Spring term 2025 agenda items and how to prepare

Here are the headline issues you're likely to cover in your full governing board meeting this term. Read on to understand each issue and feel prepared with further reading and questions you can ask to interrogate the agenda items effectively.

Last reviewed on 8 January 2025See updates
Ref: 41737
Contents
  1. Monitor how attendance is going
  2. Think about wellbeing and mental health
  3. Understand your school's plans for 2025 tests or exams
  4. Complete the SFVS 
  5. Finalise next year’s budget
  6. Review your recruitment processes
  7. Determine admission arrangements for entry in September 2026
  8. Review and publish gender pay gap information
  9. Monitor your school improvement plan (SIP)
  10. Set up governors with training 

Monitor how attendance is going

Attendance remains a real difficulty for many schools this year. If this is the case in your school, you'll want to check in and make sure your leaders are doing everything they can to promote good attendance.

As a board, you're expected to review attendance data regularly. Ask your headteacher to include attendance in their report, if they don't already do this, so you have the figures to discuss.

How are we monitoring pupils’ attendance to identify patterns and concerns? Are there any particular groups with lower attendance than others? If so, what can be put in place to help this group of pupils? How do we build strong links with local services to remove barriers to attendance? How do we make sure that any staff who have a specified attendance function in their role get dedicated