Governance Handbook 2020: summary of changes
The Governance Handbook was updated on 8 October 2020. Read our summary to get up to speed on the key changes.
Context
The Governance Handbook is where the Department for Education (DfE) brings together good practice and relevant requirements for maintained schools and academies. It sets out what good governance should look like, including the role and functions of governing boards.
Changes in the handbook reflect wider changes in education and the country as a whole
While there are some bigger changes in this year's Governance Handbook than we've seen in the past, this is a reflection of changes since its last publication in March 2019, including:
- A new Ofsted framework
- Updates to the Academies Financial Handbook (AFH) and Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE)
- Changes to EYFS and Key Stage 1 assessments and performance data for pupils with special education needs (SEN)
- Coronavirus, and the extensive guidance that's resulted from it
New additions for all schools
The main additions to this edition of the handbook are:
Governing remotely
You may wish to continue to govern remotely, carrying out meetings (page 25) via:
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