Constitution & membership
5 articles
Appointment of governors & associate members
- Appointing and reappointing governors/trustees: the rules NewWe run through the different categories of governor/trustee and how each one is appointed. Understand the rules for co-opted, foundation, local authority, parent, and staff governors, as well as associate members.
- Appointing staff members as co-opted governors Read the rules on appointing staff members, who aren't "staff governors" to your board. We look at co-opting staff members, associate membership, and the potential pros and cons.
- Changing governor/trustee category An existing governor or trustee can move to a different category as long as they fit the eligibility criteria. Use this process to re-appoint a governor or trustee in a new category.
- How to resign from your governing board All governors and trustees have to resign eventually. Find out the right way to do it, and adapt our template letter to your needs.
- What to do when a governor resigns The clerk and the chair have procedures to follow when a governor or trustee resigns. Find out what these are and send our template letter to help make sure they leave on good terms.
5 articles
Elections to the governing board
- Dealing with problematic governor candidates (maintained) The governing board can't stop a parent or staff governor candidate from standing in an election. Read guidance on how you can get the right candidate for the role, and under what circumstances elected governors can be removed.
- Governor elections: voting systems Be clear on the rules surrounding elections and what different systems you can use – both online and in person – including how to make sure voting is safe and secure.
- Parent governor/trustee elections If you're the chair or clerk, follow this process to make sure you carry out parent governor/trustee elections efficiently, and in line with the rules.
- Parent governor/trustee elections: documents If you're responsible for organising parent governor/trustee elections, use our template documents to save you time and make sure the process runs smoothly. Download our template letters to parents, ballot paper and candidate form.
- Staff governor elections If you're a chair or clerk, be clear on the process for electing a staff governor in a maintained school so your election is compliant and runs smoothly.
5 articles
Eligibility, removal & disqualification
- Disqualification of governors and trustees Know what will disqualify a governor or trustee from serving on your board and use our template declaration of eligibility to confirm that all your board members are qualified.
- Governor categories in maintained schools The governing boards of maintained schools must be made up of specific types of governors. Understand what all of the different categories of governors are and the roles they play in school governance.
- Local authority governors in maintained schools All maintained schools are required to have a local authority governor on the board. Read about what an LA governor is and the function they serve.
- Maternity leave for governors Understand best practice when handling governor maternity leave, how to avoid discrimination, and whether you can temporarily replace someone.
- Suspending or removing a governor or trustee Be clear about the difference between suspension and removal, and when these sanctions may be appropriate to carry out. Understand the procedures you need to follow to protect your school or trust, and the rights of individual governors or trustees.
4 articles
Governor administration
- Governor email accounts As a governor, the personal data you send over email must be kept secure. Use a secure school email address to help you to meet the GDPR requirement to prevent a data breach and respond to subject access requests quickly.
- How to use virtual tools to conduct governing board business UpdatedYou should use formal meetings (in person or virtually) as much as possible, but sometimes you need a way to communicate in-between meetings. Understand the rules and what's appropriate when using virtual tools like GovernorHub or email to conduct governing board business.
- School governors' right to time off work You have the right to take 'reasonable' time off work for governor duties. Find out what the rules are, if your profession is exempt, and what to do if you're having problems with your employer.
- Storing governing board documents Read this to make sure you're complying with the UK GDPR, and get guidance on how to store both electronic and paper documents so you know how to make yours secure.
7 articles
The constitution of the governing board
- Associate members: role and restrictions Associate members aren't governors, but you can appoint them to serve on committees and attend meetings. Understand who's eligible to be an associate member and what their rights are.
- Co-opted governors/trustees: role Understand the role of a co-opted governor/co-opted trustee, with guidance on who's eligible to be appointed and what their voting rights and restrictions are.
- Parent governor/trustee: role Learn how to separate your role as a governor from your role as a parent, so you can manage your relationship with other parents and do your job well.
- Size and membership of your governing board Be clear on the type and number of governors or trustees you must have.
- Staff governors: role Staff governors bring a unique staff perspective to the board. Read on to understand your responsibilities as a staff governor, and the restrictions on the scope of your role.
- Terms of office for governors and trustees Be clear on how long a governor or trustee can stay in office. Find out when their start date is and when you can shorten a term of office, so you remain compliant.
- When and how to reconstitute the governing board of a maintained school Find out what reconstitution is, when it's appropriate to reconstitute your governing board, and how to go about doing it.