Presentation from Annual Conference, 20 April 2017 Dan Francis Ian Joseph Judith Davey Tony Breslin

1. IS IT TIME TO
PROFESSIONALISE
CHARITY BOARDS?
Dinner
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CHAIR
DAN FRANCIS
GOVERNANCE CONSULTANT, NCVO
SPEAKERS
IAN JOSEPH
CHIEF EXECUTIVE, TRUSTEES UNLIMITED
JUDITH DAVEY
CHIEF EXECUTIVE, THE ADVOCACY
PROJECT
TONY BRESLIN
FOUNDER, USE YOUR VOTE,
CHAIR, OASIS ACADEMY ENFIELD
DIRECTOR, BRESLIN PUBLIC POLICY
LIMITED

2. TONY BRESLIN
FOUNDER USE YOUR VOTE,
CHAIR OASIS ACADEMY
ENFIELD,
DIRECTOR BRESLIN PUBLIC
POLICY LIMITED
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3. EXPERTISE, ENGAGEMENT AND
CONNECTEDNESS
CAN WE HAVE IT ALL?
LESSONS FROM - AND FOR - THE GOVERNANCE OF OUR SCHOOLS

4. School governance – a scoping study
 A scoping study focused on the future of school governance
 Commissioned and hosted by the RSA
 Funded by the Local Government Association, The Elliot Foundation and RSA
Academies
 Supported by an “Expert” Group drawn from the LGA, The Elliot Foundation,
the National Governance Association, the Association of School and College
Leaders, the Centre for Public Scrutiny, the Catholic Education Service and
RSA Academies
 Launched: January 2016; Publication: May 2017

5. School governance – the direction of travel
Increasing calls for ‘professionalism’ and ‘effectiveness’
Collaboration, federation and ‘academisation’, and the rise of the Multi-academy
Trust (MAT)
The shift of governance up-stream at every level – away from Head Teachers to
Executive Heads and Chief Executives, away from individual schools to MATs,
and away from Local Authorities towards Regional School Commissioners and
central government
The (almost unnoticed) transfer of state schooling into the third sector
A tendency for school governance reform to be accidental rather than deliberate,
and retrospective rather than pre-emptive

6. Questions for Discussion
1 What can different sectors learn from each other about governance?
1 How might engagement in governance contribute to personal development and
community wellbeing?
1 How do we balance the need for professionalism and effectiveness with the
need for community engagement and involvement?
1 In professionalising our governance arrangements and moving these up-stream,
do we risk some of the issues that have arisen with, for instance, the
professionalisation of our politics?
1 How do we ‘grow’ governance expertise in our communities, whatever the
social capital these communities start out with?
2 What benefits might flow from the relocation of state schooling in the third
sector?

7. Some tentative suggestions
1 A cross-sector commission on governance
1 A stronger recognition of the wider benefits of engagement in school and
charity governance
1 A focus on growing expertise in local settings
1 A focus on developing governance-literacy sector wide (and across sectors),
rather than on simply ‘training’ those who take up governance roles
1 A national cross-sector campaign to boost engagement in governance,
especially amongst under-represented groups
2 Greater representation of those involved in educational and charity
governance on Corporate Boards

8. Feedback
tony.breslin@breslinpublicpolicy.com
www.breslinpublicpolicy.com

9. JUDITH DAVEY
CEO, THE ADVOCACY
PROJECT
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12. IAN JOSEPH
CEO, TRUSTEES UNLIMITED,
MANAGING DIRECTOR
RUSSAM GMS
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13. IS IT TIME TO PROFESSIONALISE
CHARITY BOARDS?
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QUESTIONS