Committees & panels

Be clear on how this model is different, what you should focus on and what you can do to make it work.

The role and responsibilities of the chair of the finance committee can vary, but there are some core skills every finance chair should have. Save time and download our role description to clarify your chair's duties.

If your board isn’t working as well as it should be, it might be time to consider organising your board differently. Find out where to start, how to put a proposal together and what you'll need to consider along the way.

Use our template agenda planner as a starting point to make sure all board members know what's coming up in each meeting and can organise their governing duties effectively.

If you need a new committee chair, or you're considering giving it a go yourself, find out what the role involves and what it takes to be qualified.

One way that boards manage their workload is by delegating tasks to smaller groups of governors or trustees. Understand the types of committee and the rules on their constitution.

Be clear on the pros and cons of different committee structures so you can choose the right monitoring method for your board, and see examples from schools.

Be clear on what to do before, during and after a finance committee meeting to make sure it runs smoothly.

Be clear how to co-ordinate a panel hearing in a fair and transparent way. Download our list of statutory deadlines for suspensions, exclusions and admissions panels to help you stay organised.

You should review your committees every year. Read our 3-step process for how to do this effectively.

Working parties or groups can be a great way to tackle time-consuming problems, especially if your board operates without committees. Download and adapt our terms of reference to get started.