Committee chairs: who they are and what they do

There are different types of committees, depending on why the committee was created and what it's meant to do. Note that this article is only about permanent - or 'standing' - committees. 

The role in a nutshell

Like the chair of the full governing board, a committee chair's primary responsibility is to ensure the effective operation of the committee they head.

  Maintained schools Academies Rules governing committees Part 5 of The School Governance (Roles, Procedures and Allowances) (England) Regulations 2013 The committee's terms of reference Your trust's articles of association The committee's terms of reference Statutory duties Directing the clerk to the committee to convene meetings Exercising a casting vote where there is an equal division of votes (provided the chair is a governor - see the 'Eligibility' row below) Signing the approved minutes from prior meetings  None - but check your trust's articles of association and your committee's terms of