Data analysis: role of the link governor

Not all governors need to be data experts, but your board should have at least 1 person with the skills to interpret the data they're given. Understand what this link governor role involves and how best to deploy your data specialists.

Last reviewed on 2 September 2022
School types: All · School phases: All
Ref: 4887
Contents
  1. Have at least 1 experienced data analyst on the board
  2. Role and responsibilities 
  3. Example role descriptions
  4. Involve other governors 

Thanks to Bill Dennison, one of our associate governance experts, for his advice on this article.

Have at least 1 experienced data analyst on the board

Every board needs at least 1 person with the skills to understand and interpret data, according to section 3.4 of the Governance Handbook.

Their responsibility is to make sure everyone on the board can fully engage in discussions about financial and educational performance data, including:

  • Making sure other board members correctly understand what the data says about your school's performance and finances
  • Identifying the issues that need to be discussed and prioritised based on the data
  • Guiding other board members and helping them increase confidence and skill 
  • Identifying training opportunities and encouraging other board members to attend

It's ultimately up to your board to set out exactly what the link governor does. This could be set out in a terms of reference or written role description. If