Role description

Overview

The Quality Committee plays a central role in supporting the South Bank Colleges Governing Body to fulfil its responsibilities for the quality of education, student outcomes and the overall student experience.

The Committee provides focused scrutiny and assurance on the quality and relevance of the College’s educational provision, ensuring that Governors have a clear understanding of performance, areas of strength, emerging risks and priorities for improvement.

The Chair of the Quality Committee provides leadership to the Committee and works closely with the Chair of the Governing Body, Principals and senior leaders to ensure that the Committee delivers effective, proportionate and evidence-based oversight of educational performance.

The Chair will have a strong interest in further and tertiary education and an understanding of the environment in which South Bank Colleges operates, including the needs of students, employers and local communities, the skills agenda, educational quality and the expectations of Ofsted and other relevant bodies.

Purpose of the Quality Committee

The Quality Committee advises the Governing Body and provides assurance on matters relating to the quality, standards and relevance of the College’s educational provision.

Its remit includes oversight and scrutiny of:

• the quality of education and training;
• curriculum performance and development;
• teaching, learning and assessment;
• student achievement, progress and destinations;
• student attendance, retention and participation;
• the student experience and student voice;
• equality of opportunity and outcomes for different groups of students;
• safeguarding insofar as it relates to the student experience and quality of provision;
• performance against College quality improvement priorities;
• self-assessment and quality improvement arrangements;
• apprenticeships and other forms of work-based learning, where applicable;
• preparation for, and outcomes arising from, Ofsted inspection and other external review;
• relevant regulatory, policy and sector developments; and
• other educational performance matters referred to the Committee by the Governing Body.

Role of the Chair

In addition to the responsibilities applying to all members of the Quality Committee, the Chair will:

• provide effective leadership to the Committee and promote a culture of constructive challenge, scrutiny and continuous improvement;
• ensure that the Committee remains focused on the key strategic issues affecting educational quality, student outcomes and the student experience;
• work with the Principals, senior leaders and governance professionals to agree a purposeful and forward-looking Committee agenda;
• ensure that Committee discussions are informed by appropriate evidence, performance data, benchmarking, student feedback and external context;
• encourage all Committee members to contribute effectively and ensure that discussion draws on the range of skills and experience within the Committee;
• challenge management constructively while maintaining an appropriate distinction between governance and operational management;
• ensure that areas of underperformance or significant risk are explored appropriately and that improvement actions are followed through;
• ensure that the Committee considers both quantitative performance information and qualitative evidence, including the experiences of students and staff;
• identify matters requiring escalation to the Governing Body and provide clear assurance on the College’s quality and educational performance;
• present, or oversee the presentation of, Committee reports to the Governing Body;
• maintain an effective working relationship with the Chair of the Governing Body, Principals, relevant senior leaders and the governance team;
• support the induction and development of Committee members;
• participate, as appropriate, in relevant College events, student engagement activity, Governor development and external review or inspection activity; and
• contribute to the wider effectiveness of the Governing Body and LSBU Group.

Person Specification

Essential Criteria

1. Experience and Knowledge

Candidates should be able to demonstrate:

• significant experience of senior leadership, governance or oversight within education or another complex organisation;
• knowledge of the current Further Education regulatory, funding and policy environment;
• a strong understanding of educational quality, performance and improvement;
• experience of interpreting complex performance information and using evidence and data to inform scrutiny and decision-making;
• experience of providing effective strategic challenge and holding senior leaders to account;
• an understanding of the respective roles of governance and executive management;
• an ability to understand organisational risk and assurance in relation to educational performance;
• a good understanding of the role of student voice in assessing and improving educational quality; and
• an understanding of the importance of safeguarding, equality, diversity and inclusion within an educational environment.

2. Chairing and Governance Skills

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

• the ability to chair meetings effectively, ensuring discussions are focused, balanced and reach clear conclusions;
• the confidence and credibility to constructively challenge senior leaders;
• the ability to identify the key strategic issues within detailed or complex information;
• sound judgement and the ability to distinguish between matters requiring detailed Committee scrutiny and those that should remain operational;
• the ability to build consensus while encouraging appropriate challenge and debate;
• strong communication, influencing and interpersonal skills;
• the ability to develop effective relationships with Governors, senior leaders, students and other stakeholders; and
• the ability to communicate the Committee’s conclusions and assurance clearly to the Governing Body.

3. Personal Qualities

The Chair will demonstrate:

• integrity, independence and sound judgement;
• a strong personal commitment to improving opportunities and outcomes for students;
• intellectual curiosity and a willingness to ask challenging questions;
• an evidence-based and proportionate approach to scrutiny;
• openness to different perspectives and a commitment to listening to student and stakeholder voices;
• commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion;
• respect for confidentiality and collective responsibility;
• a collaborative and collegiate approach;
• reliability and willingness to devote the necessary time and effort to the role; and
• commitment to the values, purpose and ambitions of the LSBU Group.

Desirable Criteria

It would be particularly advantageous for candidates to have one or more of the following:

• recent senior leadership or governance experience within the Further Education sector;
• experience as a Chair or Committee Chair within an education, public sector or charitable organisation;
• current knowledge of the Ofsted inspection framework and expectations relating to Further Education and Skills;
• experience of curriculum development, quality improvement, teaching and learning or educational leadership;
• experience of apprenticeships, technical education, adult education or provision for young people;
• knowledge of safeguarding within an education setting;
• experience of preparing for, participating in or responding to an Ofsted inspection or other external quality review;
• experience of using student performance, outcomes or quality data at Board or senior leadership level;
• understanding of the skills needs of employers and the role of Further Education in supporting local and regional economic development; and
• knowledge of the opportunities and challenges facing Further Education providers in London.

Wider Responsibilities as a Governor

As a member of the Governing Body, the Chair of the Quality Committee will also contribute to the full range of Governor responsibilities, including:

• determining and reviewing the strategic direction of South Bank Colleges;
• holding executive leaders to account for the educational and organisational performance of the College;
• overseeing the effective and efficient use of resources;
• promoting high standards of education and training;
• ensuring that appropriate arrangements are in place for risk management, internal control and assurance;
• contributing to the development and maintenance of the LSBU Group’s values, culture and ethos;
• ensuring that the College acts in accordance with its charitable purposes and legal and regulatory responsibilities;
• considering the interests of students, staff, employers, local communities and other key stakeholders;
• participating in Governor development, Board evaluation and other activities supporting effective governance; and
• acting as an ambassador for the LSBU Group and supporting its reputation and strategic ambitions.