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Involvement in meetings: clerk to the governing board

Last reviewed on 26 April 2017
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How involved should a clerk be in governing board meetings? This article addresses the clerk's role in meetings, as set out in the clerking competency framework. It also relays an expert's advice on what to do if governors are concerned about the clerk's level of involvement.

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Contents

  1. Clerk's role in meetings 
  2. Addressing issues
  3. More on the clerk's role

Clerk's role in meetings 

Clerking competency framework 

The clerking competency framework, a non-statutory document published by the Department for Education (DfE), sets out the knowledge, skills and behaviours required of governing board clerks. 

It says that the clerk should provide the board with impartial advice and guidance during meetings. In particular, the clerk should have the confidence and credibility to speak out when the board is at risk of overstepping its strategic remit.

The framework adds that the clerk should challenge the board when: 

  • Meetings are not conducted in a proper or orderly manner
  • The programme of work does not embody the principles of good governance

The framework, which applies to maintained schools and academies, can be downloaded from the following page: 

Professional clerks' competency framework,  GOV.UK – DfE (Adobe pdf file)

We spoke to one of our associate education experts, Vicky Redding, about the level of the clerk's involvement in governor

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