Clerk's guide to amending and approving draft meeting minutes

Learn how to send, amend, approve and file the minutes (including committee minutes) for maintained schools and academies.

Last reviewed on 14 March 2023
School types: AllSchool phases: AllRef: 4407
Contents
  1. The requirements
  2. 1. Send the minutes to the chair first
  3. 2. Send the draft minutes out 7 days before the meeting
  4. 3. Discuss and record amendments in the meeting
  5. 4. Get the minutes approved and signed
  6. 5. File the minutes
  7. 6. Make sure the minutes are available
  8. Don't change approved minutes

Our associate education experts, Hayley James, Fiona Stagg, Jane Edminson and Fred Birkett gave us the advice in this article.

Please note: this article is a guide and refers to a common process for amending and approving the minutes. You may have specific processes to follow as set out by your standing orders, local authority or multi-academy trust board. Follow your specific processes over this article if they differ. 

Maintained schools The clerk to the governing board, or the person appointed to act as clerk for the purpose of the meeting, must make sure the minutes are: Drawn up (i.e written) Approved by the governing board or relevant committee Signed by the chair at the next meeting (or the committee chair in the case of a committee meeting) This is set out in regulations 15 and 26(7) of the School Governance (Roles, Procedures and Allowances) (England) Regulations 2013.  Check with your local authority for any further requirements you need