The School Standards Unit

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1 AUTUMN issue 30 ALL WALES CENTRE for GOVERNOR TRAINING AND RESEARCH and GOVERNORS WALES The School Standards Unit In this article Brett Pugh, outlines the work of the School Standards Unit. I am glad to take this opportunity to introduce myself. My name is Brett Pugh and I have been seconded into the Welsh Government as Head of the School Standards Unit for 80% of my time. I have been seconded in from Newport City Council where I am currently Chief Education Officer. My background prior to working for local government was in teaching: I have taught in further education and in both the secondary and primary sectors and been a primary headteacher. Why was the School Standards Unit set up? Many indicators tell us that pupil attainment is starting to fall behind in Wales. The School Standards Unit is a catalyst to generate ambition to improve outcomes. It supports improvement by focussing on the how of policy implementation rather than the what of policy development. The Unit has responsibility for sharpening the use of data, strengthening accountability, ensuring consistent sharing of high impact practice and evaluating policy implementation. The Unit was established at the beginning of May. Its full time staff transferred from within the Department for Education and Skills. In addition it currently has two school improvement officers and a statistician seconded from local authorities for an agreed number of days per term. How will the Unit work? The Unit will work effectively in partnership with the four local authority consortia and with officials from across the Department for Education and Skills to add value and maximise the capacity for school improvement throughout Wales. It will draw on expertise from across the school system to ensure there is a sharp focus on implementation. It will help consortia and local authorities to improve the support and challenge they provide for their schools and their governing bodies. The Unit will very rarely work directly with individual schools; this is the role of local authorities and consortia. The School Standards Unit has three roles that will help secure improved outcomes for pupils in Wales: 1. Data and analysis analysing performance data and building a shared understanding of the challenges faced by the school system; leading the process of national banding of schools by drawing data together into a coherent set to be used by governing bodies, headteachers and their staff and by consortia and local authorities; leading accountability processes involving data such as the development of school targets and profiles. 2. Planning and capacity working closely with consortia and local authorities to identify and share high impact school practice on a consistent basis; supporting coherent planning and capacity-building focussed on how to raise standards and narrow gaps. 3. Routines and response leading stocktakes with consortia to regularly review progress and be part of the two-way support and

2 ALL WALES CENTRE for GOVERNOR TRAINING AND RESEARCH and GOVERNORS WALES challenge with consortia, local authorities and the Welsh Government; carrying out fast-paced reviews to evaluate the quality of Department for Education and Skills policy implementation; producing feedback reports on progress in improving outcomes and policy implementation. Key Progress since May Stocktakes. The initial stocktakes took place in June and July with the four consortia. The Unit made a presentation at each of these meetings based on the consortium data for secondary schools. The consortium then made a presentation covering areas of strength and those areas of challenge. Following rigorous discussion, initial follow-up actions were agreed. School banding. Provisional banding data has been distributed to secondary schools based on 2010 data. We intend that final banding notification using 2011 results will be published to the Welsh Government website during the week commencing 12 December Next steps Support materials. Leaflets for parents, a question and answer briefing and Powerpoint presentation materials all explaining banding will be made available shortly. Primary school banding. Work has focused initially on the development of a secondary school banding model. The focus will now be on developing a model for the primary sector which involves a significantly larger number of schools. A small working group has been established to review our initial work and help us refine a pilot model. The working group includes current primary sector practitioners and local authority advisers. THE INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION SERVICE IN WALES In response to recommendations made by Peter Clarke, the former Children s Commissioner in his 2004 Clywch Report, the then Welsh Assembly Government set up an independent investigation service. In this article, Leah Fox outlines the work of the IIS. Between October 2006 and October 2011, the IIS received a total of 371 referrals related to child protection. The majority of these allegations were about physical restraint and contact such as rough handling, hitting and slapping, but also included allegations of sexual misconduct and inappropriate use of IT. Purpose of the IIS The purpose of the service is to supply governing bodies with an independent investigator to investigate allegations against school staff that include, or are about, child protection matters. This is set out in law in Regulation 7(3) of the Staffing of Maintained Schools (Wales) Regulations 2006: Where allegations are made against a member of the school s staff that involve issues of child protection the governing body must appoint an independent investigator to investigate the allegations prior to the hearing of any proceedings relating to those allegations. The Welsh Government funds the service which is managed on its behalf by Servoca Plc. Schools do not have to use the independent service provided by Servoca, but if they do there is no cost to the governing body and its delegated budget. Appointment of an Independent Investigator An independent investigator is appointed in all cases where allegations involving child protection matters may lead to formal disciplinary proceedings before the governing body s staff disciplinary/ dismissal committee. There is, though, an exception to this requirement; this is when an allegation is received and the Headteacher (if the allegation is not about them), the Chair of governors and the local authority lead child protection officer determine that the allegation cannot possibly be true e.g. the staff member allegedly involved in an incident on the school premises was away on the day in question. There may be allegations where initially it is considered that the issue may be a child protection matter, but after discussion between the parties mentioned above, it is concluded that the allegation would not warrant referral to formal disciplinary proceedings before a disciplinary committee, but that the matter should be dealt with through the schools lesser misconduct procedures. In these circumstances, the governing body is not required to engage an independent investigator. Where the behaviour in an allegation is considered to amount to gross misconduct that requires a

3 ALL WALES CENTRE for GOVERNOR TRAINING AND RESEARCH and GOVERNORS WALES formal disciplinary hearing before a committee of governors, the Chair of governors should immediately engage an independent investigator, and if they choose to do so, make a referral to Servoca Plc. Taking this action as soon as possible helps to ensure efficiency in the process, fairness to the parties involved and avoid undue delays. The following must apply before the governing body makes a referral requesting the IIS to conduct an investigation: 1. An allegation has been made 2. The allegation is about a child protection issue 3. The allegation potentially involves gross misconduct 4. The subject of the allegation is not an agency supply teacher The Process On receipt of an allegation that involves child protection issues, the Headteacher or Chair of governors should immediately refer the matter to the statutory authorities i.e. Social Services and the Police so that they can consider the allegation. The action by the statutory authorities takes precedence over any action by the governing body. At this stage the Chair should make the referral to Servoca (if that is the preferred option) and alert the governor members of the staff disciplinary/dismissal committee that they may be required. The Chair should then wait until the statutory authorities have completed their consideration of the matter, and referred the allegation back to the governing body to complete the disciplinary process. Upon accepting a case referral Servoca will allocate an investigator to the case and will check that the statutory authorities have completed their consideration of the matter. The IIS investigator will contact the person who made the referral (normally Chair of governors or Head Teacher) within 48 hours. The investigator will make arrangements to meet the main parties concerned. These will include the complainant and the parents or carers, Headteacher (where appropriate), and any relevant witnesses. Subsequently, the investigator will make early contact with the person(s) subject of the allegation through either a union representative, friend or other person looking after their interests. Investigations will be conducted in Welsh if requested. During the course of the investigation, the investigator will remain independent and impartial at all times. They will also act in the best interests of the school ensuring that scheduled meetings on school premises take place outside school hours to avoid any disruption or embarrassment within the school setting. If for any reason during the investigation the investigator feels their independence is compromised, they will inform the Lead Investigating Officer as soon as possible who will then allocate a different investigator to the case. If, during the course of the independent investigation, further matters relating to child protection or discipline or any potential criminal act comes to light, those further matters will be referred to the Chair of governors for a decision as to whether they should also be investigated as a separate referral. If the statutory authorities need to consider such a matter the investigator will suspend their enquiries until the conclusion of any proceedings instituted by the statutory authorities. At the conclusion of the investigation, the investigator will prepare and submit a report based on fact findings only. Prior to its submission to the Chair of the disciplinary committee, the report will be quality assured by the Lead Investigating Officer and the Operations Manager. The contents of the report are factual and evidence based and will not include any opinion, conclusions and/or recommendations. Any previous allegations made against the member of staff will not be commented upon in the investigation report as there is no provision for past allegations to be introduced against a member of staff in the IIS process. These should have been dealt with as they arose. The report will be written in English but can be translated into Welsh if required. If, at the conclusion of an investigation, a disciplinary hearing is convened, the investigator may be requested to attend but not to present the case. Attendance of an investigator at any subsequent disciplinary hearing should only be conducted with the following criteria: 1. The investigator may only attend as a witness. 2. The investigator must not act as a Prosecutor. 3. The investigator should be independent and impartial throughout their involvement in the disciplinary process and make that known from the outset. When the investigation has been finalised, all supplementary documents will be handed to the

4 ALL WALES CENTRE for GOVERNOR TRAINING AND RESEARCH and GOVERNORS WALES Chair of the disciplinary committee for retention. It is the Governing Body s responsibility to ensure the safekeeping of the case papers. The Roles and Responsibilities of relevant stakeholders in child protection allegations The Governing Body is to: Look at the behaviour and actions of the member of staff and consider whether it merits disciplinary action. (The Governing Body should not consider issues of criminal behaviour as this is a matter for the statutory authorities and the justice system) Engage an independent investigator to investigate the allegations and prepare a report for the Chair of the staff disciplinary/ dismissal committee through making a referral prior to a disciplinary hearing If the decision of the committee is that there is a case to answer, a staff disciplinary/dismissal hearing must be arranged. The IIS investigator is to: Contact the referrer within 48 hours of referral In investigating the allegation, consider all the evidence, including that supplied by the statutory authorities, and explore the facts relating to an allegation. This may mean interviewing witnesses and taking statements Produce an evidence based report with findings for the Chair of the staff disciplinary/dismissal committee. It is not for an IIS Investigator to provide any recommendations or conclusions in the report as this is a matter for the Governing Body If the decision of the committee is that there is a case to answer, to attend a disciplinary hearing and any appeal hearing as a witness and if asked, orally present the report findings. It is not for an IIS investigator to present the case on behalf of any party. The Welsh Government is to: Monitor and fund the IIS Service Offer guidance for governors Assist governors in effectively discharging their responsibilities The Welsh Government does not hold details of staff disciplinary/dismissal hearings that take place across Wales. In order to protect the integrity of the Service, the only information maintained is the number of cases that have been independently investigated. About Servoca The IIS team comprises 21 investigators, the Lead Investigating Officer and the Operations Manager. Some of these are Welsh speaking who, if required, can conduct interviews in Welsh. Of the 21 investigators, 4 are female. The majority of investigators (15 out of 21) have been working for the IIS since 2006 and have a police investigative background. All IIS investigators have relevant experience in: investigative interviewing and communication skills, report writing and analytical skills diversity and human rights issues relevant knowledge of education, employment and child protection legislation. A request to use the service should be made directly to Servoca Plc through the contact details given at the end of this article, and not to the individual investigators or the Welsh Government. The contact details for the Welsh Government s Independent Investigation Service are: Mrs Leah Fox (Operations Manager) Servoca Plc Servoca Managed Services 41 Whitcomb Street London WC2 7DT Tel: Mob: leah.fox@servoca.com Alternatively, Mr Wynne Phillips is the Lead Investigating Officer for the Service and he can be contacted at the same address or Tel (Mobile): and wynne.phillips@servoca.com

5 ALL WALES CENTRE for GOVERNOR TRAINING AND RESEARCH and GOVERNORS WALES CONVERSATIONS In our Spring edition, editor Steve Gullick interviewed Steve Cresswell a local authority governing body clerk. Here he speaks to Nerys Williams who is clerk to the governing body of Ysgol Dyffryn Ogwen, Bethesda where she is also employed as the school s administration officer. Nerys won this year s Governors Wales Outstanding Clerk Award. S.G. How long have you been the governing body clerk at Ysgol Dyffryn Ogwen, Nerys? N.W. Since 1992, so it s almost 20 years. S.G. As well as being the governing body clerk, you are also the school s administration officer. What would you say are the advantages and disadvantages of having two different positions at the school? N.W. I think the biggest advantage is that from my position as administration officer I have a really full understanding of the school, its policies, aims and the challenges it faces. This means that I know the context in which governors have to operate, which is a great help. I also work closely on school finance which once again provides me with excellent background knowledge which again is particularly helpful when I clerk the governing body s Finance Committee. Finally, we really are a team at Ysgol Dyffryn Ogwen, which means I attend staff meetings. I find this very useful as it helps keep me up to date with what s happening in the world of education not least what the acronyms stand for and what different educational terms mean which is invaluable when taking minutes! As for disadvantages, well I can t really think of any I ve experienced personally but I am very aware of the fact that I carry out two different roles at the school and they should not overlap. This means confidentiality is very important. Also an awareness at all times of the two different positions which I hold is essential. In other words when I m clerking governing body meetings I m the governing body clerk and must not act like the administration officer, and, of course, vice versa. S.G. Do you find this difficult? N.W. I don t think so, but, as I ve said, I m always aware of which hat I need to be wearing. S.G. You ve said that you clerk the governing body Finance Committee, do you clerk any other committees? N.W. Yes, I clerk all of them. The Finance Committee meets regularly, at least once a term, the other sub committees meet more as required. This means that there are invariably a number of sub committees every term. S.G. Finally, Nerys, what would you say are the most important skills for a governing body clerk? N.W. First of all, you must be a good organizer. Never leave everything to the last minute, so always write up minutes as soon as you can after a meeting if you wait too long to do this you might forget an important point which you didn t have time to take down at the meeting. Then always make sure governors have their agendas and accompanying papers in plenty of time before their next meeting, and have handouts and papers to hand for meetings if you aren t able to send them to governors with their agendas. And the last point on meeting preparation, I always familiarise myself as much as I can with agenda items before meetings so I have an idea what the discussion is likely to be about very helpful when you are taking minutes. Then there is confidentiality. I am not a governor so it is not my place to discuss any governor business at all outside meetings. Finally, a clerk must be prepared to ask for help when needed. If I m uncertain about anything or I want a point clarified I contact the local authority s Governor Support Team immediately. All Wales Centre for Governor Training and Research Swansea School of Education, Swansea Metropolitan University, Townhill Road, SWANSEA SA2 0UT Tel: (Steve Gullick) steve.gullick@smu.ac.uk

6 ALL WALES CENTRE for GOVERNOR TRAINING AND RESEARCH and GOVERNORS WALES Timetable in place to commence provisions in the Healthy Eating in Schools (Wales) Measure The Minister for Education and Skills has agreed the timetable for commencing the various provisions in the Healthy Eating in Schools (Wales) Measure. These provisions, when commenced, will require local authorities and governing bodies of maintained schools to undertake a number of actions in relation to healthy eating and drinking in schools. The timetable for commencement of these provisions is: September 2012 for primary schools; and September 2013 for secondary schools, special schools and pupil referral units. Governing bodies of maintained schools will be required to: promote healthy eating and drinking amongst their registered pupils; include in the governors reports information on the action taken to promote healthy eating and drinking by pupils of the school. The local authority, or the governing body of a maintained school which provides school meals or milk, will be required to: encourage the take up of such school meals or milk; take reasonable steps to ensure that every pupil who is entitled to receive free school lunches and free school milk does receive them; comply with regulations setting out the requirements for food and drink provided on school premises. If you require further information please appetiteforlife@wales.gsi.gov.uk Governors Wales FUTURE PUBLICATIONS TO WATCH OUT FOR: Two key governor guides will be available this term: The Use of Performance Data The Role of the Clerk Links to these publications will be ed to schools during the term. Two Fact Files on The Equality Act 2010 and the key points for schools are now available on the Governors Wales website: FACEBOOK AND TWITTER Governors Wales is now on Facebook. Do have a look and become a fan!! Also follow us on Llywodraethwyr Cymru Governors Wales GOVERNORS HELPLINE is the helpline for governors of schools in Wales. Operated by Governors Wales the helpline will provide advice on a range of issues to governors in all parts of Wales.

7 FACT FILE 02/11 PROMOTING AND SUPPORTING EFFECTIVE PUPIL PARTICIPATION - THE ROLE OF GOVERNORS 1. Aim of this Fact File The aim of this fact file is to provide information and guidance for governing bodies in Wales about how to promote and support effective pupil participation in your school, linked to the School Effectiveness Framework, school self-evaluation and Estyn s Common Inspection Framework. The Fact File supplements the information already provided in Pupil participation, Associate Pupil Governors and Schools Councils (02/06), available on A Good Practice Guide on pupil participation containing more detailed guidance and accompanying case studies can be found on the Pupil Voice Wales website. ( 2. Pupil Participation in Context The basis for pupil participation is found in Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) 1, which sets out the right of children and young people to express an opinion and to have that opinion taken into account when decisions are being made on any matter that affects their lives. The Welsh Government wants all children and young people to have opportunities to actively participate in decision-making at local, regional and national levels in Wales. Opportunities are presently provided through mechanisms such as school councils, youth forums and the Children and Young People s Assembly for Wales ( Funky Dragon ). Wales is the first country in the United Kingdom to embed the principles of the UNCRC into legislation. The Rights of Children and Young Persons (Wales) Measure 2, which became law in May 2011, strengthens and builds on the rights-based approach of the Welsh Government by placing a duty on Welsh Ministers to have due regard to the rights and obligations within the UNCRC. In a school context, it is a statutory requirement for all maintained primary, secondary and special schools in Wales to have a school council. 3. The School Effectiveness Framework (SEF) It is the Welsh Government s overarching educational policy to which all other policies and programmes are aligned. It aims to transform educational standards and provision in Wales, with a particular view to achieving better learning outcomes and wellbeing for all children and young people. Pupils have a vital role to play in working with professionals to improve the quality of their learning experiences and environment in all six areas of the SEF. Where learners are actively involved in each section of the School Effectiveness Model, they are more likely to be engaged in school life, leading to improved learning and well-being. Further details can be found in The Effective Schools section of the Grown-ups Section of the Pupil Voice Wales website ( Learner voice is also inspected through questions participation and enjoyment in learning and community involvement and decision making of Estyn s 2010 Common Inspection Framework. Further information can be found on: 4. What is Participation? Definitions The literal definition of participation is taking part. In the context of children and young people s rights, however, participation is about children and young people having their voice heard when decisions are being made that affect their lives, and being actively involved in decision-making processes. In 2004, the then Welsh Assembly Government ran a competition to produce a national definition of participation that would be easy to understand for adults and young people. The winning sound-bite was: Participation means that it is my right to be involved in making decisions, planning and reviewing any action that might affect me. Having a voice, having a choice. Sometimes consultation is equated with participation, but they are not the same thing. Through being consulted, people are able to voice an opinion or give feedback about a service or policy which has already 1 See article 12 at: 2

8 been determined by the service-provider. Input by those consulted may result in changes to provision, but often consultees are not informed of this, and do not know whether they have made a difference. Participation tends to be a more active approach, calling for the direct involvement of stakeholders in planning, decisionmaking and implementation of policy and processes. It implies degrees of ownership and empowerment, and offers opportunities for those participating to develop responsible attitudes and skills. Both of these approaches have a place and indeed are to be encouraged - in educational settings. 5. Statutory Requirements What has to be in place, and the governing body s role? The School Council: All maintained schools in Wales are required to have a school council (School Council (Wales) Regulations 2005) 3, which must be elected by secret ballot and meet at least six times a year. It is not good practice for school council meetings to take place during lunch-hours, as this potentially excludes some pupils and can lead to rushed decision-making. Funding has been included in local authorities Revenue Support Grant to enable every school to release one member of staff for half a day six times per year to support school council meetings. Governors have a role to play in ensuring that this funding is accessed for its intended purpose. Every attempt should be made to ensure that elections to the school council are fair and transparent. Consideration should be given to how the school council can be as inclusive as possible, and how the voice of all learners will be heard. This may include co-options onto the council, or regular use of mechanisms such as focus groups, suggestion boxes and questionnaires. 6. Benefits of Participation Children and young people who participate in decision-making enjoy enhanced self-esteem and motivation, gain important personal, social and organisational skills, and become familiar with group and democratic processes. At the organisational level, pupil involvement in decision-making leads to better relationships, more relevant and effective policies, and better learning. 7. Developing more effective pupil participation can lead to: improved pupil engagement, well-being, behaviour and learning; better pupil-staff and pupil-pupil relationships; better whole-school policies and procedures, based on the needs of pupils; more inclusive communities, where all pupils are encouraged and supported to participate, not just those who are most confident and articulate; increased opportunities for pupils to develop personal and social skills, and to have those skills recognised and accredited should they so wish; Improved school effectiveness and pupil outcomes. Good communication between pupils, school council representatives, the senior management team and governors is vital. The governing body should ensure that enough time is given for school council representatives to gather pupils views and feedback information to all parties. Presentations by pupils to the governing body should be encouraged, as well as attendance by governors at school council meetings, if requested by pupils. The governing body must consider any matter raised by the school council and provide a response. If the matter raised by the school council is in writing, the governing body is also expected to reply in writing. 8. Associate Pupil Governors (APGs) School councils in secondary schools in Wales must be given the opportunity to nominate one or two of their members from years (inclusive) to be Associate Pupil Governors (APGs), so that the voice of pupils can be represented at governing body meetings, and to communicate matters from the governing body back to the school council. It is important that school councils are made aware of this opportunity so that they can take advantage of it. The governing body is required to accept the pupils nominated by the school council. Governors should note that it is the school council who nominate pupils as APGs. Pupils nominated may be the Head Boy and/or Girl, but this is not necessarily the case. More details about the scope and limitations of the APG s role can be found in Welsh Government Circular Guidance Guidance for Governing Bodies on the Establishment and Operation of School Councils. 3

9 It is important that governors are aware of the role of APGs - and their potential benefits for the governing body and the wider school community. Supporting and developing the role of APGs should ensure that policies meet the needs of pupils, whilst incorporating new insights and fresh approaches. The effectiveness of APGs will depend on the skills of those appointed, but also on the quality of the relationship and trust built up between the governing body and pupil representatives. Governors can ensure that the role is effective by: encouraging joint training to take place for APGs and governors 4 ; appointing a designated governor to liaise with the school council and other pupil bodies, and to support APGs; consulting the school council in good time about items they may wish to raise with the governing body or contribute to; ensuring that input from APGs is a standing item on the governing body agenda; considering how business can be organised so that items which APGs can contribute are grouped together on the agenda; considering how stipulations in National Assembly for Wales Circular No: 42/2006 around APGs membership of committees and voting rights can be taken into account, without prejudicing the effectiveness of their role. APGs may be members of non-statutory committee meetings, and may vote at those committees, if the governing body grants them voting; ensuring continuity of representation by arranging for a hand-over period for the APG role at the beginning of the summer term, when Year 11 and 13 pupils in particular, may be prevented from attending meetings because of academic commitments, and considering whether younger pupils (e.g. Years 9 & 10) may be allowed communication with / representation on the governing body; and paying careful consideration to how and when governors use their discretionary power to exclude APGs with good reason from certain governing body business. Whilst it is never appropriate for APGs to be present during discussions about individual pupils and staff, for instance, it can be beneficial for young people to be present and to participate in discussions concerning the school budget. This discretionary power is not intended to provide the governing body with a pretext to exclude associate pupil governors from discussions without good reason. There should be a presumption that associate pupil governors are party to a significant proportion of governing body business Effective Pupil Participation What does it look like? Pupil participation is about developing a culture in schools where all children and young people have a voice and have the opportunity to play an active role in decisions that affect their learning and well-being, as set out in Article 12 of the UNCRC. Although having an active school council is an essential part of this approach, it is only one aspect. A Whole-School Approach: Research commissioned by the Welsh Assembly Government in 2008 suggests that developing children and young people s participation in decision-making has benefits for individuals, organisations and communities 6. This happens above all, however, where holistic approaches to participation are adopted and developed. It is recognised good practice for pupils to be engaged and involved in shaping, improving and evaluating their own learning, and for there to be a variety of opportunities for active citizenship at all levels of school life (Refer to Section 3 on page 2 - Sections and of Estyn s Common Inspection Framework). Examples of how a whole-school approach to pupil participation can benefit pupils, staff and the school community can be seen in the DVD All Together Now on the Effective School page of the Pupil Voice Wales website. ( Pupil participation should happen in a variety of ways and at different levels of school-life. Some of these are: as part of teaching and learning; by involving pupils in school self-evaluation and assessment; 4 Training Modules for Governors, Staff and Pupils at: 5 Guidance for Governing Bodies on the Establishment and Operation of School Councils 6 York Consulting for the Welsh Assembly Government: Children and Young People s Participation in Wales, December 2008.

10 using the National Children and Young People s Participation Standards for Wales 7 ; consultation mechanisms such as questionnaires, surveys, circle-time, focus groups, and suggestion boxes; participatory and representative groups such as the school council, eco-committee, healthy schools and peer mentors; learner involvement with the governing body, and in staff appointments; learner involvement in planning, reviewing and implementing policies and procedures, including the school development/improvement plan; learner involvement in budgeting and how money is allocated/ spent; having structures in place so that all pupils can be involved in decision-making, including those with additional learning needs. Inclusion: All pupils, regardless of their background or ability should have the opportunity to have a say and to participate in decisions that affect them. As part of a whole-school approach to participation, governors should consider how opportunities to participate in decision-making processes can be made accessible to all pupils, so that they feel included and involved in the school community, and know that their views count. This may be particularly important for pupils who feel marginalized - e.g. looked-after children and young people, those from gypsy and traveller communities, and pupils from minority ethnic groups (Refer to Section 5 on page 3). Some ways in which opportunities to take part in decision-making can be opened out to all pupils are: questionnaires; focus groups; pupil or school-council committees e.g. eco-groups, healthy schools; pupil groups with a particular focus e.g. peer supporters, fundraising; suggestion boxes; the school website. 10. Governors Role in Effective Practice Governors can encourage holistic and inclusive pupil participation by: appointing a designated governor for pupil participation; ensuring that your school has an active Pupil Participation policy, including all aspects of pupil participation, not just the school council; ensuring that school council business is a standing item on governing body meetings; ensuring that effective mechanisms for communication between pupil representatives and the governing body are in place; considering how pupil groups can play a meaningful role in planning, implementing and reviewing policies which affect them including the School Development/Improvement Plan. Evaluating Practice: Governors should ensure that mechanisms are in place for gathering evidence about the benefits of pupil participation, and evaluating outcomes for pupils, staff and the school community. National Children and Young People s Participation Standards for Wales have been developed as a way of measuring good participative practice. A self-evaluation tool which enables schools to gather evidence and to measure progress against the Standards and in the context of the SEF has also been developed and will soon be piloted in schools across Wales. This tool has been designed to fit in with schools annual selfevaluation processes, and can be used by governors, senior management and pupils. For further information, contact: childrenandyoungpeoplesrights@wales.gsi.gov.uk or contact@governorswales.org.uk This Fact File offers a summary of some of the main points that governors should be aware of in promoting and supporting effective pupil participation. It should be used in conjunction with detailed advice and support produced by your LA and diocesan authority where appropriate, as well as the reference material already noted. Governors Wales is grateful for the advice and contribution of the Welsh Government in producing this Fact File. 7 See: