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About Govas

GOVAS works closely with the Stockport Children and Young People Directorate, but we are a fully independent association of governors affiliated to the equally independent National Governors Association. Every governor in Stockport is automatically a GOVAS member (as long as your institution pays their subscriptionof £10.00 PA)and our Management Committee is made up exclusively of serving volunteer governors in Stockport’s schools – nursery, primary secondary and special. Our biggest strength is our links with all the school governors in Stockport through our newsletter, special communications, and this website.  

 

Please rate on a scale of 1-5

(5 excellent – 1 poor)

Pre- conference organisation

4.8

Workshop

  • Transition
  • Primary Assessment
  • Secondary Assessment
  • Competency Framework
  • Holding school leaders to Account
  • SEND

4.45

4.6

4.6

4.2

3.6

4.7

Keynote speech

4.8

Q and A session

4.2

Venue overall

4.85

Refreshments

4.75

What was the most useful aspect of the conference for you?

Workshop                 27 delegates

Networking               27 delegates

Keynote speech       12 delegates

Table discussion       11 delegates

Opening speech       4 delegates

All of it!                     3 delegates

“Even better if……” What could we do to make future conferences better?

More discussion                       10 delegates      

Longer workshops                     9 delegates

2 workshops                            6 delegates

More frequent conferences       3 delegates

Shorter food queue                   3 delegates                

More networking opportunities 2 delegates

Improved lighting in the hall     2 delegates

Any other comments?

Positive

  • Best GOVAS conference so far
  • Thanks to everyone – the whole day was fantastic
  • Liked the idea of drop in information sharing sessions
  • Thanks an excellent conference
  • May thanks – well planned!
  • Thank you for a fantastic conference
  • Thanks team
  • Thank you – having not been on a governor conference for a long time, this has given me a lot of food for thought about how important being a governor is and what I can offer to not only my, but other schools.
  • Thank you to GOVAS members and all who took part in the organisation and running of the conference
  • Thank you for a great morning
  • Thank you – I enjoyed it!
  • Thank you for keeping the motivation going!
  • My first conference as a new governor and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Found it extremely informative and beneficial.
  • Saturday morning is a good choice for most governors. Thank you team Stockport for another great, well organised conference.
  • Thank you to GOVAS for all your work in organising the event and keeping us up to date with the news throughout the year it is much appreciated.
  • I have now attended a number of GOVAS conferences and each time I have come away more enthused by what I have learned and from the other governors whom I have met. These have all been great events and this year is no exception. Many thanks.
  • Excellent event every year – keep doing it!
  • My first conference with GOVAS – I thought it would be a bit dry, I was very pleasantly surprised and relieved(!) to find out how inspiring and informative it was.
  • Preferred the round table set up to previous years
  • Liked the round table format – last year it was difficult to take notes
  • Hugely appreciative of the work that goes into making this event so useful and informative – thank you!
  • We were asked about collaboration as governors – would like to have details / list of other local governors to help facilitate this – possibly a forum?
  • Always find these GOVAS conferences to be very worthwhile and informative
  • Thanks for organising this morning again
  • Another fantastic event – well done and thank you
  • Thank you – it’s a great day!
  • It was very good overall
  • Excellent organisation
  • Great conference – well done and thanks to everyone for organising
  • Liked being round a table for the main discussion
  • Q and A session good, but with time so tight, missing it out wouldn’t have been the end of the world!
  • I haven’t attended one of these previously and was pleasantly surprised by what I have heard and seen today. Thanks to all involved in the organisation of the event and for the opportunity
 

The Schools Forum (an elected group of Head teachers, Principals, Governors and other associated members) is the key decision making and consultative group required by DfE regulation which oversees/governs all financial and administrative matters relating to the Schools Budget financed by the dedicated schools grant (DSG).
The roles and responsibilities of the Schools Forum can be found in the new short guide recently published by the DfE (November 2013) - found here -
http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/adminandfinance/financialmanagement/schoolsrevenuefunding/schoolsforums/a0070290/guidance-for-schools-forums-on-their-role

The DfE has identified as part of their review of Schools Forum that effective best practice relating to Schools Forum and its operational duties includes communication to all the wider stakeholder audience of the business matters discussed and decisions made. (i.e. ensuring all decisions made at forum are duly recorded and shared).

To enhance communication with the wider school audience, the Local Authority will produce a brief overview newsletter of the discussions/views, decisions made and agreed actions in relation to all business matters after each meeting and distribute to stakeholders via the following means:
• Office on-line;
• Council's web-site (see below link);
• Govas web-site;
• Schools Finance monthly newsletter; and directly
• To all Schools Forum members

WHY SHOULD OUR SCHOOL JOIN GOVAS?

GOVAS is the School Governors` Association for Stockport.  It is the representative body of governors of publicly funded schools in Stockport.  Schools pay an annual subscription of £10 to GOVAS.  All members of the school`s governing body are then full members of GOVAS. 

GOVAS is affiliated to the National Governors` Association, and is able to access NGA information and support.

GOVAS represents Stockport school governors on many bodies of Stockport MBC, presenting governors` views and ensuring that your voice is heard.

GOVAS  is independent of the Local Authority, and cherishes this independence, since it gives us strength when presenting governor concerns.  However, we work with the LA where this is beneficial to governors, and have a Memorandum of Understanding with the LA to ensure that governor support is coherent and effective.

GOVAS works to ensure good practice of governance.  We share good practice through our website, and through meetings and conferences.

GOVAS raises issues of educational concern through its website and through regular newsletters to governors.  We coordinate governors` views and ensure that they are passed on to those who can act to improve the education of Stockport`s children and young people.

GOVAS works to ensure that Stockport governors have access to sound advice, relevant information, good training opportunities, and individual support when needed.

GOVAS members elect a Management Committee at its Annual General Meeting. This committee is active throughout the year, working for Stockport governors.

The work of GOVAS on behalf of Stockport`s children and young people can be summarized as

·         Enabling communication between governors in Stockport schools

·         Developing the skills and knowledge of Stockport governors

·         Ensuring that governors have a voice in Stockport`s education services

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