Roles on the governing board
11 articles
Chair of the governing board
- Chairing meetings: your complete guide Read our top tips on how to chair a full governing board meeting – including how to prepare in advance, stick to time and keep things on track. Download our audit to evaluate how effective your current meetings are.
- Chair of governors: meetings with the headteacher Free sample Make meetings with the headteacher more productive with advice on why you should meet and what you should focus on.
- Chair of trustees: how to work effectively with your CEO Get tips on how to develop and nurture a positive working relationship with your CEO so you can support your trust.
- 'Chair's action': your power to act in cases of urgency As a chair, be clear when you might use the 'chair's action' to make urgent decisions on your board's behalf, and see examples of how other schools do it.
- Chairs: how to work well with your headteacher It's crucial that you and your head work together effectively. Read our experts' advice on how to build and maintain a good relationship.
- How to elect a chair and vice-chair of governors As a governing board you must elect a chair and vice-chair of governors. Find out the rules and use our flowchart and checklist to make sure your election process runs smoothly.
- How to make co-chairing work for you Get a reality check on how co-chairing can work in practice so you can decide if it’s the best model for you. Save time with our template so you can make a considered proposal to your governing board.
- Length of service for a chair of governors There is no restriction on the chair of governors serving successive terms, and no limit on their length of service. Read recommendations for appropriate lengths of service, and understand the benefits of restricting terms of office.
- Removing the chair or vice-chair of governors from office Understand the procedure for removing the chair or vice-chair in maintained schools and academies, and be clear on how the removal may be kept confidential.
- Vice-chair: role and responsibilities Get to grips with what it means to be a vice-chair with our downloadable role description, and see examples of responsibilities from a school and a local authority.
- What to do when you're struggling to find a chair or vice-chair All boards are required to have both a chair and a vice-chair. If you're struggling to fill either post, we have a step-by-step plan for how to manage the situation effectively.
8 articles
Clerk to the governing board
- Clerk's guide to using GovernorHub As a member of The Key, you now have access to GovernorHub. Get skilled up on how you can use GovernorHub to tackle some common tasks efficiently and easily.
- Clerks' pay and hours Governance professionals play a key role in school governance and should expect to be paid accordingly. Understand what factors go into deciding your pay and hours and find some resources for benchmarking your own salary.
- How to carry out your clerk's appraisal Your clerk is your board's governance professional. Learn how to carry out an annual performance review so you can drive high standards and support your clerk's professional development.
- How to recruit a clerk Get everything you need to recruit your next clerk. Find out how to run the process from start to finish, including guidance on advertising, interviews and making the appointment.
- Skills audit for governance professionals Free sample Evaluate your skills and knowledge, and identify your training needs with our skills audit based on the clerking competency framework.
- The clerking competency framework Get the headline information you need about what the clerking competency framework is, and how you can use it. Download this QuickRead to share with your board.
- The role of the clerk All boards must have a clerk. Find out who can be clerk, and be clear on what the role involves so you can work with your clerk effectively. Download our model role description if you’re recruiting a new clerk.
- Training for clerks to the governing board Clerks should have all of the skills and knowledge set out in the clerking competency framework. Discover what funding is available to you and where to find the training you need.
23 articles
Link governors
- Allocating link governor roles Find out what link governor roles your board should have and get advice on how to allocate them.
- Assessment: role of the link governor What is the role of the link governor for assessment? One of our associate education experts looks at what the role of link governor for assessment involves. The article also includes suggestions of questions the governor could ask of school leaders.
- Careers link governor: role Find out what your role is as a link governor for careers. See what questions you can ask the careers staff member to support and challenge them around your school's careers strategy, pupil engagement with guidance and remote guidance options.
- Curriculum: role of the link governor Understand your role as a curriculum link governor, including during coronavirus, and find out what questions you can ask subject leaders to challenge and support them.
- EYFS: role of the link governor Get up to speed on your role as an EYFS link governor. Find out how to monitor the EYFS and what questions you can ask, so you can confidently hold your school leaders to account.
- Finance: role of the link governor Be clear on your role as a finance link governor so you can monitor effectively.
- Governors with responsibility for data analysis Not all governors need to be data experts - but governing boards should have at least one person with the skills to interpret the data they're given. Read this article if you're considering how best to deploy your data specialists.
- Governor training and development: role of the link governor Understand what your role entails as a link governor for governor training, and learn how to monitor your board's development.
- Health and safety: role of the link governor and questions to ask Use our role description to define your responsibilities, get tips on monitoring your school's compliance and download a list of questions you might ask during a school visit.
- ICT: role of the link governor Understand your role as an IT or ICT link governor, including getting online safety and cyber security on your school's radar, and learn what questions you can ask school and subject leaders to challenge and support them.
- Inclusion/equality: role of the link governor Be clear on your role as the link governor for inclusion/equality and find out what questions you can ask to challenge and support your subject lead.
- Link governors Save time by reading our summary of the role and functions of link governors in just 1 page. Download a copy to share with your governing board.
- Literacy: role of the link governor Understand your role as a literacy link governor and questions you can ask literacy subject leaders to challenge and support them.
- Monitoring pupil premium: role of the link governor Be clear on the role and responsibilities of a pupil premium link governor. Use our list of questions when monitoring provision and our template when reporting to your board.
- Numeracy/maths: role of the link governor Understand your role as a numeracy/maths link governor and questions you can ask maths subject leaders to challenge and support them.
- PSHE and citizenship: role of the link governor UpdatedGet to grips with your role as the link governor for personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education and citizenship. Find out how to monitor those subjects, and save time with our example questions you can ask your senior leaders to hold them to account.
- Pupil premium: questions to ask See our list of questions to ask your pupil premium lead about how your school uses pupil premium funding to raise the attainment of disadvantaged pupils. Use the questions in link governor visits or in relevant committee meetings.
- Questions to ask subject leaders Be clear on what questions to ask when meeting subject leaders on school visits or at board/committee meetings, so you can challenge and support them.
- RE: role of the link governor Get clarity on your role as the link governor for religious education. Find out how to monitor RE and save time with our example questions you can ask your school leaders to hold them to account.
- Safeguarding: role of the link governor Know who you can appoint as the safeguarding link governor and understand what their role is.
- SEND: questions to ask Find out what questions you can ask your SENCO about your school's provision for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), and what to look out for in their answers. Now including questions to ask when monitoring SEND provision during coronavirus.
- SEND: role of the link governor Clarify your role as the link governor for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Download our role description and get advice on meeting with the SENCO, as well as a link for training.
- Wellbeing link governor: role description Understand what your role as a wellbeing link governor involves so you can help your board monitor and embed a wellbeing culture. Get an idea of what questions you can ask your school's wellbeing/mental health lead so you can be a ‘critical friend’.
3 articles
The headteacher's role on the board
- Division of responsibilities: governing board and headteacher Learn about the division of responsibilities between the board and the headteacher, and read advice on keeping the governor role strategic, not operational.
- Headteacher's position on the governing board Make sure you understand your headteacher's role and rights on your governing board, so your meetings run smoothly.
- Headteacher's report to governors: template and guidance Use our template report to make sure you're giving the governing board all the information it needs to do its job well.