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.

Last reviewed on 19 October 2022
School types: Maintained, AcademySchool phases: AllRef: 30134
Contents
  1. Terms of office are usually 4 years
  2. The start date is when they're elected or appointed
  3. Shortening the term of office 

Terms of office are usually 4 years

Governors and trustees have a 4-year term of office. This can be shortened, but must be at least 1 year (as explained in the final section of this article).

If they want to stay on longer, they can be re-appointed/re-elected if they're still eligible. See our article for more information, or check your articles of association if you're an academy.

This doesn't apply to ex-officio governors and trustees (e.g. the headteacher), whose term of office ends when the position which entitles them to be a governor or trustee ends. 

This information comes from:

The start