Moving to the next phase: Governance in further education

A new paper from @FETforL considers what ‘mature’ governance should look like in further education

The Further Education Trust for Leadership (FETL) has published a new report on the contribution of governance to high-quality teaching and learning in further education and how its impact can be maximised.

The Further Education Governance Maturity Matrix, funded by FETL and developed by the Skills and Education Group, the Good Governance institute and Nottingham Trent University, draws on interviews with governors to explore what makes for good governance in FE and to ask how governance can be moved on to its next phase, what the report terms ‘maturity’.

Dame Ruth Silver, President of FETL, said: ‘I very much welcome this report that concerns a topic close to the Further Education Trust for Leadership’s core focus and importance: governance. As the authors note, governance is one of the most challenging aspects of leadership in further education. It is also one of the least scrutinised and most poorly understood.

‘There is too little support available for governors and a general lack of definition around the role and its core purposes. Yet good governance is an indisputable and much-needed element of effective college leadership and a contributor to high-quality teaching and learning. That is why FETL has made governance one of the keynotes of its final year of operation, and this report is a welcome contribution to this.

‘The “maturity matrix” it outlines gives governing bodies an opportunity to “drill down and review performance” against the Association of Colleges’ Code of Good Governance. The report aims to enhance capacity for governance and support the development of governance-wise strategies within institutions. It represents an opportunity to shift our gaze and do better, as we seek post-pandemic renewal. I very much hope that it be will be taken up as an instrument, among others, for continuous improvement.’