Size and membership of your board

Last reviewed on 21 February 2023
School types: All · School phases: All
Ref: 42120

Be clear on the type and number of governors or trustees you must have.

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Academies

Contents

  1. Always check your articles of association first
  2. Key requirements in academies and free schools
  3. Other types of trustee that can sit on your board
  4. No limit on the size of your trust board
  5. Associate members

Always check your articles of association first

Your specific arrangements are set out in your individual articles, so be sure to check those in case your rules differ. The information below is set out in the model articles of association. 

Key requirements in academies and free schools

According to the DfE's model articles, the rules you need to follow are:

1. You should have at least 3 trustees

See article 45 of the model articles. 

2. Single academies should have at least 2 parent trustees. Multi-academy trusts should have at least 2 parent representatives on your board of trustees, or at least 2 on each of your LGBs

See article 54 of the model articles.

Previous employment means within the last 4 years. This is covered in article 139 of the model

Also in this topic: The constitution of the governing board
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