 on Friday 14th April 2023.

For any questions or queries please contact the Safeguarding Education Team via email SET@bolton.gov.uk or telephone 01204 337472

SEND Review Government Consultation Response

On 2 March 2023, the Government  responded  to  the  SEND  Review  Green  Paper Consultation by publishing its SEND and Alternative Provision (AP) Improvement Plan: Right support, right place, right time. The consultation highlighted very real concerns and a need for change in a system that is hampered by inequity, difficult and lengthy processes, and funding shortfalls. The SEND and AP Improvement Plan outlines the first steps that the government will take in addressing the issues raised. The plan sets out a roadmap to transform the SEND and AP system:

• Establishing a single national system that delivers for every child and young person with SEND so that they enjoy their childhood, achieve good outcomes, and are well prepared for adulthood and employment.
• Giving families greater confidence that their child will be supported to fulfil their potential through improved mainstream provision in their local setting.
• Ensuring children and young people with SEND who do require an Education, Health and Care Plan and specialist provision get prompt access to the support they need, and that parents don’t face an adversarial system to secure this.
• Strengthening accountability across the system so that everyone is held to account for supporting children and young people with SEND.

Many of the proposed changes will be trialled initially, with nine regional partnerships, covering around 30 LA areas, piloting the changes before they are finalised, meaning it will potentially be 2025 (at the earliest) before legislation is decided upon.

The Plan, and NASEN’s (National Association for Special Educational Needs) response to it,  plus a range of role-specific ‘What you need to know’ guides along with other links to useful supporting materials may be accessed by visiting the NASEN website using the following LINK

Sue Cornwell, Head of Service with Children with SEN, will be proving governors and trustees with an update at the Partnership Forum to be held on Monday 22 May 2023 – bookings via the following LINK

DfE Press Release: Careers Boost for Young People

The DfE issued a press release on 5 January to announce that Primary school pupils will benefit from careers support and a change to law will give more young people access to advice about technical education. The summary of the changes are as follows:

• New careers programme will open primary school children’s eyes to the world of future job possibilities and challenge stereotypes
• Young people to benefit from new law so they learn about the variety of exciting career routes available to them including technical routes to jobs as well as academic
• Part of government’s drive to make sure all young people get high quality advice to make informed choices on the skills needed for a successful career
  Primary school pupils are to benefit from a new careers programme that will encourage them to think about future jobs early, whilst nurturing aspirations and challenging stereotypes.

The full press release van be viewed via this LINK

Careers Guidance and Access for Education and Training Providers

The Statutory guidance for schools and colleges on providing careers guidance “Careers guidance and access for education and training providers” has also been revised. This guidance can be downloaded directly from the www.gov.uk website by following this LINK

DfE Governance Update – December 2022

The DfE (Department for Education), as part of their regular governance update, have provided additional guidance to assist governors, trustees and school leaders in their governance roles. You may have already received this update if you are subscribed to the DfE GIAS (Get Information About Your Schools) system. The December 2022 briefing includes the following updates:

• Increased funding for schools in autumn statement
• National leaders of governance programme
• Supporting schools to be energy efficient
• Access to technical education and apprenticeship providers
• Baroness Barran message for governance professional pathway

The guidance can be gained directly from the www.gov.uk website by following this LINK

Federations: DfE Guidance on the Governance Processes 2022

The DfE have updated their guidance on the Governance of Federations. All categories of maintained school, including voluntary-aided, foundation schools and maintained school nurseries can federate together under one governing body. Academy schools cannot federate or join a federation.

The establishment and membership of a federation means that the governors and school leaders commit to improving the outcomes and life chances for all children across the federation, as opposed to just a single school.

The new guidance largely provides guidance on the setting up of a federation and also leaving and dissolving a federation.

The guidance can be gained directly from the www.gov.uk website by following this LINK

DfE Governance Update – September 2022

The DfE (Department for Education), as part of their regular governance update, have provided additional guidance to assist governors, trustees and school leaders in their governance roles. You may have already received this update if you are subscribed to the DfE GIAS (Get Information About Your Schools) system. The September briefing includes the following updates:

• Energy Bill Relief Scheme
• Publication of the Academy Trust Handbook 2022
• Publication of Guidance for Federations
• Find Volunteers to become Schools Governors
• Consultation: School Food Guidance & Training
• Risk Protection Arrangement members – cyber cover and regulatory mock trials

The guidance can be gained directly from the www.gov.uk website by following this LINK

DfE – Published Information on School and Academy Websites – 2022 Update

The DfE have updated their guidance on what information all LA maintained schools, academies and free schools must or should publish on their websites.

The updated guidance includes new sections on ‘School uniforms’ and ‘School opening hours’.

The guidance can be downloaded directly from the ww.gov.uk website by selecting the following links:

What maintained schools must or should publish online

What academies, free schools and colleges must or should publish online

DfE Careers Guidance and Access for Education and Training Providers 2022

The DfE have released new statutory guidance “Careers guidance and access for education and training providers” from September 2022. The guidance is for governing bodies, proprietors, school and college leaders, careers leaders and staff in maintained schools, academies and free schools (including alternative provision academies and free schools).

High quality careers education and guidance in school or college is critical to young people’s futures. It helps to prepare them for the workplace by providing a clear understanding of the world of work including the routes to jobs and careers that they might find engaging and rewarding. It supports them to acquire the self-development and career management skills they need to achieve positive employment destinations. This helps students to choose their pathways, improve their life opportunities and contribute to a productive and successful economy.

Schools must provide opportunities for a range of education and training providers to access all year 8 to 13 pupils to inform them about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships. Ofsted’s school inspection handbook has been updated to highlight the importance of schools understanding and meeting the requirements of this legislation, as careers information, education, advice and guidance is one of the key areas that informs inspectors’ overall judgements on Personal Development.

The statutory guidance can be downloaded directly from the www.gov.uk website by following this LINK

Welcome to the Autumn Term 2022

Dear Governor and Trustee

Welcome to the autumn term 2022 and the new school year! I hope you feel rested after the summer break and ready to take on the opportunities and challenges for the year ahead. As usual the Governance Services Team are here to support you in in all matters relating to strategic governance through our clerking, training and development services.

After a turbulent year in terms of staffing and the effects of the pandemic, I’m really pleased to report that the service is now fully staffed after the retirement of our colleagues, Janet Shallaker-Gill and Carole Brooks. We wish them all the very best for the future and I know many of their schools have been in contact to wish them well.

It’s great to formally welcome our newest members of the team, Amy Appleyard and Rachael Worthington. Amy commenced with the service at the beginning of the summer term so will have already met most of her boards; however, Rachael, whilst commencing towards the end of the summer, will be meeting you for the first time this term. Both have a great deal of experience in the education and legal sector and bring an abundance of skills to the role, and I know they will support you and your boards well.

We have some new and exciting opportunities through the Governance Training and Development Programme this year with over 35 centre-based course areas and 70 e-learning sessions.  All accessible via competitive SLA and Pay As You Go rates. Highlights include new sessions for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, CIAG (Careers Information, Advice and Guidance) and the Role of the Board and Academisation Structures and Processes. The programme also includes a series of new interactive practical workshop sessions for self-reflection and sharing of good practice on various strategic matters.

This year, we are re-introducing our annual Governance Conference, which had been put on hold due to the inability to meet in large numbers. The conference theme this year is “Beyond Barriers: Achieve, Succeed and Belong in Bolton” and will prove to be a informative and thought-provoking event, as well as a celebration of Governance in Bolton.

As usual, our regular offer of termly Chairs’ Briefings, Partnership Forums and Training and Development Lead Briefings continue to support shared learning and external perspectives.

Finally, don’t forget that the service, through our Development Programme, can provide bespoke learning opportunities for your Board on various governance areas, enabling effective strategic working and promotion of best practice and excellence.

So, from myself and the Team, I want to thank you for your support in 2021/22 and I wish you and your school and governance teams well for the term and year ahead.

John Ashworth, Governance Services Manager

DfE – Keeping Children Safe in Education 2022

The DfE have published the latest update of the Keeping Children Safe in Education Document 2022. The statutory guidance, which comes into effect from 1 September 2022, sets out the legal duties schools and trusts must follow to safeguard and promote the welfare of pupils.

A notable amendment is that all governors and trustees will need to receive appropriate safeguarding and child protection training at induction. Their training will also need to be regularly updated.

The Local Authority in partnership with Bolton College provides ‘Keeping Children Safe – Level 1’ online training which can be accessed via the following LINK

More in depth centre based training on ‘Safeguarding and the Role of the Board’ is available to book on various dates in 2022-23 through the Governance Training and Development programme via the following LINK

Governance Services have updated model induction material to take account of this, with further promotion at the autumn term briefing sessions.

The statutory guidance can be downloaded directly from the DfE website by following this LINK

Academy Trust Handbook 2022

The ESFA (Education and Skills Funding Agency) has recently published the 2022 edition of the Academy Trust Handbook, previously know as the Academies Financial Handbook. The revised handbook comes into effect on 1 September 2022 with limited changes which include revised information about financial reporting, special payments, indemnities and religious character.

Copies of the Academy Trust Handbook 2022 may be downloaded via the www.gov.uk website by following this LINK

DfE Guidance on School Suspensions and Permanent Exclusions – September 2022

The Department for Education has published revised statutory guidance detailing the legal responsibilities for those who suspend (fixed period exclusion) and permanently exclude pupils from educational settings. The guidance comes into force from 1 September 2022 and is for use by local-authority-maintained schools, academies and pupil referral units.

Good behaviour in schools is essential to ensure that all pupils benefit from the opportunities provided by education. Therefore, the government recognises that school exclusions, managed moves and off-site direction are essential behaviour management tools for headteachers and can be used to establish high standards of behaviour in schools and maintain the safety of school communities.

This document provides a guide to the legislation that governs the suspension and permanent exclusion of pupils from all maintained schools (including special schools), pupil referral units (PRUs), academy schools (including free schools, special schools, studio schools and university technology colleges) and alternative provision academies (including alternative provision free schools) in England. It also includes the use of behavioural strategies such as managed moves and directing pupils off-site to improve behaviour to help prevent a suspension or permanent exclusion. The document provides statutory guidance to which headteachers, governing boards, local authorities, academy trusts, independent review panel (IRP) members and special educational needs (SEN) experts, social workers and Virtual School Heads (VSHs) must have regard when carrying out their functions in relation to suspension and permanent exclusions.

The guidance can be downloaded directly from the DfE website by following this LINK

This guidance should be used alongside the ‘Behaviour in schools: advice for headteachers and school staff 2022’ which also comes into force from 1 September 2022. This can be downloaded directly from the DfE website by following this LINK

Ofsted School Inspection Framework – September 2022

Ofsted have reviewed and updated its inspection framework and school inspection handbooks to take account of the pandemic, curriculum transition arrangements and general understanding of inspections.

The changes which will take effect from September 2022, include the renaming of section 5 inspections which will be known as a ‘graded inspections’ and section 8 inspections which have been changed to ‘ungraded inspections’.  A new grade descriptor has been embedded into the quality of education judgement to recognise that amendments to elements of the curriculum will be ongoing to suit the needs of pupils following the pandemic.

The guidance can be downloaded directly from the www.gov.uk website by following this LINK

NGA Revised Governance Skills Audit Tool

The National Governance Association (NGA) have revised their governance skills audit tool that helps governing and trust boards to identify where they need to develop knowledge, skills and behaviour to deliver their functions effectively. The NGAs updated skills audit builds on the changes made last year: concise scoring guidance helps governors and trustees to provide accurate and consistent scores. While the content of the audit remains largely unchanged, you’ll notice further improvements to format and ease of use.

The revised governance skills audit tool can be downloaded directly from the NGA website by following this LINK

Can you provide support to another Board Locally?

As part of the Local Authority’s statutory responsibility for maintained schools across the Borough, we assist governing boards that require additional support to help them meet their strategic responsibilities through a number of supportive strategies and interventions.

We are therefore currently looking for experienced governors that might be able to assist a governing board locally either in the short, medium or longer term. This is to help provide experience and capacity as a serving member of a board.

If you feel able to provide support and would like further information, please contact John Ashworth, Governance Services Manager for an informal discussion on 01204 338603 or via email at john.ashworth@bolton.gov.uk

DfE – Working Together to Improve School Attendance

The Department for Education (DfE) has produced new guidance to help schools, academy trusts, governing bodies, and local authorities maintain high levels of school attendance including roles and responsibilities.

The guidance will apply from September 2022, and details what is expected as schools publish their attendance policy. The guidance also includes what is expected of governing boards in terms of the support, guidance and challenge required to ensure effective whole school approaches to improving attendance. As improving school attendance on a whole school or trust basis begins at board level, the summary table of responsibilities that accompanies the guidance also clearly outlines governing board attendance responsibilities in relation to various pupil groups.

The guidance and summary table of responsibilities can be downloaded directly from the www.gov.uk website by following this LINK