Publishing governing board minutes online

Understand expectations around publishing meeting minutes on your school website, and what the requirements are for making minutes available.

Last reviewed on 30 January 2024
School types: AllSchool phases: AllRef: 3916
Contents
  1. You're expected to publish your minutes
  2. You must make minutes available if requested
  3. You're not required to make confidential information available

You're expected to publish your minutes

State-funded schools are expected to publish certain information proactively to comply with the Freedom of Information Act 2000 publication scheme.

Governing board minutes are 1 of the types of information you're expected to publish (along with agendas and any papers considered), but you don't have to publish confidential information.

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO):

  • Expects these to be available for at least the current and previous 3 years
  • Recommends publishing them on your website, as this is the easiest way for people to access them

See page 6 of the 'Schools in England' definition document (under 'Education'), and information on publishing on your website.

You can also find more about the publication scheme, including a guidance document about minutes and agendas in particular, on the ICO website.

Knavesmire Primary School, an academy with a local governing body in York Thomas Tallis School, a community school