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 the governance guides (section 3.3.1 for maintained schools and section 6.2.1 for academy trusts).
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/trust'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/trustee does. This could be set out in