The Governance Services Team are pleased to invite governors and trustees to the 2022 Bolton Governance Conference to be held on Saturday 12 November 2022 from 8.30 am until 3.00 pm at Mercure Bolton Georgian House Hotel, Blackrod, Bolton. Registration will commence at 8.30 am with breakfast refreshments served. A light lunch will also be provided as part of the programme.

The theme of the conference for this year is “Beyond Barriers: Achieve, Succeed and Belong in Bolton” and links with a number of key strands in the 2022 Schools White Paper, ‘Opportunity for all: strong schools with great teachers for your child’ which sets out the Government’s vision for education.

Every child, no matter their background, needs or where they live, deserves an excellent education and the opportunity to fulfil their own potential, make the most of their talents and lead happy, fulfilled and  successful lives.

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Key Note Speaker

Our keynote speaker has true dedication and commitment to the core theme of our conference.

Haili has experience in secondary teaching and school leadership, teacher training and is Head of Education for Iris Connect. She uses her personal and professional experience along with her creativity to support teachers to re-think their approach to children from poorer socio-economic environments.

Haili is passionate about all children receiving the highest quality teaching , especially for those young people from more challenging backgrounds, to ensure that all students achieve academically and are not bound by the circumstances around them.

Conference Programme

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As usual, presenters have been carefully chosen to support the overall conference theme; however, as sessions are of interest to all, there will be no satellite workshop sessions at this event.  There will be opportunities to network with fellow governors and trustees throughout the day.

Becoming an evidence-informed governor:  Research Schools Network, Education Endowment Foundation

The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) is an independent charity established in 2011 and designated by the Government as the ‘What Works Centre for Education’. The EEF’s mission is to break the link between family income and educational achievement and supports schools as well as early years and post-16 settings to:

• Improve outcomes for 3-18 year olds by increasing the quality of teaching and learning, and
• Closing the attainment gap between disadvantaged young people and their peers

The Research Schools Network provides a bridge from the evidence to practice. Research Schools work with other schools in their local network to support them to make better use of evidence to inform their teaching and learning: assisting schools to combine research evidence and professional expertise to implement evidence based practice.

EEF studies show that the attainment gap is large and grows throughout school and is a problem in all types of schools, regardless of Ofsted grading. Research Schools assist other local schools to effectively and efficiently use the resources they have for maximum impact. Collaboration and working together to deliver for children and young people sits at the heart of the Schools White Paper.

Research School, Research Schools Network (TBC)

Inclusive Education in Bolton

The Bolton Schools Support Reform Working Group was established in 2021 to review inclusive support in the Borough consisting of head teacher representatives and Local Authority officers. The culmination of the groups work will see an inclusive practice handbook, Self-evaluation framework and an Alternative Provision guide and directory published in the autumn term along with the commencement of school cluster partnerships.   This presentation to governors and trustees follows the launch of these Handbooks.

The Handbooks set out a strategy for a multi-agency approach for closer collaboration and enhanced links between service providers, schools/settings and families. The documents outline a clear process for evaluating and developing inclusive practice and support for vulnerable pupils, reducing exclusions and re-integrating pupils from Alternative Provision back into mainstream and affirms the Bolton Family approach.

Dominic McKeon, Principal at Little Lever School, Bolton School Support Reform Group Representative

Positive Role Models from our Communities

Saeed Atcha, MBE DL  is an inspiring CEO, Leader and Changemaker having worked to make the world a better place for all young people, for a decade.

Having grown up in care, Saeed is acutely aware of how young people from disadvantaged backgrounds can be overlooked when it comes to learning valuable life skills and having a voice in their future. That’s why, at the age of 15, he set up Youth Leads UK which has supported more than 12,500 disadvantaged young Greater Mancunians to access volunteering opportunities and skills development programmes. Saeed is CEO of Youth Leads UK, the youngest Deputy Lieutenant in the UK and a former Social Mobility Commissioner responsible for Young People and Vulnerable Groups and is also Trustee, Patron and Advisor to a number of organisations across the youth health and housing sectors.

Saeed is a past pupil of Ladybridge High School and now sits on the school’s Governing Board to help make a difference to a new generation of  Bolton pupils.

Saeed Atcha MBE, DL , CEO for Youth Leads UK, Deputy Lieutenant of Greater Manchester

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Booking and Charging Information

The conference is open to all governors and trustees within the Bolton family. Places are limited and bookings will be made on a first come, first served basis with a fair booking policy to ensure all boards are able to access the event.  Our rates are extremely competitive and are preferential for delegates of governing boards and trusts buying into the Service Level Agreement.

For those boards that buy into the Governance Services Clerking and Support, or Training and Development Service Level Agreements (SLA) the cost will be £90 per delegate.

For those governors and trustees whose boards do not buy into an SLA, a charge of £150 will be payable.

Charges will be met via the school budget and will not be charged to individual governors.  Please ensure that you notify your Chair or Head Teacher/Principal  prior to booking.  The full charge will apply for non-attendance or cancellation by the delegate within five working days of the conference date.

To guarantee your place on the conference, please make your booking by no later than Monday 7 November 2022