The governing body and strategic school development

New Hall School is a thriving independent boarding and day school for boys and girls aged three to 18. The school was recognised as the overall independent school of the year by TES in 2016 and for an issue of Independent leader we had the pleasure of probing the senior leadership and management team (SLMT) to see what distinguishes the school – you can read the full article in the March-April issue.

A schools governing body plays a critical role in the management of that school. And so here New Hall’s SLMT discuss the role of their governors:

The governing body of New Hall School are proven leaders in strategic school development. They meet three times a year to consider strategy and review the SDP. The governing body devised ‘7 Strategic Aims’, which underpin the school’s development.

All reports and plans relate to these strategic aims. Richard Green, Chair of AGBIS, leading a strategy session at New Hall in September 2015, described the strategic framework at New Hall as “the best I have seen”; it “could not be improved upon”.

New Hall was “the only school [he] had come across where governors had established that all termly reports are structured so that content fits in with the strategic aims”; this was “impressive”. New Hall’s strategic aims have become a model followed by several schools.

Governance at New Hall is consistently assessed ‘excellent’ by ISI, Ofsted and Brentwood Diocese: “Governance of the school is excellent; pupils’ achievement and personal development demonstrate high levels of success in accordance with the school’s aims.” (ISI).

The governing body was pioneering in voting unanimously to become the first independent school nationally to found a Multi-Academy Trust (with four New Hall governors as directors) and to sponsor a primary school academy. Messing Primary School faced closure, in special measures with only 31 pupils.

Two years on, it is oversubscribed, rated ‘Good’, with ‘Outstanding Leadership and governance’ by Ofsted. New Hall governors have significant expertise in Multi-Academy Trusts; they generously advise many schools in the maintained and independent sectors.

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Key Achievements of New Hall’s governing body:

  • Pioneering spirit, in creating a ‘diamond model’ school from a former girls’ convent school
  • Enabling the school to reach new heights of academic and co-curricular achievement
  • Investing in boarding, growing full and weekly boarding numbers from 100 to 250, opening 3 new boarding houses and establishing successful junior boarding provision from Years 3-8, to complement the senior boarding houses
  • Taking considered risks in borrowing for school expansion which, together with excellent in-year surpluses, enabled investment of over £17m in capital projects in the last decade
  • Developing original, effective strategic planning tools and advising over 20 Governing Bodies on strategic development and academy sponsorship
  • Being the first to sponsor a primary academy and moving it from near-closure to a thriving, successful and oversubscribed school
  • Being assessed ‘outstanding’ (or equivalent) in all inspections over the past 10 years
  • Working tirelessly, with good-humoured teamwork, to support and develop the school

New Hall’s Governing Body has worked selflessly with great dedication for 10 years to create one of the largest IAPS and HMC Schools in the country.