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Spring term 2026 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 5 December 2025See updates
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Contents
  1. Monitor how attendance is going
  2. Think about wellbeing and mental health
  3. Understand your school's plans for 2026 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 2027
  8. Review and publish gender pay gap information
  9. Monitor your school improvement plan (SIP)
  10. Familiarise yourself with the 2025 Ofsted inspection framework
  11. 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. Remind your headteacher to include attendance in their report, if they don't already do this, so you have the figures to discuss.

Make sure your leaders are aware of new minimum attendance expectations from 2026/27

The Department for Education's (DfE's) school-specific attendance baseline improvement expectations (ABIEs) will come into effect in September 2026.

Your school will already have received its indicative ABIE for this year – ask your school leaders to share it with you.

How are we monitoring pupils’ attendance to identify patterns and concerns? Are there any