It is not a statutory requirement to have a Pupil Premium link governor.
However, the board as a whole is accountable for ensuring funding is being used effectively, and most Trusts and boards will designate the role of a Pupil Premium governor to one of its number.
The latest Ofsted framework is also clear that they will be scrutinising how governors and trustees hold leaders to account for the school’s support and provision for disadvantaged pupils.
Time it right
There are cycles within strategy and accountability, and it might depend on where you are within the year, when a new link governor is given the role. They may be coming on board when there is an evaluation and new strategy being formed, or they might appear when the school is simply embedding some work.
First of all, it is important for your link governor to have insight into the cycle. The evaluation and re-forming of a strategy is a very interesting time, but it simply might not be the current focus.
Provide documentation
If you are bringing a new governor or trustee up to speed, then providing them with documentation – both legacy documents and the current strategy – will help them understand the journey that the school has been on.
It might be that three years ago the school was working in a different way, and by seeing the timeline of changes, they will be able to discern the current rationale. Don’t wait until a meeting to provide these documents; send them in advance.
Of course, you can invite questions if going through the current strategy, but these documents can do some of the explaining and context-setting for you.
Ask for help
Consider, too, how your governor can help you and your leaders with the work that you have to do. Monitoring takes time, and therefore it’s worth building in some practical actions that they can undertake to assist you, e.g. pupil voice groups, and discussions with classroom teachers and support staff. When these are planned well, they can provide you with rich data to inform how your strategy is working.
Ensure that dates are agreed well in advance, that the governor understands the work that is being undertaken – what a certain strategy will look like in a classroom – and provide a template. This can include things to look out for, or example questions to ask, such as If you don’t do very well on a test, how do your teachers help you improve next time?
Set clear goals
Finally, always have teaching and learning as the key focus of any strategy and any discussion. There is ample evidence that shows that this will always be the most effective means of lifting pupils away from under-achieving.
When your governor understands this, they will be a force for good. Be united in your commitment to this goal and it will ensure that visits, questions, and monitoring will always focus on this absolute essential.
Rebecca Leek has been a primary and secondary classroom teacher, head of department,
SENCo, headteacher and MAT CEO. She is currently the executive director of the Suffolk
Primary Headteachers’ Association and works as a freelance speaker, trainer and writer
