Schedule 6 - Governing bodies consisting of interim executive members — Schedule to be inserted in Schools Standards and Framework Act 1998 as Schedule 1A
Education Bill
4:30 pm
Mr Stephen Timms (Minister of State (School Standards), Department for Education and Skills; East Ham, Labour)
I shall try to be brief and helpful. In some cases, the school's leadership will have been the problem—the governing body and the head teacher. The head teacher may have been an ex officio member of the governing body being replaced, and as the hon. Gentleman will be aware, that individual may have been a significant part of the problem. In those circumstances, rapid changes to the school's senior management may be needed, and one of the first challenges facing the interim executive board may be to replace the head teacher. That would be much less easily achieved if the head were a member of the board as of right, so I cannot accept the amendment. On reflection, the hon. Gentleman will probably accept that. However, we expect the interim executive board to involve and work closely with the head teacher in improving the school. That will be made clear to the boards through guidance.
In circumstances that are not as I described—this will be made clear in guidance—I expect the head teacher to be a member of the interim executive board, as in normal circumstances heads would be members as of right of the governing body. I think that the hon. Gentleman will accept that, in certain circumstances, it would not be appropriate to extend the as-of-right membership of a governing body to an interim executive board, for the reasons that I explained.