BASG Minutes 6th May 2020

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Meeting: BASG EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

 
Date & Time: 6 May 2020 at 11.00 – 12.15 hours

 
Location: Virtual meeting through Zoom

 
Present:

 

 

 

Apologies:

 Paul Randall (Chair), Anne Sheddick (Vice Chair), Maggi Bull, Peter Lerner, Tomas Pukalski, Joanne Marchant, Jo Pearce, Gwyneth Langley

Bernadette Allison (Secretary)

 

None

 

   

Agenda Subject

 

    

Action
 

1.

  

Apologies for absence

 

  

None

  
 

2.

  

Notification of any other business

  

Clerk question

  
 

3.

  

Declaration of interest

 

  

Maggi Bull – Chair of NGA

  
 

4.

  

Approval of minutes from the meeting held on 19.02.2020

 

 Minutes approved.

 

 

  

 

 

 

 
 

5.

 

 

  

Consultative Board

 

  

Once the minutes from the last Consultative Board meeting are on the BC website they can be added to the BASG website.

 

Next meeting of the Consultative Board will be 16.06.2020.

 

Discussion is taking place regarding which platform to use for the virtual meeting of the group.

 

Concern was raised about the fact the BC website is out of date with reference to this group.

 

  

 

 

 

 

 
 

6.

  

Side by Side Reference Group

  

There are no minutes from the last Side by Side reference group meeting.

This continues to be a concern that minutes do not seem to be circulated to attendees after each meeting.

 

Concern was also raised about the fact the BC website is out of date with reference to this group.

 

  

 

 
 

7.

  

Communications with Buckinghamshire Council (BC)

  

PR, AS and MB are in frequent contact with BC regarding governance matters across the authority.

 

NGA membership for schools in BC is still to be announced.

 

Information regarding COVID 19 is collated on the BC SchoolsWeb.

 

The group felt that communication to governors needs to be consistent and with understanding about what the role of governance involves.

 

The document collated by PR helps to bring clarity and consistency to governorship during the present pandemic situation. It was based on NGA guidance.

 

PR will continue to work on ensuring effective communication with governors is a goal.

 

  
 

8.

  

Governor Training

  

PR, MB, and AS are in discussions regarding the possibility of collating the training that was planned before the pandemic to make sure the opportunity is not lost.

 

Discussion took place around how feasible virtual sessions are and what format they should take. Consideration needs to be given to whether such training would be in the format of a presentation or whether there could be the possibility of some form of interaction. Consideration needs to be given to the skills required to present and the support mechanisms available including IT, whichever route is chosen.

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PR to follow up
 

9.

  

NGA and Learning Link

  

As referred to under Agenda item 7 membership of schools to NGA is still to be announced to schools.

 

  

 

PR to follow up

 
 

10.

  

Royal Society for Arts (RSA)

  

AS informed the group that she has submitted a bid for funding for BASG to support the website and training post lockdown.

The bid had to be submitted in 150 words within a tight timeline.

The group thanked AS for seeing and following up on this opportunity.

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

11.

  

Return of all schools

 

  

The group discussed this important issue for the education sector.

It was felt that the collation of information was very important so as to ensure recommendations were clear.

 

Emma Knights – Chief Executive NGA is in regular contact with HT unions and will be proactive in providing guidance for governance.

 

Consideration needs to be given to the fact that schools are different and so are their challenges and there are so many different messages and information being circulated.

Global guidance may also not be a ‘fit to all’.

 

A possible Council helpline was discussed which could be manned by knowledgeable ‘staff’

 

Discussion took place about how important it is in this virtual environment, to check whether BASG website is being seen as a place to visit to provide relevant information.

It was decided that TP would include the facility within the web set up to provide this analytical data.

Information like this can be used as a marketing tool for ‘hits’ on the website and its awareness amongst the governor community.

This will produce some additional work, PR volunteered to support TP with this

 

NB

TP informed BASG Executive group, after the meeting, that this has now been put in place 06.05.2020

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TP

 

 

PR

 
 

12.

  

AOB

 

 

  

PR informed the group of a request from a clerk of a small school for a Chair.

 

It was suggested that a section on the website to flag up such requests may be useful.

 

  
 

 

 

 Date and venue of next meeting  

Future date for BASG virtual meeting to be arranged once there is further clarity on the return/phasing of pupils to school.

 

 

Meeting finished at 12.10