Local authority governors in maintained schools

If you're a maintained school, you're required to have a local authority governor on your board. Find out what an LA governor is, how they're appointed and the restrictions on who can fill the role.

Last reviewed on 5 April 2024See updates
School types: AllSchool phases: AllRef: 3815
Contents
  1. What they do
  2. Who they are
  3. Restrictions

What they do

Local authority governors are nominated by the local authority (LA). They serve as the link between the LA and the school but aren't political appointees.

The governance guide for maintained schools explains this in section 5.3.4:

A local authority governor, like any other governor, must govern in the interests of the school and not represent or advocate for the interests of the local authority.

Who they are

Because each LA sets its own qualifying criteria, these governors can come from a variety of backgrounds and don't necessarily work for the LA directly. 

For the LA to nominate a governor:

Governing boards can either accept or reject an LA's nominee based on whether they have the skills required to contribute to the effective governance and success of the