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The governing board: purpose and responsibilities
Use our download to get to grips with the responsibilities of governing boards in maintained schools and academies.
The 3 core functions of the governing board
The governing board exists to provide strong strategic leadership to a school, ensuring accountability for its educational and financial performance.
The Governance Handbook assigns 3 core functions to the board:
- Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction
- Holding executive leaders to account for the educational performance of the organisation and its pupils, and the performance management of staff
- Overseeing the financial performance of the organisation and making sure its money is well spent
Key tasks and responsibilities
These vary depending on your school type
Download this to help you to understand what you need to do based on the type of school you serve.
It covers:
- Admissions
- Behaviour and exclusions
- Curriculum
- Finance
- Governance
- Parents and the community
- Health and safety
- Pupil wellbeing
- Safeguarding
- Special education needs and disabilities (SEND)
- Staffing
- Pay and appraisal
Our 'wheel of governance'
This infographic shows the key tasks and legal responsibilities of the governing board, based on the Governance Handbook. Share it with your governing board:
- Topic: Chair of the governing board
- Challenge and support: finding the balance
- Topic: Clerk to the governing board
- Governor and trustee role description templates
- Topic: Link governors
- The first core function: clarity of vision, ethos and strategy
- Topic: The headteacher's role on the board
- The second core function: holding executive leaders to account
More from The Key
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