Spring Term 2026

In this edition:

• A message from the Director of Education
• Senior Leaders' Briefing
• Inspection Updates: SIAMS
• Inspection Updates: Ofsted
• Governor Briefing: Ofsted Update
• Making Significant Changes
• Admissions
• Governor Briefing: Religious Education
• Supporting Small Church Schools Through a Changing Landscape
• SEND Reform: delayed White Paper, closed national conversation and new training offer
• Legal changes to employment rights: what boards need to know
• Chair of Governors' Network
• Heads and Chairs Working Together
• Withdrawal from Collective Worship and RE: key update for schools
• Child Poverty Strategy: implications for schools and governing boards
• Financial self‑assessments and new guidance
• Additional Updates

A message from Simone Bennett,

Diocesan Director of Education

Dear Governors,

As we begin this new year and new term, I want to express my heartfelt thanks for all that you continue to offer your school communities. Your wisdom, commitment and care make a profound difference, often in ways that are not immediately visible but always deeply felt.

The Diocesan Board of Education recently shared a story of a gardener planting seeds in winter, trusting that Spring would come. It is a reminder for us all. Even when the landscape feels cold, uncertain or demanding, the work you do—every decision, every challenge navigated, every act of encouragement—is a seed of hope planted faithfully for the sake of children and young people. In time, growth emerges.

We are all working within a changing national landscape, which brings fresh questions for education. Yet, you remain steadfast—ensuring that our schools continue to be communities of welcome, dignity, hope and transformation. Thank you for the constancy you bring, especially when the way ahead is not always clear.

I hope you find this Governor Update helpful as you begin the term. We are pleased to offer several opportunities for support and connection, including:

• Chair of Governors’ Network – a collaborative space to share experience, explore challenges, and strengthen practice.
• Two Free Governor Briefings – one focusing on the recent changes to Ofsted and its impact; the other reflecting on the place of religious education in our curriculum and the role of governors.

These sessions are designed to equip you with practical tools and shared wisdom to support your vital governance role. Please do reach out if we can help you access these or if there is anything further you need.

As we step into 2026, may you find reassurance in the truth that every small act of service carries significance. Like the winter gardener, we plant in faith—trusting that, in God’s time, growth will come. May this year bring moments of learning, joy and light for you and for the communities you serve.

With gratitude, and every blessing for the year ahead,



God bless.

Simone

It was good to see so many of you at the spring term Senior Leaders' Briefing earlier this week. The slides have been posted on the ESP Online course page. Please put the next Briefing into your diary...

Inspection Updates 

SIAMS 

Fourteen SIAMS inspections took place last term across the Diocese. All were very positive. The centrality of the school's Christian vision, strength in leadership, the impact of collective worship and commitment to inclusion were positive themes.

Looking at the common areas for development across the reports, most development points fit into the following four areas.

The need to improve the:

• school's approach to spiritual development.
• ways schools encourage a culture of justice and responsibility.
• robustness of monitoring and evaluation by leaders, especially governors.
• quality of religious education, in particular, how faiths other than Christianity are taught and the effective use of assessment.

We are delighted that the majority of reports continue to reference the support the school has received from the Diocese. Whilst we recognise that the report is not about us, it does provide external verification that the support we offer is effective. As one of our reports stated, “The expert partnership with the diocese is highly valued and has a significant impact on the flourishing of pupils and adults.”

Whilst being a strong church school is not about inspection, if your governing board would like help to prepare, please don't hesitate to contact your named adviser.

OFSTED

Annual report, new framework and early themes

Ofsted published its Annual Report for 2024/25 last term, at the same time as beginning the national rollout of its new inspection framework, which was piloted from November 2025 and implemented from December 2025. Taken together, these developments provide important context for governing boards as expectations around inspection and accountability continue to evolve.

Key messages from the Annual Report

The Annual Report highlights persistent challenges across education and children’s services. Ofsted points to ongoing disadvantage and inequality, with gaps in outcomes remaining entrenched for many pupils. Attendance and behaviour continue to be areas of concern, with high levels of absence and classroom disruption affecting learning in many schools. Rising suspensions and exclusions — particularly among disadvantaged pupils — are also noted.

Alongside these pressures, the report recognises the professionalism and commitment of staff, while emphasising that many of the challenges schools face are closely linked to wider social and economic factors beyond the school gate.

Early experience of the new inspection framework

The new inspection framework represents a significant shift in approach, moving away from a single overall judgement towards a more nuanced set of graded outcomes across key areas, alongside a separate safeguarding judgement. Early feedback from pilot inspections and the first months of rollout suggests a mixed picture.

Some school leaders report more professional dialogue and a clearer focus on understanding a school’s context. At the same time, early participants have raised concerns about the inspection intensity experienced by headteachers, with workload and the practical challenge of covering multiple evaluation areas within a short inspection window. Ofsted has acknowledged these issues and has indicated that guidance and training will continue to be refined as the framework beds in.

At this stage, there is no national data on inspection outcomes under the new framework, and the current period is widely seen as one of adjustment for both schools and inspectors.

Inclusion as a central theme — and a strength of church schools

A clear and consistent theme emerging from early inspection experience is a strong focus on inclusion in practice, not just in policy. Inspectors are increasingly exploring how well schools understand and support vulnerable and disadvantaged pupils, and how inclusive values are translated into everyday decision-making.

In this context, many church schools appear to be well placed. For our schools, inclusion is often rooted in their Christian vision and ethos — shaping curriculum choices, behaviour approaches, pastoral support and relationships with families and communities. For governors and trustees of church schools, this reinforces the importance of being able to articulate clearly how inclusive practice flows from the school’s Christian vision, and how it is evidenced in the lived experience of pupils.

What this means for governors and trustees

For governing boards, these developments underline several strategic priorities. The Annual Report reinforces the need for sustained focus on attendance, behaviour, inclusion and support for disadvantaged pupils. The new framework increases the importance of understanding how impact is evidenced across a wider range of areas, including leadership, curriculum, wellbeing and inclusion.

As inspection practice continues to evolve, governors and trustees should seek assurance that leaders are engaging with updated guidance, reflecting on early sector feedback, and maintaining clear, proportionate self-evaluation — grounded in the school’s vision and focused on what makes the greatest difference for pupils.

Our named advisers are always available to support leaders in preparation for inspection. Speak to your named adviser about your specific needs.

Inspection of multi-academy trusts confirmed

The government has confirmed that inspections of multi-academy trusts (MATs) are expected to begin as early as 2027, representing a significant development in the accountability framework for academy governance. The change will be enabled through amendments to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, formally bringing academy trusts into the inspection system. We know through our regular conversations with our partner MATS that this is a welcome development and they see it as an opportunity to celebrate all that they do well.

Inspections will be carried out by Ofsted, using a new framework informed by updated trust quality descriptors. Ministers have framed this as part of a wider effort to increase transparency and public confidence, reflecting the growing role trusts play in shaping educational quality, workforce decisions, financial management and pupil wellbeing across groups of schools.

Principles shaping the new approach

While detailed arrangements are still being developed, the government has set out a number of principles to guide implementation. These include ensuring that trusts are not discouraged from supporting schools in difficulty, aligning expectations between Ofsted and the Department for Education, and keeping inspection demands proportionate. There is also a clear emphasis on the need for inspectors to have appropriate expertise in trust leadership and governance.

What inspections are likely to examine

Rather than duplicating school-level inspection, trust inspections will focus on leadership, governance and overall impact. Inspectors are expected to consider how effectively trusts improve standards across their schools, support and develop staff, use resources responsibly, and promote pupil wellbeing and inclusion. Alongside challenge, the framework is intended to recognise trusts that demonstrate strong impact or play a wider role in supporting other schools.

Intervention and improvement

The proposed inspection arrangements sit alongside strengthened intervention powers, enabling more decisive action where trust performance is not meeting expectations — including moving schools into stronger trusts where necessary. At the same time, ministers have indicated that the system should provide clearer ways of identifying and highlighting trusts that are successfully improving outcomes for pupils.

Implications for governors and trustees

Although implementation is still some way off, this announcement confirms the direction of travel. Trust boards should expect increased external scrutiny of how strategic decisions translate into improvement across their schools. For governors and trustees, this reinforces the importance of robust oversight, clear evidence of impact, and a shared understanding of how trust-level governance adds value for pupils and communities.



Making Significant Changes

We would like to remind schools that if they plan to make any significant changes to their school, then in most cases (see below) there is a statutory responsibility to seek the advice of the Diocese prior to consultation or doing so. This applies to academies, voluntary aided and voluntary controlled schools. This 'advice' comes in the form of a formal process which involves approval by the Diocesan Board of Education.

Such significant changes include:

• Change of pupil admission number.
• Change of school name.
• Change of age range, including adding nursery provision.
• Change of governance structure (total number of governors).
• Creating/extending federations.
• Formal collaborations.

Some Local Authority Officers may be unaware of this, so we encourage schools to always check with their named diocesan adviser or by emailing our admin team at info.ed@leeds.anglican.org before going ahead.

Updated guidance will be published in the coming weeks to support schools, trusts and local authorities in knowing when Diocesan involvement is required.

Admissions

For those schools that are responsible for their own admissions.

Just a reminder that it is a statutory requirement that all schools who are their own admissions authorities and all academy trust boards must determine (agree) their admissions arrangements (policy) for the academic year 27/28 by February 28th. This needs to be done whether you have consulted on changes or not and should be recorded in the minutes of a board meeting by that date.

The agreed policy should then be published on the school website by March 15th.

If you would like further advice on admissions contact your named adviser.

Additional updates

© Anglican Diocese of Leeds, 2026

Diocesan Education team

Church House, 17-19 York Place, Leeds, LS1 2EX

 0113 200 0540

info.ed@leeds.anglican.org

www.leeds.anglican.org/education/home

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