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.

Last reviewed on 16 August 2023
School types: Maintained, SpecialSchool phases: Nursery, Primary, Secondary, 16 PlusRef: 4129
Contents
  1. The headteacher
  2. Parent governors
  3. Staff governors
  4. Local authority governors
  5. Co-opted governors
  6. Foundation governors
  7. Partnership governors

Check our other article if you're looking for information on the constitution of your governing board

The headteacher The headteacher is automatically a governor because of their position as headteacher – sometimes referred to as an 'ex-officio' governor. Headteachers can resign from the governing board if they choose, but the role can't be filled by any other staff member. The exception is an acting headteacher. Acting headteachers are essentially the headteacher for all legal purposes, so they have the same right to be a governor and attend meetings as a permanent headteacher. The DfE confirmed this to us.  However, if they're temporarily ‘covering’ the role, and haven’t been appointed as acting headteacher, then they don't have the same rights as the permanent headteacher. A representative at the DfE also confirmed this. Their role To implement the governing