Chair of the governing board

Read our top tips on how to chair a full board meeting – including how to prepare in advance, stick to time and keep things on track. Use our audit to evaluate how effective your meetings are.

Make meetings with the headteacher more productive with our advice on why you should meet and what you should focus on.

Get tips on how to develop a positive working relationship with your CEO so you can support your trust effectively.

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.

It's crucial that you and your headteacher work together effectively. Learn how to build and maintain a good relationship.

As a governing board you must elect a chair and vice-chair. Get to grips with the rules, and use our flowchart to make sure your election process runs smoothly.

Find out 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.

There's no limit on the length of service for a chair of governors. Understand the benefits of restricting terms of office, including spreading good practice, boosting diversity and developing a strong board.

Understand the procedure for removing the chair or vice-chair in maintained schools and academies, and be clear on how the removal could be kept confidential.

Get to grips with what it means to be a vice-chair with our downloadable role description, and see examples of responsibilities from schools and a local authority.

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.