A clerk's guide to producing the agenda

Last reviewed on 19 October 2021
School types: All · School phases: All
Ref: 4460

The agenda can be the difference between an efficient, productive meeting and one that rambles on. Find out how to prepare, draft and finalise your agenda so you can run efficient meetings.

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Contents

  1. 1. Invite governors to propose agenda items
  2. 2. Prepare a draft agenda
  3. 3. Finalise it
  4. 4. Distribute it

Haley James, one of our independent governance experts, helped us with this article.

1. Invite governors to propose agenda items

If your board's code of conduct sets out the procedure for governors to propose agenda items then follow that.

Otherwise, email your governors 3 weeks before the meeting to remind them of the upcoming meeting and invite them to email you with proposed agenda items within a set timescale (e.g. 3 days).

You can use the noticeboard on GovernorHub to do this, now included with your membership to The Key for School Governors. 

Collect the proposed items for the agenda planning meeting (more on that later).

2. Prepare a draft agenda

Apologies for absences – Record those governors who've extended their apologies prior to the meeting, and whether the governing board has consented to the

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