An influential group of trusts is urging Ofsted to split governance from its leadership judgment, saying the current system is masking sector-wide weaknesses. The Queen Street Group鈥檚 annual report, published today, said 鈥渕any鈥 CEOs in its network of 35 trusts believe 鈥済overnance across the system is not consistently strong enough to bear the demands placed upon it鈥. Inspectors鈥 decisions on a school鈥檚 governance are rolled into their 鈥榣eadership and management鈥 sub-judgement. But members believe the two should be split. 鈥淲eak governance is often carried by leaders,鈥 the report said. 鈥淭his problem is masked by incorporating governance within the judgement on leadership, so these need to be separated.鈥 This comes after Ofsted scrapped single-phrase headline grades for a school鈥檚 overall effectiveness earlier this month. Until new report cards take effect next September, schools will continue to be rated from 鈥榦utstanding鈥 to 鈥榠nadequate鈥 for the four sub-judgments, including 鈥榣eadership and management鈥. Recruitment might not keep up with improvement Steve Taylor OSG chair Steve Taylor said CEOs 鈥渨ere reflecting that when a school goes through a period of rapid improvement, for example, that it鈥檚 not necessarily [the case] that you鈥檒l recruit governors at the same speed as you鈥檒l be able to improve provision鈥. Two-thirds of school or trust governing boards had at least one vacancy in 2022, a six-year high. The Labour government also pledged in the build-up to the election to introduce trust inspections. Ofsted currently conducts summary evaluations of trusts, batch-inspecting some of their schools but does not look at the workings of central teams. But the QSG report warned 鈥渕uch work remains to be done on developing appropriate鈥 MAT inspections. Its members had reported a 鈥渕ixed response鈥 to summary evaluations, with some inspectors having a 鈥渓ack of understanding of how trusts operate鈥. Finance directors also witnessed a 鈥渨ide inconsistency of approach by different inspection teams鈥. Safeguarding checks would ‘burden schools’ QSG also revealed that most of its members 鈥渄o not advocate separate annual safeguarding鈥 checks, another planned Labour reform. 鈥淭hese would increase burdens on schools. The trust sets the safeguarding policy and monitors its effectiveness. This is where inspection should focus.鈥 Elsewhere in the report, QSG noted the Department for Education鈥檚 academy commissioners, called regional directors, 鈥渁re making judgements on whether trusts need to improve and whether they have the capacity to take on new schools鈥. But there 鈥渘eeded to be greater consistency of approach鈥 and 鈥済reater transparency in how such processes work鈥. Asbestos may be next big issue Although QSG members say they have seen improvements in areas of concern involving regions group and Ofsted, following talks with lead inspector Sir Martyn Oliver and senior DfE official John Edwards. During meetings of QSG鈥檚 estates group, leaders also predicted that 鈥渁sbestos may be the next issue to hit the headlines鈥. But they are concerned last year鈥檚 RAAC crisis will 鈥渆xacerbate the shortfall in condition funding鈥. They also believe current building bulletins, which detail how a school should be designed and laid out, are 鈥渘ow out-of-date as we are using schools and spaces differently following the pandemic鈥. Creative Education Trust estates director Jon Ward, who chairs the QSG group, explained: 鈥淪ome schools face new challenges in meeting space requirements for bigger intakes, or requiring more smaller spaces say for intervention particularly where greater numbers of children with SEND are evident.鈥