Monitoring and school visits

  • Governor school visits
    Read our 1-page summary about governor monitoring visits so that you understand what they are and what’s expected of you. Download a copy to share with your governing board.
  • Governor school visits: a chair’s guide and template schedule
    Use our guide to help plan and prepare for governor school visits. Understand how you can link visits to the school improvement plan, and how you can help your governors prepare and report back effectively.
  • Governor school visits: questions to ask pupils
    Get more out of your monitoring visits and learning walks. Use our questions and advice to talk to pupils with confidence and get the insights you need.
  • Governor school visits: your how-to guide
    Find out what to do before, during and after your school visits, including if you're doing a remote visit. Be clear on what's expected of you with our dos and don’ts, and use our example questions and template reports to take notes on your monitoring visits and learning walks.
  • How to hold the senior leadership team to account
    Providing challenge to the senior leadership team (SLT) is a key part of being a governor. Find out how to do it effectively, including how to involve SLT members in governing board meetings and what to do if problems arise.
  • How to monitor your school effectively
    Even the most ambitious school improvement plans won't yield results without proper monitoring. Get a handle on what needs monitoring and how to organise and deploy your governors to get it done.
  • School visits: looking at pupils' work
    Understand what your role is when looking at pupils' work, when you might want to do it and what to look out for. See examples of how other governors use pupils' work when visiting schools.
  • Strategic vs operational: practical examples
    Governors and trustees set strategy and hold senior leaders to account – they don't get involved in the day-to-day running of the school or trust. Sometimes it's hard to walk this fine line, but our practical examples will help you clarify your role.
  • Top tips to get your governors on school visits
    Boost your board's engagement with school life with these simple ways to encourage them to go on school visits.