Association of Colleges

A Review of Governance and Strategic Leadership in English Further Education

AoC, its Governors’ Council and LSIS (Learning and Skills Improvement Service) welcome the “Review of Governance and Strategic Leadership in English Further Education” as a catalyst for discussion at a time when the challenges for governance and strategic leadership across the Sector are rapidly changing. The project has been enthusiastically supported by key representatives Sector-wide and identifies a number of recommendations to improve the quality and effectiveness of governance. The researchers reviewed governance practices in Colleges, private work-based learning providers and adult community learning providers separately and the report provides a valuable insight into the governance practices within each area as well as across the Sector as a whole.

Jointly commissioned by AoC and LSIS and supported by BIS (The Department for Business and Skills), the research takes stock of the framework for governance in Colleges and other providers and provides a valuable expression of Chairs’, Governors’ and Clerks’ views about governance in the College Sector both now and in the future.

The Report can be downloaded here and from the LSIS website.

• A concise  Summary Report will be distributed to governors through the National Clerks’ Network
• Copies of the  Main Reportwill also be distributed in small numbers to all Colleges
• Appendices A-H give more detail of the analysis undertaken. These will be fully available electronically in a printer-friendly format from 17 November 2009.

  Appendix A - A summary of the machinery of government changes
  Appendix B - Developments in governance in other sectors
  Appendix C- Governance in the FE College Sector
  Appendix D - Strategic leadership in the FE work-based learning sector
  Appendix E - Governance and strategic leadership in the FE adult and community learning sector
  Appendix F - A review of governance in Landex institutions
  Appendix G - Terms of reference for the Review
  Appendix H - Methodology and people consulted

The Governors’ Council is committed to working with its Regional Governors’ Networks, LSIS and other partners to consider the conclusions and recommendations within the Report, with the aim of providing more and better support for governors and to promote effective governance in the Sector. Of particular interest are the proposals in the report to review the Instrument and Articles with a view to making them shorter and only defining core elements, to increase the nature and availability of development and training for governors, to further develop an understanding of the role of the clerk in relation to the performance of a corporation and to limit the terms of office for members.

Nationally, AoC and the Governors’ Council ran nine consultation events for governors and clerks that were very well attended and promoted much, occasionally heated, debate about current issues and the role of governors. These events proved the value of open consultation to our partners in government. The Governors’ Council will be looking to run a series of Regional Governors’ Network meetings to provide feedback on the Review and inform our policy on taking forward the recommendations.

View the full list of events.