Sample Articles
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- Section 128 checks
Make sure you know who should have a section 128 check under the latest safeguarding guidance. We also set out how to carry out such a check.
- Headteacher recruitment: an overview
A step-by-step guide to the headteacher recruitment process, covering advertising, shortlisting candidates, holding interviews and making the appointment.
- Reporting key data to governors: template (primary)
We worked with two of our associate education experts to develop a downloadable template for regular reports to governors of primary schools. It includes sections on staff, teaching and the progress and attainment of pupils.
- How to analyse your data using ASP (primary)
Get to grips with analysing your data in Analyse School Performance (ASP) using guidance on how to access key data and question your results. For secondary schools guidance, please click here
QuickReads
Quick, clear one-page summaries of key topics that you can download and share with your governing board
Preparing for meetings
- How to prepare for your next governing board meeting
Prepare fully for your governing board meetings to make sure you add value and can hold the school to account effectively. Download our pre-meeting checklist to stay on top of the agenda, get to grips with the critical information in the headteacher's report, and plan questions to ask.
- Termly agenda templates for governing board meetings
Use our termly agenda templates to ensure that your full governing board meetings cover key termly items and tasks. Each template includes suggested agenda items for maintained schools and academies.
- Governor meetings: attendance, voting rights and conflicts of interest
Read about who has the right to attend and vote at meetings of the governing board, committees, board of trustees, and local governing bodies. We also help you to understand the rules around when people are required to withdraw from meetings and not vote.
Supporting new governors
- Induction training for governors
Effective governing boards ensure new governors have access to induction training. Understand how you can provide induction training, and use our free e-learning module to help new governors to get to grips with their role.
- Checklist for governor induction
A good governing board supports its new governors and trustees so that they settle in their role quickly. Use our checklist to help make this happen.
- Governor recruitment: asking for references
When appointing new governors, you can take references as necessary to help you make an informed decision. Use our cover letter and form.
Safeguarding
- Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE): summary
Read our summary to find out about the main points in Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE), and to know where to look for information on specific areas of safeguarding contained in the statutory guidance.
- Safeguarding: role of the link governor
You should have a senior board level lead to take leadership responsibility for safeguarding arrangements. Read guidance on the role of a link governor for safeguarding, including which staff member it can be, and find links to resources to support governors in the role.
Exclusions
- Excluding a pupil
Download our flowchart to help you understand the exclusions process and read about the lawful basis for excluding a pupil and information on the headteacher and governing board's responsibilities.
- Exclusions: role and membership of the governor panel
Read about what an exclusion panel does and who can sit on it, including what to do if you can't find enough governors from your own school.
Questions to ask
- 20 key questions for governing boards
Download the 20 key questions and sources of evidence to help you evaluate how effective your governing board is.
- Questions to ask about the GDPR report to governors
You should receive reports about the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) from your data protection officer (DPO). Here's what you should ask when you receive your first one, so you can be confident your school is meeting its legal obligations.
- Analysing pupil progress: questions to ask
Rigorously analysing pupil progress to hold senior leaders to account is a key responsibility for governing boards. Download our list of questions to ask senior leaders to help you feel confident in scrutinising your school's pupil progress data.
Policies
- Approving school policies: governors' role
Which policies must be approved by the governing board? The DfE's list of statutory policies shows which must be approved by the full governing board and when approval can be delegated. We also relay advice on amending policies and considering policies brought by committees for board approval.
- Exclusion policy: model and examples
Are there any examples of school exclusion policies? We link to examples of exclusion policies from maintained schools, academies and a special school. We also link to further articles from The Key that look in more detail at the exclusion process and governors' role in it.
- Policy review cycle: guidance and template
How often do school policies have to be reviewed? We have created a policy review schedule you can use to monitor the review cycle of statutory policies and documents, based on Department for Education guidance. We also relay advice on reviewing policies where the frequency is not specified.