Overseeing the curriculum sits at the very heart of a school’s purpose, and therefore at the heart of effective governance. The curriculum is what the school exists to deliver: a high-quality education for every pupil. For governors, however, engaging with curriculum oversight can feel intimidating, particularly if you’re not a curriculum expert.
The good news is that governors’ roles are strategic, not operational. They don’t need to know every detail of what is taught in every classroom; instead, their role is to ask the right questions, interpret evidence, and provide appropriate and constructive challenge to school leaders.
Ofsted sees curriculum quality and governance as closely linked. Inspectors make a separate judgement on the quality of education, with the curriculum at its core, and a judgement on leadership and management, which includes governance. In that judgement, they look for evidence that governors understand their role and provide effective strategic oversight of the quality of education. Where the curriculum is weak, inspectors are likely to question whether governance has been sufficiently effective in providing challenge and oversight.
With regards to the curriculum, inspectors expect boards to oversee the quality of education and ensure resources support its delivery. In short, curriculum oversight is governance in action.
It’s tempting for governors to slip into operational detail, especially when discussing subjects you know well or lessons you’ve observed. For example, a governor might say:
I’ve reviewed the Year 4 history plan. I think they should spend more time on the Romans and less on the Vikings.
While well-intentioned, this level of detail is not the board’s role. A skilled chair or fellow governor will gently redirect the discussion:
Thank you for that insight. As a board, our role isn’t to define the specific content, but to seek assurance that the curriculum as a whole is broad, sequential, and meets National Curriculum standards. A better question is: How do leaders ensure the history curriculum is ambitious, well sequenced, and enabling pupils to develop a secure and rich understanding of the past?’
Focusing on strategic oversight means asking questions that give you confidence in the curriculum’s intent, implementation, and impact, rather than micro-managing what is taught in each lesson.
When overseeing the curriculum, boards need to look at both attainment and progress to get a full picture of how well the curriculum is working for all pupils.
Attainment provides a snapshot of where pupils are at a specific point in time.
Progress shows how much pupils have improved from their starting points. Even pupils with lower attainment can make excellent progress, while high-attaining pupils may plateau if not sufficiently challenged.
An effective board examines both, using the evidence to assure themselves that all pupils are supported to reach their potential. This focus keeps discussions strategic: rather than questioning individual lesson outcomes, governors are asking whether the curriculum, as delivered, is achieving its intended impact.
To help your board maintain a strategic focus on the curriculum, consider these guiding questions:
How does the curriculum reflect the school’s unique vision and values?
How do leaders ensure it is ambitious, broad, and balanced for all pupils?
How are SEND and disadvantaged pupils supported to access the full curriculum?
How do we know the curriculum is being delivered as intended? What is the evidence?
How is impact measured beyond exam results?
How do financial decisions support curriculum priorities?
Governors don’t need to have the answers themselves; their role is to ask, probe, and seek assurance that leaders are delivering a high-quality, well-sequenced curriculum.
For more practical guidance on effective governance, visit: Collection: The Governors’ Gateway - The foundation series | Myatt & Co
Thanks for stopping by. Next time: when school improvement hits a ceiling.
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