Introduction
New members receive from the Clerk a pack of documentation which provides the necessary background information for them to begin to fulfil their role. Important as this is, it does not make for easy reading at a time when newly appointed governors face a steep learning curve in a possibly unfamiliar environment.
A period of induction is therefore essential and prospective members can be reassured that this will be tailored closely to their individual needs. During this time, new governors are briefed by the Clerk and the Chairman of the Corporate Governing Body, the Principal and senior staff of the college. They undertake visits to see the college at work, to participate in special events, such as awards ceremonies and exhibitions of student work and attend other training activities run specially for governors
In this way governors who have so much to offer from their experience and knowledge can assimilate themselves rapidly into to the role of governor and the life and work of the college.
Self Assessment
The quality assurance mechanisms of the Further and Higher Education sector place an increasing reliance on self assessment, validated by inspection as a means of continuous improvement. Board members are required, from time to time, to undertake a professional assessment of their own effectiveness and that of the Governing Body as a whole. Areas for development identified as a result of this process can then be addressed through whatever method is appropriate.
Performance Monitoring
A key function of college governing bodies, singled out for special attention by the Government, is the role they play in monitoring the performance of their colleges.
The Government has a policy to deliver wide-ranging improvements in post-16 education, in order to achieve "the Learning Society" in which a culture of lifelong learning is the accepted norm. To do this it needs to raise levels of achievement throughout the sector.
This has always been at the heart of Northbrook's vision. The members of its governing body ensure that the necessary policies and strategies are in place and that their effectiveness is routinely measured. The training and development of governors equips them to monitor performance without in any way encroaching upon management operations. This final distinction is a very important central tenet of governance. Governance is about determining policies and defining desirable outcomes. Management is about putting those policies into practice and executing the will of the Board.