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AUTUMN 2026

CONTENTS

1. MESSAGE FROM BELS CHIEF EXECUTIVE AND DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION AND LEARNING
2. GOVERNANCE EFFECTIVENESS AUDIT – EMERGING THEMES
3. GOVERNOR TRAINING PROGRAMME
4. COMPLAINTS MANAGEMENT
5. DFE EXECUTIVE PAY CONTROLS FOR ACADEMIES
6. SCHOOL FOOD STANDARDS: GUIDE FOR GOVERNORS
7. EXCLUSIONS & SUSPENSIONS
8. POST-16 VOCATIONAL RESET
9. SAFEGUARDING UPDATE: KCSIE 2026

DEVELOPING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOUR GOVERNING BOARD

1. MESSAGE FROM BELS CHIEF EXECUTIVE AND DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION AND LEARNING
2. Summary Welcome to the 2026/27 Academic Year. I hope you all managed to find time to relax and enjoy the summer break and coped with the incredibly hot weather that we faced! This is going to be another busy, exciting but also challenging year in education. Our SEND Reforms Plan has now been approved by the DfE, as a requirement of the government's Every Child Achieving and Thriving White Paper which proposed major reforms to SEND and school inclusion. Kim Miller (BELS Director of SEND and Inclusion) will be attending the Director's Meeting with Chairs and Vice Chairs on 22nd October to let you know where we are with our plans. We continue to face the issue of falling school rolls in some areas of Barnet which is continuing to have a significant impact on school budgets. Alison Dawes (BELS Director of School Access, Skills and Corporate Services) will also be presenting at the 22nd October meeting. The Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 introduces a wide range of reforms affecting schools including measures relating to: Attendance; Safeguarding; School uniform; Allergy safety; Admissions; Academies and trusts; Teacher regulation and School inspections. Governors should ensure that policies are reviewed against the new legislation; safeguarding arrangements remain compliant and uniform and equality implications are considered. The board should receive assurance that implementation requirements are being met. School attendance remains a major accountability issue with the DfE continuing to treat attendance as a national priority. Governing boards are now expected to: regularly review attendance data; challenge leaders on persistent and severe absence; understand attendance patterns for disadvantaged pupils, SEND pupils and vulnerable groups and ensure staff receive appropriate attendance training. Attendance is increasingly viewed not as an operational issue but as a strategic governance issue, similar to safeguarding. 1. New headteachers There are twelve Barnet schools with new Exec HT/Headteachers/Principals this year, these are shown below: 1. Ben Hasan – Interim Headteacher at Moss Hall Nursery. Ben knows the school well having been Interim Headteacher at the school for a year four years ago. 2. Daniel McCreadie – new Headteacher of Annunciation Infants and Annunciation Junior Schools. Daniel is also not new to the school having been the Deputy Head at the Junior school previously 3. Deborah Hirshler – new Headteacher at Alma Primary. Deborah is not new to the school having been on the Senior Leadership Team at the school 4. Eileen Bhavsar – Executive Headteacher of Garden Suburb Infants and Garden Suburb Juniors. Eileen was previously the Headteacher of the Junior school. The school plan to amalgamate in January to become Garden Suburb Primary School. 5. James Fisher – new Headteacher across both Hasmonean Girls' and Boys' schools. 6. Karen Powell – Interim Executive Headteacher at The Pavilion PRU. Karen has been supporting the leadership at the PRU over the last 6 months. 7. Laura Monro – now sole Headteacher of Woodridge Primary. Laura was previously Co-Headteacher at the school 8. Paddy McGrath – Executive Principal at London Academy following the departure of Alex Warburton 9. Sarah Gillen – Acting Head of School at Hollickwood Primary. Sarah was previously
9. Sarah Gillen – Acting Head of School at Hollickwood Primary. Sarah was previously Assistant Headteacher at the school.

10. Sarah Marriott - new Principal of Saracens Broadfields Primary. Sarah joins from a school in Harrow
11. Stephanie Rodgers – Interim Headteacher at Queen Elizabeth's Girls School. Stephanie is new to Barnet, joining us from a school in Hertfordshire
12. Tom Knott – new Principal at The Totteridge Academy. Tom was previously Vice Principal at the school

It is really pleasing to see that eight executive headteachers/headteachers/heads of school have been recruited from within their own school; a demonstration of the strong succession planning and the support that they have been given in their senior leadership roles. I have had the pleasure of visiting eight of the above new headteachers over the first few weeks of term and seeing first hand what a great start they have made.

As I have said many times before, Barnet education continues to flourish due to the strong relationships and partnerships between schools and between schools and the Local Authority. As you know, in BELS we are here to support your school's vision, school improvement needs and support senior leaders and governors to get through the challenges and stresses.

2. New school in Barnet!

Barnet is a highly diverse and multi faith Borough with 37% Christian, 15% Jewish and 12% Muslim (based on the 2021 Census). 20% indicated they had “No Religion.” The data reveals that the Christian population remains the largest religious group within the Borough, with 142,321 individuals identifying as Christian in 2021. The Christian population has decreased by 2.6 percentage points, that equates to 10,179 fewer individuals identifying as Christian on this most recent 2021 census. There has been an increase in individuals identifying as both Jewish and Muslim (although the percentage of Jewish has reduced by 0.7 percentage points and the percentage of Muslims has increased by 1.9 percentage points). Whilst the Christian and Jewish population remain the two dominant religious groups within the Borough, the data reveals that the Muslim population has experienced a 1.9 percentage point growth and remains the third largest religious population in the Borough with 47,688 individuals identifying as Muslim.

The Council aim to try to meet the parental preferences regarding the types of school for their children. 42 of the 94 primary/all through schools in the Borough are faith schools (17 Jewish, 15 CofE and 10 Catholic) and 9 of the 25 secondary schools are faith schools (4 Jewish, 4 Catholic and 1 Greek Orthodox). With 12% of our population Muslim, we welcomed the application from Barnet Hill Academy (an Independent Muslim Faith School) to become state maintained, the first Muslim state school in the Borough. Following a robust due diligence process, the Council agreed that the school now met the criteria in order to recommend the application be approved. Barnet Hill Academy became a Voluntary Aided State school on 1st September 2026. We welcome their staff, parents, governors, community and most importantly their pupils into the Barnet family of schools.

3. BELS Director of Transformation

We recently appointed Victor Roman into a new post of Director of Transformation in BELS to join the BELS SMT for the next two years, funded by the SEN Reforms Transformation Grant. Victor was previously the London Lead for the SEND and AP Change Programme Partnership and is providing senior strategic leadership for transformation across BELS, with a primary focus on the successful implementation of Barnet's SEND and Alternative Provision Reform Plan. He is obviously working in close partnership with Kim Miller to ensure that Barnet delivers an ambitious, coherent and financially sustainable programme of SEND reform across education, health, care, schools, settings and the wider local area partnership, moving the reform plan from strategy into implementation.

4. Ofsted 19 schools in Barnet had an inspection last academic year under the revised Ofsted Framework. See the outcomes below:

School Previous Judgement and Date Date of inspection and Report Card Judgements Lead Inspector

Mill Hill County High Good (S8) - Sept 2021 November '25 Annabel Davies

Exceptional Strong standard Expected standard

The Totteridge Academy Good+ (S8) - Nov '24 November '25 Sam Johnson

Exceptional Strong standard

Pardes House Good (S8) - May '21 November '25 Deborah Walters

Exceptional Strong standard Expected standard

Rosh Pinah Good (S8) - May '21 December '25 Gary Rawlings

Exceptional Strong standard

Coppetts Wood Requires Improvement (S5) - March '23 January '26 Karen Kent

Exceptional Strong standard Expected standard

St. Joseph's Good (S5) - October '21 January '26 David Radomsky

Exceptional Strong standard Expected standard

Mathilda Marks Kennedy Good (S5) - November '21 January '26 Andrea Bedeau

Exceptional Strong standard Expected standard

School

QE Girls

Ashmole Academy

St Andrew's CE

QE Boys

St. James' Catholic High

East Barnet

St. Mary's N3

Previous Judgement and Date Date of inspection and Report Card Judgements Lead Inspector

Good (S8) - November '21 February '26 Lisa Strong

Exceptional

Strong standard Expected standard

Good (S5) - November '21 March 2026 Lisa Strong

Exceptional

Strong standard Expected standard

Good (S8) - March '22 April 2026 Eleanor Ross

Exceptional

Strong standard Expected standard

Outstanding (S5) - May '22 April 2026 Simon Conway

Exceptional

Strong standard

Expected standard

Good (S8) - May '22 April 2026 Sarah Saunders

Exceptional

Strong standard

Expected standard

Good (S8) - March '22 May 2026 Sam Johnson

Exceptional

Strong standard

Expected standard

Good (S5) - Nov '21 May 2026 Karen Kent

Exceptional

Strong standard

Expected standard

As you can see the outcomes were incredibly strong with a much higher percentage of Exceptional and Strong judgements than national:

There have been eight inspections of Barnet schools this academic year (6 primary, 2 secondary). Reports have not been published yet. Annabel Davies (Senior Ofsted HMI for London) will be attending the Director's Briefing with Chairs and Vice Chairs on 22nd October for an Ofsted overview and is running a more in-depth governor training session on 1st December

5. Benedict's Law

Benedict's Law is a major change for schools in England, introducing statutory requirements on allergy safety following the death of five-year-old Benedict Blythe from anaphylaxis at school in 2021. The measures are being implemented through the Department for Education's statutory guidance Allergy safety in schools, effective from September 2026. For school leaders, governors and trusts, the implications are significant.

1. Key requirements for schools Schools must now:
2. Publish a stand-alone allergy safety policy

Separate from the general medical conditions policy.

○ Reviewed annually.

Available to parents and staff, typically via the school website.

3. Provide allergy awareness and anaphylaxis training for all staff
4. ○ Not just first aiders.
5. ○ Includes teachers, support staff, lunchtime supervisors, catering staff, administrative staff and other personnel who may supervise pupils.
4. Maintain emergency adrenaline auto-injectors (AAIs)
5. Spare, in-date devices must be available on site.
6. o Procedures must be in place to ensure rapid access during emergencies.
5. Have Individual Healthcare Plans (IHPs)
6. o For pupils with significant allergies.
7. o Regularly reviewed and shared with relevant staff.
6. Improve recording and reporting
7. o Schools should record allergic incidents and near misses.
8. Lessons learned should inform future practice.
7. Governance implications

For governors and trustees, Benedict's Law creates a new compliance and assurance responsibility. Governors should seek evidence that:

• An allergy policy has been approved and published.
• Appropriate training has been completed and refreshed.
• Emergency medication is available, in date an
• Healthcare plans are in place for identif
• The school is monitoring incidents and near misses.
• Allergy risks are considered in educational visits, wraparound care and catering arrangements.

This is likely to become part of routine safeguarding and health-and-safety oversight. Governors may decide to give this responsibility for allergy awareness and management oversight to the Safeguarding Governor particularly as allergy management overlaps significantly with pupil welfare, health and safety, medical conditions and safeguarding assurance. The safeguarding governor can include allergy compliance within their existing monitoring activity. Alternatively governing boards may want to give this responsibility to the Health & Safety Governor or appoint a named allergy governor.

5. Achievement in Barnet

In April, May and June 2026, pupils in Reception, Year 1, Year 4, Year 6, Year 11 and Year 13 across Barnet were involved in statutory assessments and examinations. We have received the provisional outcomes for these, with the finalised results being published late in the Autumn Term. There will be a full report on achievement in Barnet schools produced in February 2027. However, the provisional outcomes are positive with all key stages (KS) having provisional achievement above national and generally above London. By the end of Key Stage 2 attainment is in the top quartile of the country with progress (between end of KS1 and KS2) being particularly strong, in the top 5 or 10% in all subjects.

At GCSE, provisional data (based on returns from 26 out of the 28 schools with Year 11), shows 42% of students in Barnet achieved Grade 7 or above compared to a national average of 21.8% and the London average of 28.6%. 82% of students in Barnet achieved a standard pass (Grade 4 or above), which is significantly higher than both the national average of 67% and the London average of 71.7%. 79% achieved a standard pass (grade 4 or above) in both English and Maths.

At A Level, provisional data (based on returns from 27 out of the 29 schools/colleges with Year 13), shows 39% of Barnet students achieved an A* or A, higher than the national average of 28.5% and the London average of 32.7%. 84% of students achieved an A* to C grade, above the national average of 78.4%. 97% of A-level examinations were awarded an A* to E grade in line with the national average.

Other sixth form students across Barnet took vocational courses (Applied Generals and Technical Levels) with some schools reporting their highest number of Distinctions* and Distinctions ever. These students have now progressed to university courses and apprenticeships. 2026 also marks the second set of T Level results in Barnet. The qualification is offered at Saracens High School and Barnet and Southgate College. A number of T level students from both Saracens High School and Barnet and Southgate College went on to study at university, with several also having already found employment thanks to the success during their studies.

6. New rules on branded uniform
7. The Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 requires all schools, from the start of this term, to keep the number of compulsory branded items of uniform - including PE kit - to three or fewer. For secondary schools, four or fewer branded items are permitted if a tie is included.
8. What counts as school uniform?
9. The Act defines what "school uniform" covers as "a bag and any clothing required for school or for any lesson, club, activity or event facilitated by the school" This goes beyond the typical school day: the definition includes branded items required for after-school or extracurricular activities facilitated by the school. If pupils have previously been required to purchase specific clothing for school-facilitated events, this will need to be reviewed. A school's football, rugby or hockey team, for example, all fall within the requirements. Schools can still offer branded items for purchase, loan them or provide them to pupils - but those items cannot be a requirement for participation beyond the three or four branded items permitted in total.
10. What schools need to consider
11. The Act's uniform provisions require schools to make clear choices about which items they want to be branded. Whilst the Act does not expressly address the price of branded items, the restrictions aim to go some way to reducing costs for parents.
12. The uniform guidance required schools to publish their new uniform requirements before the new school year, so that parents knew what to expect and could prepare. Given that the purpose of this part of the Act is to reduce uniform costs for parents, there may be instances where existing and new pupils wear different uniforms for a period. The key point is that the three or four-item branded limit means further branded items cannot be compulsory - but there's nothing to stop them being offered as optional.
13. Please can you let me know if your school is going to find this new requirement challenging so that we are aware if we are contacted by parents.
7. Challenges – budget, falling rolls, SEN needs, rising costs

The biggest challenge in education continues to be funding. The huge increase in children with complex needs, the falling rolls in some parts of the Borough and the rising costs (staffing, energy, services etc) continue to add to this challenge. The Council monitors the budgets of all community, foundation and voluntary aided schools in the Borough. Of these, over half either started the year in deficit or are projecting a deficit budget by the end of the year. For some schools in deficit, that deficit continues to rise despite the school taking appropriate action in order to try to reduce the budget gap.

We fully appreciate the very real pressures facing schools, including falling rolls, rising costs and the wider funding challenges affecting the education sector and the professional or personal demands these circumstances place on headteachers and governors. Some schools have recently been issued with a Notice of Financial Concern by the Council due to their increasing deficits. The intention of issuing the Notice of Financial Concern was not to suggest financial mismanagement or a lack of commitment by school leaders. Nor was it intended to diminish the considerable work that has already been undertaken by schools to manage extremely difficult financial circumstances. The Council recognises that many schools have already implemented substantial savings, considered alternative income

2. GOVERNANCE EFFECTIVENESS AUDIT – EMERGING THEMES
3. Summary Last term, Governing Boards conducted their annual Governance Effectiveness Audits. This enables them to track year-on-year progress and identify gaps, which can inform governance strategies – eg: training and recruitment.Thank you to those Boards who returned a copy of their completed audit to us. This helps us use information around emerging themes to further develop our training programming for you.Following moderation, we have identified some common themes. These show where most boards felt confident, and where further improvement and support are required. Common themes requiring improvement were around complaints management, succession planning, exclusions and suspensions, and a commitment to training.Boards which sent us a copy of their completed forms by the required deadline have already been sent direct feedback regarding these and other areas requiring attention.
4. Governors’ Role To note the above information.
5. For action by All Governors
6. Contact George PeradigouGovernor ServicesBarnet Education and Learning Service (BELS)Email: George.Peradigou@barnet.gov.uk
3. GOVERNOR TRAINING PROGRAMME

Summary The Governor Training Programme has been updated with the below courses. Please see Appendix 1 for help creating a log-in. For assistance, please contact BELS.Training@barnet.gov.uk. Complaints Management for Governors - Wed, 04 Nov 2026, 18:00 - 19:00 Discussion Forum for Chairs and Vice Chairs - Thu, 05 Nov 2026, 18:00 - 19:30 | The Bohemia Pub, 762-764 High Street, North Finchley, N12 9QH SEND Responsibilities for Governors and Best Practice - Mon, 09 Nov 2026, 18:00 - 19:30 Ofsted Framework - Tue, 10 Nov 2026, 18:00 - 19:30 School Buildings: The Governor's Role in Ensuring Health & Safety - Wed, 11 Nov 2026, 18:00 - 19:30 Induction for Newish Governors - Part 1 - Mon, 16 Nov 2026, 18:00 - 19:30 Governor Disciplinary Committee (GDC) - What Governors need to know - Tue, 17 Nov 2026, 18:00 - 19:30 Safeguarding: Safer Recruitment - Thu, 19 Nov 2026, 18:00 - 21:00 Induction for Newish Governors - Part 2 - Mon, 23 Nov 2026, 18:00 - 19:30 Ofsted Ready: Interview Prep - Tue, 24 Nov 2026, 18:00 - 19:00 New and Aspiring Chairs - Thu, 26 Nov 2026, 18:00 - 19:30 Inclusion and the renewed Ofsted Framework with His Majesty's Senior Inspector for London - Tue, 01 Dec 2026, 18:00 - 19:30 Online Safety: DfE Cyber Security and AI Policy - Governors' Responsibilities - Thu, 10 Dec 2026, 18:00 - 19:30 Safeguarding for all Governors - Mon, 14 Dec 2026, 18:00 - 20:00

4. COMPLAINTS MANAGEMENT
5. Summary At a time when parents are more willing and equipped to challenge schools (sometimes usefully and sometimes less so), the sharp increase in complaints continues to impact governing boards and those supporting them. We continue to call for Governors who are willing to sit on external Complaint Appeals Panels (CAPs) to help schools in need of external independent governors to complete a complaint appeal process. Please contact George.Peradigou@barnet.gov.uk if interested. We’d like to thank those who’ve already volunteered for this. We recommend all governors undertake our Complaints Management Training, which now runs termly. This term the Complaints Management for Governors session takes place on Wednesday 4 November 2026 at 18:00 - 19:00. The session will inform governors about best practice in managing correspondence and evidence volumes during the complaint management process.
6. Governors’ Role To note the above information.
7. For action by All Governors
8. Contact George Peradigou Governor Services Barnet Education and Learning Service (BELS) Email: George.Peradigou@barnet.gov.uk
5. DFE EXECUTIVE PAY CONTROLS FOR ACADEMIES

6. SCHOOL FOOD STANDARDS: GUIDE FOR GOVERNORS
7. Summary Following on from previous presentations and written updates regarding school food standards, we are pleased to announce the final School Food Standards: Guide for Governors.The guidance will help Governors work with senior leaders at their school to develop a whole-school food policy.
8. Governors' Role To note the above information.
9. For action by All Governors
7. EXCLUSIONS & SUSPENSIONS

Contact Michelle LeonHealth Improvement OfficerPublic Health, LBBEmail: Michelle.Leon@barnet.gov.uk

Summary Training around Exclusions and Suspensions was something mentioned numerous times in Governance Effectiveness Audits last term. There have also been anecdotal requests for training around the Governors Disciplinary Committee (GDC). In response to this, we've added the GDC training to our programme, alongside the regular Exclusions and Suspensions Overview course we've been running for some years now.Governor Disciplinary Committee (GDC) – What Governors need to knowTuesday 17 November 2026, 18:00-19:30 via MS TeamsThe role of the governors' disciplinary committee (GDC) is to act as another 'set of eyes' to review the headteacher's decision to exclude. Exclusions are very serious and the governors need to review whether the exclusion has been carried out correctly and takes account of the needs of the child. It is therefore best practice for governors to attend training.We have consequently added this training to the governor training programme to inform governors what will be required of a GDC (also known as a Permanent Exclusion Panel) following an exclusion. The training will cover the conditions which need to be met,

8. POST-16 VOCATIONAL RESET
9. Summary The upcoming Post-16 vocational changes are designed to create a clearer and more coherent system for young people and adults as well as better reflect what employers need.\n\nFrom 2027, we will see V Levels being introduced for students in 3 subject areas, these are: Finance, Digital & Education. V Levels are equivalent to 1 A Level and will be assessed through 40% timetabled assessments (including practical tasks or written exams) and 60% other applied assessments. It is proposed V Levels will be graded A*-E, and P and they will replace current vocational qualifications like BTECs between 2027-2030. Students who study V Levels will be able to progress to higher education or training, apprenticeships or skilled employment.\n\nIn 2027 at Level 2 Foundation Certificates will be introduced. They are a one-year qualification designed for learners who want to pursue further study at Level 3 (including V Levels, A-levels or T Levels) but are not yet ready for a Level 3 course. Subjects available from 2027 are: Digital & Education. It is proposed they will be graded Pass, Merit, Distinction.\n\nIt is important to note that funding for existing Level 2 and Level 3 qualifications will be phased out as the new Level 2 and 3 courses are introduced between 2027-2030.
10. Governors' Role To note the above information.
11. For action by All Governors
12. Contact Tracy Parrott Associate Learning Network Inspector Education and Skills / Post-16 Education & Skills Barnet Education and Learning Service (BELS) Email: Tracy.Parrott@barnet.gov.uk
9. SAFEGUARDING UPDATE: KCSIE 2026

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