What roles must a school have in place?

Last reviewed on 25 August 2021
School types: Maintained, Academy · School phases: Primary, Secondary
Ref: 3349

Get a list of the positions and responsibilities that maintained schools and academies are legally obliged to fill.

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Contents

  1. Governing board and governance
  2. Headteacher
  3. Chief finance officer (CFO) (academies only)
  4. Accounting officer (academies only)
  5. Special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO)
  6. Designated safeguarding lead (DSL)
  7. Designated teacher for looked after and previously looked after children (LAC)
  8. Data protection officer (DPO)
  9. Careers leader (secondary schools only)
  10. First aiders
  11. Fire safety 

Not sure about what everyone does in your school? Use our handy cheat sheet to get you up to speed on what all the different roles and their responsibilities are.

Governing board and governance

Maintained schools

All maintained schools must have a governing board, elect a chair and vice-chair from among its members, and appoint a clerk.

See section 19 of the Education Act 2002, and regulations 6(3) and 7(1) of the School Governance (Roles, Procedures and Allowances) Regulations 2013.

Academies

Academy trusts must have at least 3 members and 3 trustees.

Members mustn't be employees of the trust. 

Trustees need to:

This is outlined in articles 12, 45, 81-82 of the Department for Education's (DfE's) model articles of association, sections 1.3 and

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