Recruiting a clerk to governors or governance professional can be tricky as it’s a niche role and many schools only offer small contracts.
This article helps you find a clerk to governors, hold interviews to discover the best candidate and advises on what to do if you’re unable to recruit a clerk.
Advertising For A Clerk
Here are some places that accept adverts for clerks. If you know of other places to advertise please contact me and I will add the details.
The titles “clerk to governors” and “governance professional” tend to be used interchangeably. Governance professional is the title that the DfE have preferred over the past few years, but many schools still advertise for a clerk.
Your LA Governor Services department may provide clerks through their own clerking service, although it will likely be more expensive than hiring a clerk directly.
Contact local schools to ask if their current clerk would like more work. Many clerks work for multiple schools and are happy to work at both maintained schools or academies.
Who interviews the clerk?
It tends to be the headteacher and chair of governors who interview the clerk. In an academy trust they may be joined by the head of governance or whoever takes the lead on governance issues.
Remember that the clerk or governance professional is not line managed by the headteacher. They are employed by the governing board (not the head) and should be line managed by the chair of governors.
Clerk To Governors Job Description and Person Specification
A job description and person specification for a clerk is available from Southampton LA. (Look for “governance professional, formerly clerk to governors”).
Ask A Clerk provides a training course for maintained school clerks which covers the role of governors and clerks, proceedings at meeting, voting, conflicts of interest, electing the chair and vice-chair and much more.
To test a potential clerk’s skills at interview you could ask candidates to:
provide a copy of their minutes (if they have worked as a clerk before)
watch a short video and minute the key points
summarise a long headteacher’s report in one side of A4
improve the spelling, grammar, flow and formatting of a poorly written set of minutes you provide
answer a quiz on the school governance regulations (maintained schools) or your own articles of association/terms of reference (academies)
write a letter to a governor telling them they have been disqualified for failing to attend meetings
write a letter to a governor telling them they have broken the code of conduct and the board have voted to suspend them.
What happens if we cannot recruit a clerk?
Every maintained school and academy trust needs a clerk or governance professional, so you need to keep looking.
In the short-term one of your governors/trustees can take the minutes. This really is only a short-term solution as it adds an additional burden to the governor or trustee, makes it difficult for them to take part in discussions and means you do not have access to the clerk’s advice.
If you’re struggling to recruit I would review your job advert, salary offer and job description to see if you can make the role more enticing.
I often see job adverts for clerks that are confusing, uninviting or sometimes even needlessly scary! Here are some common mistakes I see schools make in their adverts.
Hiding The Salary
The job advert says something like “Salary is £15-£16 per hour depending on experience and we hold six full board meetings per year.”
Okay…but how much is the salary? You need to say how many hours of work are allocated for each meeting. Eight hours for each full board meeting at £15 per hour would be £720 per year, whereas 14 hours per meeting would be £1260 per year. That’s a vast difference.
To properly explain the salary each advert for a clerk must include:
the number of hours included in the contract (eg: 120 hours annually)
the number of full board meetings per year
the number of committee meetings per year
the pay per hour
whether overtime is paid to cover other duties (training, admin, governor panels, extraordinary meetings etc).
When deciding how many hours to allocate per meeting the minimum allocation often recommended is 10 hours per full board meeting and seven hours per committee meeting.
Suspiciously Low Number of Annual Hours
I recently saw a school advertise for a clerk to work for just 60 hours per year. This was to clerk six full board meetings, so I imagine they’ve allocated 10 hours per meeting.
That’s fine in itself, but the advert made no mention of additional hours allocated for training, extraordinary meetings, governor panels, keeping records, offering advice, updating the website, begging governors to fill in their declaration of interests form for 2023 before the form for 2024 becomes due…
It is very helpful to tell applicants whether overtime will be paid for additional work. You also need to check how the number of hours have been calculated. Were they calculated 15 years ago and no-one has reviewed them since? Do they really reflect the amount of work you are asking the clerk to do?
It’s a good idea to ask your previous clerk whether they feel they were being paid for all the hours they were required to work – you might be surprised at the answer.
Expecting Unreasonable Flexibility
Clerks do need to be flexible in their approach to working hours as boards may need to change meeting dates or hold meetings at short notice.
However, if you are trying to employ someone who can work at 8am on a Monday, 7pm on a Tuesday and 1pm on a Wednesday you may find that a struggle.
Almost all clerks have to take on extra work around their clerking, so if you’re offering three hours of work per week and want complete flexibility in return you may need to relax your requirements.
Terrifying The Life Out Of People
I almost didn’t apply for the first ever clerking role I held because it sounded pretty daunting.
Phrases like “The clerk advises the governing body on legislative issues” can make it sound like you need a barrister, not a clerk. I also once saw an ad that said the job was “not for the faint of heart”!
Now, you do need to tell candidates that they will be expected to do more than take notes, but do make it clear that no legal qualifications are needed and full training will be available (and that you will of course pay for the time spent undertaking that training).
It also helps to mention any sources of support you have as a governing body. For example, if you’re members of the NGA, GovernorHub Knowledge or your LA provides clerking support forums.
Treating Committee Meetings As Minor Add-Ons
I once enquired about a clerking role which said the school ran six full board meetings per year “plus committees”. They were paying a fixed number of hours per year.
When I asked for more information it turned out they held six full board meetings and ten committee meetings per year, with all 16 meetings to be covered by the fixed hours contract.
I’ve seen other schools do this too, ignoring committee meetings in their adverts because they seem to believe they take far less time to clerk than full board meetings and the full board meetings are the main part of the job.
It’s true that committee meetings are often shorter than full board meetings, but they can also be quite complex. Anyone who thinks committee meetings are a doddle has never minuted a finance committee! Plus there is still the usual work of drafting the agenda, sorting out papers, offering advice and so on.
An experienced clerk may be suspicious of an advert that carefully explains how many full board meetings you hold but fails to mention committees. (Of course, if you run the circle model of governance you won’t hold committee meetings, so do mention that in your ad if that’s your set-up.)
I explain how the rules work in practice and translate the legal language into plain English. This is a pre-recorded video course so you can watch the video as many times as you like, whenever you like.
The two-hour training video comes with a 66-page written transcript. It also comes with a 17-page written study guide which helps you understand the key points of law and summarises each section.
This is the course I wish existed when I became a clerk in 2012.
What does the Roles, Procedures & Allowances training course cover?
If the instrument of government or GIAS says your school is a community, voluntary-aided, voluntary-controlled or foundation school (or a maintained nursery school) and your school is in England this course is definitely suitable for you.
How is the course delivered?
The video is on a password-protected page on Ask A Clerk and can be watched using any web browser. The written study guide and transcript of the video are available as pdf files.
Once you place an order you’ll receive a password within 24 hours and a link to the training page. (If I receive the order by 6pm you will receive the password the same day.)
The video can be watched and rewatched at any time and the pdf files can be downloaded.
Can I see a preview of the course?
Yes – below is a section of the Roles, Procedures & Allowances training video. You can also view the corresponding sections of the transcript and study guide as pdf files.
How can I buy the Roles, Procedures & Allowances training?
There are two ways to purchase.
You can buy online using Paypal or credit/debit card. You will receive the password to access the training within 24 hours. (If I receive the order by 6pm I’ll send the password the same day.)
If you order with a school email address you can request an invoice instead. The invoice can be paid via bank transfer (BACS), cheque or credit/debit card. You will receive the password to the training within 24 hours of confirming you accept the invoice.
Discounts are available for multiple purchases of 10 courses or more.
If you’d like to buy multiple courses or you’re buying for an organisation and would like to host this course on your own learning management system please contact me for details.
Buy The Roles, Procedures & Allowances Training Via Paypal or Credit/Debit Card (£29.99)
Click the button below to buy via Paypal or credit/debit card. You’ll receive a payment receipt immediately.
I will then email you the password to the training within 24 hours. (If I receive the order before 6pm I will send the password the same day.)
Buy The Roles, Procedures & Allowances Training Via Invoice
If you order using a school email address (eg: clerk@MaloryTowersSchool.com) you can pay by invoice.
Please complete the form below and I will send an invoice within 24 hours. The invoice can be paid via bank transfer (BACS), cheque or credit/debit card.
Once I receive a reply from the school email address to confirm you accept the invoice I will send the password to the training within 24 hours.
Request An Invoice for the Roles, Procedures & Allowances Training (£29.99)
What if I’m not happy with the course?
If you have an IT problem at any time after buying just contact me and I will find a solution.
If you’re not satisfied with the course please contact me within seven days of purchase, tell me why you found the course unhelpful and I will refund your money.
Where can I log in to the course?
You can log in by clicking on the link below. (The same link will be emailed to you when you buy the course, along with your password.)
The DfE Governance Guides published in March 2024 recommend that the following people read part two of Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE):
governors and associate members in maintained schools
trustees and local governors in academies
clerks/governance professionals.
However, the Governance Guides also make it clear that governing bodies must comply with the safeguarding duties they have in law and ensure that child protection policies, procedures and training are in place and effective.
Boards are only going to be aware of all their safeguarding duties if at least one governor reads the whole of KCSIE.
(The quote below is from the Maintained Schools Governance Guide but the wording is almost exactly the same in the Academy Trust Governance Guide.)
“Governing bodies have a strategic leadership responsibility for its school’s safeguarding arrangements.
“They must:
comply with their duties under legislation
have regard to KCSIE guidance
ensure that policies, procedures and training in their schools are effective and comply with the law at all times.”
The safeguarding team at my local authority recommend that governors read all of Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE), not just certain parts of it.
My LA’s advice is based on the fact that the entire governing body is responsible for safeguarding and making sure the school policies, procedures and training are all compliant with DfE guidance. Governors therefore need to know what is in KCSIE to monitor safeguarding effectively.
Keeping Children Safe in Education is the DfE’s statutory guidance on safeguarding. It explains how to protect children from harm, including physical or emotional abuse, bullying, neglect and online dangers.
KCSIE says that all school employees who work directly with children must read at least part one.
School employees who don’t work directly with children must read either part one ora short summary of part one which is printed in an annexe.
Why do some schools say governors only need to read part one of KCSIE?
Because some staff don’t have to read the whole guidance a myth has grown that part one is the really vital part. Therefore some schools tell both staff and governors that they only need to read part one.
It’s a strange myth, though, because it makes no sense! Part two of KCSIE describes the responsibilities of governing bodies. Who exactly is supposed to read that bit if not governors?
What does KCSIE itself recommend?
The introduction to Keeping Children Safe in Education explains that it should be “read and followed” by:
governing bodies of maintained schools
trust boards in academies (it calls the board of trustees the “proprietor” of the academy)
management committees of pupil referral units, and
senior leadership teams (the headteacher, deputy head, etc).
“Who is this guidance for?
This statutory guidance should be read and followed by:
– governing bodies of maintained schools (including maintained nursery schools) and colleges;
– proprietors of independent schools (including academies, free schools and alternative provision academies) and non-maintained special schools. In the case of academies, free schools and alternative provision academies, the proprietor will be the academy trust;
– management committees of pupil referral units (PRUs); and
So KCSIE tells us it should be “read and followed” by governing boards in both maintained schools and academies. It does not say that governors and trustees only need to read certain parts of this document.
What if governors refuse to read all of KCSIE?
Governors are volunteers and in reality some governors may not read the whole document.
The board could decide to make it mandatory if it wishes; safeguarding training is after all mandatory for all governors and trustees. The board could suspend or remove governors who refuse to read it.
Alternatively the board could set a minimum reading requirement of part two (as recommended by the Governance Guides) and then share out the other parts according to governor roles. In this way at least the board as a whole has knowledge of the entirety of KCSIE.
So part three (safer recruitment) could be assigned to governors who take safer recruitment training.
Part four (allegations again adults) could be given to the governors who will sit on disciplinary panels. It could also be read by the chair as they will usually deal with allegations against the head.
Part five (sexual violence and harassment) could be given to the safeguarding link governor.
The guidance is updated every year so the clerk can also help by highlighting any changes to the board annually.
Do governors need to sign a form to say they have read KCSIE?
It’s not a requirement for governors to sign a document declaring they have read KCSIE, but it is common practice in many schools. Check your safeguarding policy as it may say staff and governors must sign a declaration.
A signed form may prove useful if you have a safeguarding audit or OFSTED inspection. It can also indicate to governors just how important this document is.
GovernorHub is the easiest way for governors to sign a declaration. Ask governors to log in and look for the declarations tab in their profile and then the confirmations option, where they can click a button to confirm they have read and understood KCSIE. The clerk can download a list of declarations received.
Note that GovernorHub recommends that all governors read the whole of KCSIE, not just certain parts of it!
Five Parts of KCSIE
KCSIE is split into five parts. I’ve had a quick look at each part to see the relevance for governors.
Part One: Safeguarding Information For All Staff
Part one is an overview of risks including abuse, violence, mental health problems and exploitation. It explains how staff should react if they have concerns, how they can escalate concerns about poor practice and what support the LA can offer.
Part Two: The Management of Safeguarding
Part two’s subtitle is “The responsibilities of governing bodies, proprietors and management committees”. It is therefore aimed directly at governing bodies.
(A “proprietor” means an academy trust board and a “management committee” means the governing body in a pupil referral unit.)
Part two lists many requirements for governors. For example, it says governing bodies should appoint a safeguarding link governor, ensure all staff have appropriate safeguarding training and approve an effective safeguarding policy.
Part Three: Safer Recruitment
Part three of KCSIE explains the principles of safer recruitment, which means the procedures schools use to make sure they only hire staff who are suitable to work with children. This includes disclosure and barring service checks and requesting references.
Part Four: Allegations Made Against/Concerns Raised In Relation to Teachers, Other Staff, Volunteers and Contractors
Part four of KCSIE looks at handling allegations that an adult has harmed a child. The DfE Governance Guides say that all schools and academies must have procedures for dealing with allegations of abuse against staff.
Part Five: Child On Child Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment
Part five of KCSIE explains how children can be kept safe from harm caused by the sexual comments or actions of other children.
In 2021 OFSTED conducted a review of sexual abuse in schools and colleges. The inspectors said: “It is important that governors have a good understanding of sexual harassment and sexual violence, including online, so that they can provide the right level of support and challenge for school leaders and designated safeguarding leads.”
The Prevent Duty is the responsibility placed on everyone in education to stop children from being drawn into terrorism.
This page explains whether all school governors need Prevent training, where they can find courses and how often their training needs updating.
What is the Prevent Duty?
The Prevent Duty comes from the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015. This law places a responsibility on a number of “specified authorities” to prevent people becoming terrorists or being radicalised into extremism.
“A specified authority must, in the exercise of its functions, have due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism.”
Does the Prevent Duty apply to both maintained schools and academies?
Yes. The definition of a “specified authority” in the law includes both maintained schools and academies.
Do all school governors need Prevent training?
This isn’t crystal clear, but in my view the answer is yes.
Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) is the statutory guidance on safeguarding that all schools must follow. It says that all governors should receive “appropriate safeguarding and child protection (including online) training at induction”.
“Governing bodies and proprietors should ensure that all governors and trustees receive appropriate safeguarding and child protection (including online) training at induction.
“This training should equip them with the knowledge to provide strategic challenge to test and assure themselves that the safeguarding policies and procedures in place in schools and colleges are effective and support the delivery of a robust whole school approach to safeguarding.”
KCSIE does not mention Prevent training for governors specifically. However, it does make clear that the Prevent duty is part of the “wider safeguarding obligations” that apply to schools.
“The Prevent duty should be seen as part of schools’ and colleges’ wider safeguarding obligations.”
“This e-learning course provides an understanding of what radicalisation, extremism and terrorism are. It covers how to identify and explore concerning behaviours and how to raise concerns.”
Home Office
Governors who have never completed a Prevent course before should take the Awareness Course.
Governors who have taken a Prevent course in the past and are updating their knowledge can take the Refresher Awareness Course.
(There are two other Home Office courses available which are not applicable to governors: one on referrals for your Designated Safeguarding Lead who will be a member of staff and one on Channel panels which are not run by governors.)
The Home Office say their Prevent course should take around 30 to 40 minutes. I would allow a maximum of 30 minutes to be honest as it is quite straightforward. Their refresher course takes 20 to 30 minutes.
GovernorHub Knowledge say their Prevent training takes up to two hours.
How often does Prevent training need to be updated?
Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) says that all governors/trustees should receive safeguarding training that is “regularly updated”.
“Governing bodies and proprietors should ensure that all governors and trustees receive appropriate safeguarding and child protection (including online) training at induction.
KCSIE does not define the term “regularly” so I asked governance colleagues who follow my Ask A Clerk Twitter account how they would define “regularly” in this context.
Out of over 100 votes the consensus with 86% of the vote was that safeguarding training for governors should be updated annually.
Almost 10% said that training should be taken twice a year or more. Only 4% said safeguarding training should be taken every two years or every three years.
Should the clerk keep certificates of completion?
Yes, it’s a good idea to collect the certificates. Anyone who completes the Home Office or GovernorHub Knowledge Prevent duty course is given a certificate of proof.
There’s no statutory duty to keep training certificates for school governors, but for any safeguarding training I would recommend keeping hold of certificates. This is because you may be asked to show proof of attendance to OFSTED or during a safeguarding audit.
In fact the clerk may wish to keep all training certificates because it helps them compile the training record and remind governors when their training is coming up for renewal.
This is a glossary of common acronyms and terms used in school governance produced from an older glossary that the DfE used to provide.
As with all resources on Ask A Clerk please share this free glossary with your governance colleagues to help others understand the jargon!
A
Academies – state-funded schools that are independent from the local authority.
Academy Trust Handbook (ATH) – a document that sets out the financial requirements and other controls for all academies. Used to be called the Academies Financial Handbook (AFH).
Admission authority – the body that decides which children can join the school. Local authorities are admission authorities with responsibility for admissions to community and voluntary-controlled schools. In the case of an academy, foundation or voluntary-aided school the governing body is the admission authority.
Age-weighted pupil unit (AWPU) – the rate local authorities set to allocate basic funding per pupil in mainstream schools.
Agreed syllabus – a syllabus of religious education that is not specific to one religion, adopted by an LA for teaching in community and controlled schools.
Analyse school performance (ASP) – an online source of school data provided by the DfE.
Annual general meeting (AGM) – academy trust members are often required to hold an annual general meeting where they receive the accounts and appoint auditors.
Appraisal – the process of assessing how well a member of staff is carrying out his or her job.
Articles of association (AoA) – in academy trusts the articles explain the rights and responsibilities of members and trustees and describe how each person is elected or appointed.
Assistant headteacher (AHT) – a senior leader who sits below the deputy headteacher in the staffing structure.
Associate member – a person who is appointed by the governing body of a maintained school as a member of a committee established by it, but who is not a governor. (Some academies also have individuals on their committees who they call associate members to differentiate them from trustees or local governors.)
Attainment 8 – a score showing the achievement of secondary pupils by adding together their highest scores across eight qualifications.
Authorised absence – where the absence of a pupil has been agreed by the person authorised on their behalf by the proprietor of the school.
B
Ballot – a method of voting, normally secret.
Benchmarking – comparing data with other schools to identify possible areas to improve, for example by identifying areas of high spending compared to similar schools.
C
Capability procedures – procedures governing bodies are required to establish for dealing with staff who are unable to perform their job to an agreed standard.
Capital expenditure – spending on building projects and large items of equipment.
Catchment area – a defined geographical area from which a school takes its pupils.
Casting vote – an additional tie-breaking vote to be used by the chair of a meeting if an equal number of votes are cast for and against a proposal.
Census – all schools must submit census data to the DfE every term. Data collected includes the number of children receiving free school meals.
Chair of governors (COG) – the governor elected to lead the governing board. If two governors lead the board together they are called co-chairs.
Chair’s action – the ability of the chair of governors to take decisions alone in emergencies if a delay would be likely to cause harm. In maintained schools the chair of governors has this right by law; academy chairs of trustees can be given a similar right but do not have it automatically. Also known as chair’s power to act.
Chief executive officer (CEO) – in a multi-academy trust the CEO is the highest paid member of staff and the most senior leader.
Chief financial officer (CFO) – in academies the CFO is in charge of financial management. May be called the finance director.
Child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) – the NHS service that helps children and young people with mental health problems.
Child protection online management system (CPOMS) – software that helps schools monitor the safeguarding of children.
Circle model – a method of governing where the board does not run any committees, taking all decisions at the full governing board level.
Clerk to the governing body – a person appointed to carry out administrative duties for the governing body such as preparing an agenda and minuting meetings who also advises on legal and procedural matters. Sometimes known as the governance professional.
Code of conduct – many governing bodies ask governors to sign a code of conduct which describes how they expect governors to behave in areas such as confidentiality and attendance at meetings.
Collaboration – where two or more governing bodies may arrange for any of their functions to be discharged jointly by holding joint meetings and/or having joint committees.
Committee – a smaller group of governors formed from the main governing board who have delegated powers. (Some schools use the term sub-committee but the meaning is the same.)
Co-opted governor – a general category of governor for anyone who has the skills to serve on the governing body.
Community school – a state school in England and Wales that is wholly owned and maintained by the LA.
Contingency fund – money set aside for unexpected costs.
Continual professional development (CPD) – a process relevant to all staff, involving increasing staff skills, knowledge and understanding.
Core subjects – English, maths and science are the subjects that must be studied by all pupils at every key stage.
Current expenditure – spending on the day-to-day running of schools, including staff costs, heating and lighting, consumables and so on; sometimes called recurrent expenditure.
D
Data protection officer (DPO) – the person in charge of ensuring personal data is handled securely and in accordance with the general data protection regulation.
Dedicated schools grant (DSG) – the ring-fenced specific grant paid by the DfE to local authorities in support of the schools budget.
Delegation – a process where one body or person gives another body or person authority to take decisions on a particular matter.
Department for Education (DfE) – the central government department with responsibility for education.
Deputy headteacher (DHT) – the senior leader who sits below the headteacher in the staffing structure.
Designated safeguarding lead (DSL) – the senior staff member in charge of keeping children safe from harm.
Designated teacher – a qualified teacher, headteacher or acting headteacher who is appointed by the school governing body to promote the educational achievement of looked after children on the school’s roll.
Diocese – the area over which a bishop has jurisdiction.
Director – in some academy trusts the people on the main governing board are known as directors instead of trustees or governors.
Disadvantaged – pupils who are considered disadvantaged include those who receive free school meals, looked after children and and those who have been adopted after being in care.
Disapplication – the term used where parts or all of the national curriculum requirements are lifted or modified in relation to a pupil in specified cases or circumstances.
Disclosure and barring service (DBS) – the body that checks whether someone has a criminal record and/or is banned from working with children or adults.
E
Early career teacher (ECT) – the new name for a newly-qualified teacher (NQT).
Early years foundation stage (EYFS) – a statutory framework for the provision of learning, development and care for children between birth and the academic year in which they turn five.
Early years foundation stage profile (EYFSP) – each child’s level of development is assessed against the early learning goals at the end of the academic year in which they turn five.
Early years single funding formula (EYSFF) – the single local funding formula that each local authority is required to develop and implement to fund the free entitlement for three and four-year-olds in maintained nursery schools and classes, and private, voluntary and independent early years providers.
Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) – the government agency that funds education and training.
Education, health and care plan (EHCP) – these plans identify the educational, health and social needs of children and set out the additional support necessary to meet those needs. They used to be called statements of special needs.
Education welfare officer (EWO) – also known as education social workers or attendance advisers, these officers are employed by LAs to resolve problems of children and young people regularly missing school.
Emotional and behavioural difficulties (EBD) – problems with managing emotions, relationships and behaviour.
Emotional literacy support assistant (ELSA) – a teaching assistant trained to help children with emotional and social issues.
Empty multi-academy trust – an academy trust that currently only runs one academy but plans to take on more academies in future.
English as an additional language (EAL) – where a person’s first language is not English.
Exclusion – officially banning a pupil from school, either temporarily or permanently, on disciplinary grounds. A permanent exclusion used to be known as being expelled.
Executive headteacher – the senior leader who is in charge of multiple schools or multiple phases of a school.
Ex officio governor – someone who is automatically a governor or able to attend meetings of a governing body by virtue of the office they hold, for example a headteacher, parish priest or vicar, ie: the position of governor comes with the job.
Extraordinary meeting – an extra meeting that is held at short notice, outside of the planned schedule of meetings. May be written as EFGB, for extraordinary full governing body.
F
Federation of governing bodies – the arrangement whereby several schools join together under a single governing body. The schools remain separate schools but are governed by one body.
Fischer Family Trust (FFT) – a non-profit body that provides schools with data.
Formula funding – the method by which funds for school budgets are calculated. The most important factor is the number of pupils.
Foundation governor – a person appointed to be a member of a school’s governing body, otherwise than by the LA, to ensure that the school preserves its particular religious character, or that it is conducted in accordance with the terms of a trust deed.
Foundation school – a type of state school which has more freedom than community schools in how it is managed and with its admissions procedures. At foundation schools, the governing body is the employer and the admission authority. The school’s land and buildings are owned by either the governing body or a charitable foundation. Funding comes from the LA, which also pays for any building work.
Foundation stage – the curriculum for pre-school age children.
Free school – all-ability state-funded schools set up in response to what local people want in order to improve education for children in their community. Free schools have the same legal status as academies.
Free school meals (FSM) – all children receive free school meals in reception, year 1 and year 2. Beyond that free meals are given to children whose parents are on low incomes and qualify for some benefits. Children receiving FSM, plus those who were eligible for FSM in the past six years, qualify as pupil premium children.
Full governing body (FGB) – the entire governing body of a school. Also known as the whole governing body (WGB). The term is used to differentiate meetings of the full board from committee meetings.
G
General annual grant (GAG) – most funding for academies comes from this government grant.
General data protection regulation (GDPR) – the regulation that describes how personal data must be handled.
Get information about schools (GIAS) – the DfE online database of all school governors and trustees. Used to be called Edubase.
H
Headteacher (HT) – the most senior teacher who leads the school.
Her majesty’s inspector (HMI) – an inspector from OFSTED (Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills).
Home–school agreement – all state schools used to be required to have written home–school agreements, drawn up in consultation with parents. They were non-binding statements explaining the school’s aims and values, the responsibilities of both school and parents and what the school expects of its pupils.
I
Information communication technology (ICT) – the study of computing and technology.
Independent school – any school that provides full-time education which is not maintained by an LA and is not a non-maintained special school. As these are schools that are not funded by the state, they obtain most of their finances from fees paid by parents and income from investments. Some of the larger independent schools are known as public schools, while most boarding schools are independent.
Information commissioner – the independent office holder set up to oversee and enforce the Freedom of Information Act and the Data Protection Act.
In-service education and training (INSET) – the professional training and development of staff working in schools, generally taken as short courses or day conferences, hence the term INSET day.
Instrument of government – a legal document detailing the composition of a governing body of a maintained school.
Interim executive board (IEB) – a board that replaces the existing governors when a school is failing.
K
Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) – statutory guidance from the DfE which tells schools how to keep children safe from harm.
Key stages – the four stages of pupils’ progress in acquiring knowledge and skills as set out in the national curriculum. Pupils are tested at the end of each stage:
key Stage 1, where the majority of pupils are aged 5 to 7;
key Stage 2, where the majority of pupils are aged 7 to 11;
key Stage 3, where the majority of children are aged 11 to 14; and
key Stage 4, where the majority of pupils are aged 14 to 16.
There are statutory assessment arrangements at the end of Key Stages 1, 2, and 3.
L
Lay member – a member appointed to a panel hearing appeals against non-admission or exclusion, being a person without personal experience in managing or providing education in any school (other than as a governor or on a voluntary basis).
Learning support assistant (LSA) – a teaching assistant who often works with SEN children.
Learning walk – visiting classrooms to collect evidence on teaching and learning, progress and any areas to improve (but not to make judgements).
Link governor – a governor allocated a specific area to monitor and take an interest in, for example health and safety or special educational needs.
Local authority (LA) – the local government department for a region. Formerly the local education authority (LEA).
Local authority designated officer (LADO) – an employee of the LA who co-ordinates the response to allegations that an adult has harmed a child.
Local authority governor – a maintained school governor nominated by the LA and appointed by the governing body. Academies with older articles of association may also have LA governors.
Local governor – each multi-academy trust has a main board of trustees but it may also have committees called local governing bodies at each of its academies. The individuals serving on these committees are often called local governors.
Local governing body (LGB) – a committee of the main board of trustees in a multi-academy trust based at one of its academies. May be called a local governing committee (LGC), academy committee (AC) or academy council.
Local government pension scheme (LGPS) – the pension scheme for employees of local government.
Looked after child (LAC) – a child who, as defined in section 22(1) of the Children Act 1989, is cared for by the LA or is provided with accommodation by an LA for more than 24 hours under a voluntary agreement with his or her parents, or who is the subject of a care order.
M
Main pay scale (MPS) – under the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document more experienced qualified teachers are paid on the upper pay scale and less experienced teachers on the main pay scale.
Maintained nursery school (MNS) – a school providing education for children aged from three to five, maintained by the LA.
Maintained school – a school for which an LA has financial and administrative responsibility.
Management information system (MIS) – an electronic system for recording all school business, such as attendance and other census information.
Members – in an academy trust the members sit above the trustees in the governance structure. They are the “guardians” of the trust and have powers to change the articles of association and appoint some trustees. They also hold the trustees to account, for example at annual general meetings. (Not to be confused with associate members.)
Multi-academy trust (MAT) – two or more academies run by a single board of trustees.
Multi-agency safeguarding hub (MASH) – a safeguarding team staffed by professionals from different agencies (eg: education, social care, police) that triages concerns about children and serves as a single point of contact for referrals.
N
National curriculum – the national curriculum covers 12 subjects and is divided into four key stages according to age. Maintained schools must follow the national curriculum; academies do not have to follow it but must teach a broad and balanced curriculum including English, maths, science and religious education.
National curriculum tests (commonly referred to as SATs) – statutory national tasks or tests set by the Standards and Testing Agency (STA) and taken by pupils at the end of key stages 1 and 2.
National Governance Association (NGA) – the national charity that supports governors and trustees.
National leader of governance (NLG) – someone with considerable experience as a governor or clerk who provides DfE-funded support and advice to school governing boards.
Newly qualified teacher (NQT) – the new name for NQTs is early career teacher.
Nolan principles – a set of agreed standards and behaviours which people in public life should follow, including school governors. Named after Lord Nolan.
Number on roll (NOR) – the number of children registered to attend a school.
Nursery classes – a class in any school comprising children aged three and those who have their fourth birthday during the school year, and any other children whom it is appropriate to educate within that age group. This is usually the year before children attend reception class.
O
Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills (OFSTED) – brings together the regulation and inspection of childcare and children’s social care and the inspection of LA children’s services and schools.
Open enrolment – all schools must admit pupils up to their published admission number which is calculated according to the physical capacity of the school to accommodate pupils.
Ordinary resolution – a decision of academy trust members that needs at least 51% of members to vote in favour to be passed.
Overall absence – all recorded absences from school whatever the reason, whether authorised or not.
P
Parent – any person having parental responsibility for a child or who has care of a child, including an LA. Section 576 of the Education Act 1996 defines ‘parent’ as:
all natural parents, whether they are married or not;
any person who, although not a natural parent, has parental responsibility for a child or young person;
any person who, although not a natural parent, has care of a child or young person (having care of a child or young person means that a person with whom the child lives and who looks after the child, irrespective of what their relationship is with the child, is considered to be a parent in education law).
Parent governor – a parent who is usually elected by other parents of children at a school to serve on the governing body. If not enough parents stand for election parent governors can be appointed by the governing board instead.
Parental responsibility – all the rights, duties, powers, responsibilities and authority that a parent of a child has by law.
Partnership governor – a type of governor found in foundation schools that no longer have foundations attached.
Parent council – a body of parents which represents parents and provides a forum for them to put forward their views to the headteacher and the governing body of their children’s school.
Parent teacher association (PTA) – an organisation of parents which supports the school through fundraising and social events.
Penalty notice – fines that may be imposed on parents if a pupil has too many unauthorised absences.
Peripatetic teacher – one who gives specialist instruction in a number of schools, for example in music.
Permanent exclusion (PEX) – permanently banning a pupil from a school (used to be known as being expelled).
Persistent absence – when a pupil enrolment’s overall absence equates to 10 per cent or more of their possible sessions.
Personal education plan (PEP) – a record of what needs to happen so that looked after children can fulfil their potential, reflecting any existing educational plans.
Phonics – a method of teaching reading and spelling that trains pupils to associate sounds in the spoken language (phonemes) and their corresponding letters or letter combinations (graphemes).
Phonics screening check – a statutory screening check for pupils at the end of Year 1 to assess their ability to decode and read words using phonics.
Preparation, planning and assessment time (PPA) – guaranteed timetabled time available to teachers and headteachers to enable them to raise standards through individual or collaborative professional activity, as contained in the STPCD.
Prevent duty – the responsibility school staff and governors have to stop children being drawn into terrorism.
Privacy notice – an oral or written statement that an organisation should make available to individuals whose personal information it plans to collect or have collected.
Progress 8– a measure of the progress pupils pupils make in eight subjects from the end of KS2 (the end of primary school) to the end of KS4.
Published admission number (PAN) – the fixed number of children which a school must admit if sufficient applications are received, as published by the admission authority for the school.
Pupil premium (PP) – targeted funding (in addition to the dedicated schools grant) paid mainly to schools, specifically aimed at the most deprived pupils to enable them to receive the support they need to reach their potential and to help schools reduce educational inequalities. Premium funding is also provided in respect of children in care who have been continuously looked after for at least six months and children of parents serving in the armed forces.
Pupil referral unit (PRU) – an establishment maintained by an LA which is specially organised to provide education for children who are excluded, sick or otherwise unable to attend mainstream school, and is not a community or special school.
Pupil reports – headteachers of maintained schools must provide an annual written report on pupils’ educational achievements for every registered pupil at their school.
Q
Qualified teacher status (QTS) – the professional status required to teach in state-maintained schools.
Quorum – the number of governors who must be present to validate the proceedings of a governors’ meeting (to allow governor to make decisions, in other words). If enough governors are present the meeting is quorate; if not it is inquorate.
R
Rag rating – labelling items as Red, Amber or Green (RAG) to show they need attention urgently (red), not urgently (amber) or are already in good shape (green).
Reception classes – an entry class to primary schools for children who have their fifth birthday during the school year and for children who are younger or older than five with whom it is appropriate to educate them.
Regional schools commissioner (RSC) – acting on behalf of the Secretary of State for Education, each RSC has powers to intervene in failing schools and academies, decide on academy transfers, approve academy sponsors and approve new free schools.
Requires improvement (RI) – a rating given to a school by OFSTED after an inspection. The rating scale from lowest to highest is Inadequate (which may result in a school entering Special Measures), RI, Good and then Outstanding.
Resolution – a proposal made formally that requires a vote to be agreed. Academy boards can pass written resolutions outside of meetings.
S
Safeguarding – keeping children safe from physical and emotional harm.
Scheme for financing schools – a document which sets out the financial relationship between the LA and its maintained schools.
Scheme of delegation (SoD) – academies must produce this document which shows the level to which powers have been delegated.
School business manager (SBM) – a staff member responsible for areas such as the budget, health and safety and human resources.
School development plan (SDP) –the key document setting out the priorities and strategies for a school’s development over a rolling period. Some schools call this the school improvement plan (SIP).
Schools financial value standard (SFVS) – a self-assessment form, to be completed annually by maintained schools, consisting of questions that governors need to formally discuss with their headteacher and senior staff. The SFVS assists schools in managing their finances and give assurance that they have secure financial management in place.
Schools forum – a body which must be established by each LA which represents the governing bodies and headteachers of schools maintained by the LA, academies, early years private providers and other interests. Its purpose is to advise the LA on and in some cases decide matters relating to the schools’ budget.
School improvement partner (SIP) – in most cases, someone with current or recent headship experience, who acts as a conduit between central government, the LA and the school, helping to set targets and priorities and identify support needed.
School information and management system (SIMs) – a software package that contains details of pupils and resources.
School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document (STPCD) – contains the statutory requirements for teachers’ pay and conditions within maintained schools in England. Many academies follow this document too.
Self-evaluation form (SEF) – the school’s own judgements on how well it is doing, often based on areas that OFSTED inspect such as leadership and management, quality of education and behaviour and attitudes.
Senior designated person – a senior member of the school’s management team who is designated to take lead responsibility for dealing with child protection issues, providing advice and support to staff and liaising with the LA and other agencies involved in safeguarding children.
Senior leadership team (SLT) – the group of senior staff who lead the school such as the headteacher, deputy head, assistant head and business manager.
Service level agreement (SLA) – a contract between a provider and a customer that explains the terms of the provider’s responsibility to the customer.
Significant improvement – a school requiring significant improvement is one that, although it does not require special measures, is performing significantly less well than it might be expected to perform.
Single academy trust (SAT) – an academy trust that runs only one academy.
Single central record (SCR) – all schools must have an SCR which records personal details of staff, ID checks and recruitment vetting checks including DBS and barred list checks.
Skills audit – asking each governor to list their relevant skills so the board can find out what skills they should advertise for or what training they should offer.
Special educational needs (SEN) – learning difficulties for which a child needs special educational help.
Special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO) – the teacher designated as having responsibility for co-ordinating provision for pupils with SEN. Known as the SENDCO in some schools, for special education needs and disability co-ordinator.
Special educational needs and disability (SEND) – learning difficulties plus disabilities.
Special measures – if a school is rated Inadequate by OFSTED it may go into special measures, which means it will receive external support and regular further inspections. The governing body may be replaced by an interim executive board.
Special resolution – a decision of academy trust members that requires 75% of members to agree to it to be passed.
Speech and language therapy (SALT) – helping children with communication, voice and swallowing problems.
Spelling, punctuation and grammar (SPAG) – one section of the standard assessment tests for primary children.
Sponsor – an organisation or person who has received approval from the DfE to support an underperforming academy or group of academies. For example this might be a university, a business, a charity or a religious group. Sponsors set up the academy trust, appoint the school leaders, select the governing board and monitor the academy’s performance.
Staff governors – an employee of the school who is also a governor. Maintained schools have one staff governor who is elected by their colleagues. Some academies have staff trustees or staff local governors.
Standard assessment tests (SATs) – national tests for primary age children, measuring educational achievement in years 2 and 6.
Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education (SACRE) – a local body advising an LA on matters connected with religious education and collective worship in schools. Faith groups and teachers are represented.
Standing orders – some governing boards establish standing orders to describe procedures which are not already set by other documents; for example, a full procedure for electing a chair of governors.
Statutory guidance – a document published by the government which schools must follow.
Statutory inspection of Anglican/Methodist schools (SIAMS) – an inspection of C of E and Anglican schools which specifically looks at whether their Christian vision is effective. SIAMs inspections are in addition to OFSTED inspections, not a replacement for OFSTED.
Support staff – members of school staff who provide services in a school other than teaching, such as classroom assistants, cleaners and admin staff.
Suspension – a process where a member of staff is told to stop working at the school temporarily, usually while a problem involving him or her is being investigated. Governors can also be suspended in maintained schools and some academies.
T
Teaching and learning responsibility (TLR) – an extra payment for teaching staff who take on additional responsibility.
Teaching assistant (TA) – a member of staff who supports teachers either in whole-class settings, via small groups of children or one-to-one support.
Terms of reference (TOR) – a document which describes the delegated powers, membership and duties of a committee or individual.
Trustee – usually a named individual (although can be a corporate body) who sits on the board of an academy trust. Equivalent to a governor in a maintained school.
U
Unauthorised absence – this occurs when the school has not given permission for the absence of a pupil. Where the reason for it cannot be established at registration, the absence shall be recorded as unauthorised.
Unique reference number (URN) – each school has a six-digit identifying number assigned to it by the government.
Upper pay scale (UPS) – under the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document more experienced qualified teachers are paid on the upper pay scale and less experienced teachers on the main pay scale.
V
Virement – transferring money from one budget code to another.
Voluntary-aided school – a school set up and owned by a voluntary body, usually a church body, largely financed by an LA. The governing body employs the staff and controls pupil admissions and religious education. The school’s land and buildings (apart from playing fields, which are normally vested in the LA) will normally be owned by a charitable foundation.
Voluntary-controlled school – a school set up by a voluntary body, often a church body (generally Church of England). These schools are totally funded by an LA, which employs the staff. Normally the school’s land and buildings (apart from the playing fields, which are normally vested in the LA) will be owned by a charitable foundation.
W
Warning notice – a notice by which an LA may notify the governing body of any of its concerns relating to school performance, a breakdown in leadership and management, or pupil or staff safety. This is sometimes referred to as a “formal warning”.
There is no requirement for schools or academies to request references for potential governors or trustees.
However, some governing boards do ask for references. In reality I suspect schools that struggle to find volunteers rarely request references, whereas schools with more competition for roles may ask for references to help them choose between candidates.
This page is mostly about appointed governor positions where the board itself (or a linked body like the diocese) decides who gets the position.
Elected governors are elected by staff or parents so there’s no point asking for references, although I will look briefly at whether elected parent governors need to be nominated by two fellow parents.
Note that although obtaining references is optional, enhanced DBS checks and section 128 checks are mandatory for all governors and trustees.
“When you accept a position the school or trust will require an enhanced DBS check. They will normally organise this for you. Volunteers may also be asked by the school or trust to supply references.”
The DfE guidance on the law for maintained schools says that either oral or written references should be “taken as necessary”. References can be used alongside an interview or informal chat with the potential governor to help boards decide who to appoint.
The quote below refers to an “interview or detailed discussion” taking place before appointment, which will usually be with the chair of governors. Again, how formal or in-depth this discussion is will depend on each school and how easy they find it to recruit.
“To make an informed decision on the matter an interview or detailed discussion will need to take place with each prospective candidate, with references (oral or written) taken as necessary and appropriate.”
There is no statutory requirement to check the references of volunteers. Part 3 of Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) explains the safer recruitment practices which ensure that only suitable people are selected to work and volunteer in schools.
KCSIE explains that all job applicants should provide referees before interview. However, for volunteer roles the guidance says that schools should “use their professional judgement” when deciding “what checks, if any” are required.
Governors will not be supervising children or taking part in “regulated activity” so schools may decide that references are not needed. Note that KCSIE allows the school to consider both “formal and informal” information about volunteers gleaned from staff, parents or other volunteers.
“Whilst volunteers play an important role and are often seen by children as being safe and trustworthy adults, the nature of voluntary roles varies.
“Schools and colleges should undertake a written risk assessment and use their professional judgement and experience when deciding what checks, if any, are required.
“The risk assessment should consider:
– the nature of the work with children, especially if it will constitute regulated activity, including the level of supervision;
– what the establishment knows about the volunteer, including formal or informal information offered by staff, parents and other volunteers;
– whether the volunteer has other employment or undertakes voluntary activities where referees can advise on their suitability.”
A personal or character reference comes from someone who knows you outside of work, for example a person you have volunteered with or a family friend. A professional reference is from an employer.
The guidance from Keeping Children Safe in Education (quoted above) talks about references from employers or voluntary work colleagues rather than personal references. Governors For Schools matches volunteers to governing body vacancies and they also recommend that professional references are requested.
“Schools are responsible for collecting references and DBS checks. A professional reference is generally the best option.“
I do think schools need to avoid discouraging applications from people who might struggle to provide an employer’s reference – for example, someone who has been a full-time parent for years or perhaps receives benefits.
I also think it’s important not to give the impression that only high-flying white collar professionals could possibly succeed as school governors. I saw a tweet recently from a potential parent governor who was worried that the other candidates were all going to be “captains of industry”.
There is a danger that when schools list desired skills like accountancy, human resources and data analysis that they make school governance sound like it is for people with glittering CVs and six-figure salaries only and us mere mortals should not apply. That is not the case!
At what stage should we request references?
Keeping Children Safe in Education explains that for job applicants, seeking references before interview allows “concerns raised to be explored further with the referee and taken up with the candidate at interview”.
This logic could also apply to volunteer roles, but either way the references should be received before the board actually vote on the appointment so that an informed decision can be made.
“It is good practice for schools to take up references before confirming their decision to appoint you so do be prepared to provide these if requested.”
Keeping Children Safe In Education just refers to seeking “referees” for volunteers but does not specify an exact number.
The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) offer guidance on safer recruitment procedures for recruiting staff and volunteers who have contact with children. They suggest “at least two” references are sought and this is the norm for job applications as well.
Governors will usually only have contact with children under supervised conditions, but schools could choose to follow this advice for governance roles if they wish.
“You should ask applicants to provide the details of at least two referees and check references as part of your vetting checks.”
Must parent governors be nominated by two parents?
Volunteers for staff governor can simply nominate themselves, but some local authorities say that parent governors must be nominated by two fellow parents in order to stand for election. (This is sometimes called “proposing and seconding” a nomination.)
This is in effect asking for two references, because the candidate must find two parents to support their candidacy.
I’m a bit dubious about this, particularly because the law for maintained schools says you cannot set a minimum number of votes needed to be elected. If the parent can only stand if two people support them, isn’t that close to setting a minimum of two votes?
“The appropriate authority must make all the necessary arrangements for the election of parent governors.
“The power conferred by paragraph 4 does not include power to impose any requirements as to the minimum number of votes required to be cast for a candidate to be elected.”
Incidentally, the guidance for Welsh parent governors clearly states that schools cannot insist that parents have two nominators. This guidance does not apply to English schools, but the law on parent governor elections in Wales is very similar to the law for maintained schools in England.
“It cannot be insisted upon that the person is nominated and seconded by other parents.”
Asking for two nominators does seem to be what some LAs recommend in maintained schools though, so check your local LA guidance for details. (Academies should check the election rules set by their own trust.)
When a new governor is recruited the school needs to carry out DBS and section 128 checks and then ensure that the governor has the training, documents and information they need to fulfil the role.
This article explains what to put in a governor induction pack and links to a downloadable checklist you can use to keep track of the documents provided to new governors.
I would recommend you give the following documents and items to all new governors and associate members. The first section lists items that should be given out in all schools, followed by two short lists of extra items depending on whether the governor is joining a maintained school or an academy.
The checklist I link to above lets you keep track of all these items.
Governor Induction Pack For All Schools
DfE Governance Guide for either maintained schools or academies.
Details of any induction training you wish them to attend (there is no mandatory training but induction training at minimum is highly recommended).
Logins and passwords for any digital services you use such as GovernorHub, NGA, The Key for School Governors and your school’s online storage system (eg: Google Drive).
Login and password for their school email address (if provided).
A copy of the school improvement plan (SIP), which may be called the school development plan (SDP) or similar.
Copy of the school self-evaluation (SEF).
Copies of the most important or relevant policies – this will depend on the setting but should include safeguarding/child protection. If the governor has been assigned a link role they could be given the relevant policy, eg: SEND.
Their governor identification badge and lanyard.
Information about any relevant trusts or religious bodies, eg: a foundation school trust or the diocese in a faith school, with an explanation of how they influence the school and board.
Instructions for how to get into the school building! Schools often have door access codes and car park codes for security and you don’t want a new governor stuck outside at 6pm because no-one is on reception.
All school governing bodies should conduct skills audits to discover the strengths and weaknesses of current governors and identify training needs.
This page explains how to carry out a skills audit for every governor, the chair and the clerk using a downloadable template.
Skills Audit Templates
I have produced editable Word forms that let each governor, the chair or the clerk rate their own skill level in a wide range of specific areas on a scale of one to five.
Either the clerk or chair as appropriate can then collate the results and the board can start tackling the areas where governors or clerks feel least confident.
The skills audits are equally applicable to maintained schools and academies. The main audit for governors also lets you identify areas where not every governor needs to be skilled but where at least one member of the board should be confident in their abilities.
The skills audit for governors and chairs covers the following six areas.
Strategic Leadership – setting direction – culture, values and ethos – decision-making – collaborative working with stakeholders and partners – risk management.
Accountability for Educational Standards and Financial Performance – educational improvement – rigorous analysis of data – financial frameworks and accountability – financial management and monitoring – staffing and performance management – external accountability.
People – building an effective team.
Structures – roles and responsibilities.
Compliance – statutory and contractual requirements.
Evaluation – managing self-review and development – managing and developing the board’s effectiveness.
The skills audit for clerks to governors covers the following four areas.
Understanding Governance.
Administration.
Advice and Guidance.
People and Relationships.
Should the headteacher complete the skills audit?
Yes if they’re a governor or trustee, which most headteachers are.
All governors and trustees should complete the skills audit. The whole point of the audit is to find out what skills and expertise you already have and what skills governors need to develop or focus on when recruiting new governors.
There’s no reason why the skills of the headteacher should be ignored.
Should staff governors complete the skills audit?
Yes. Why would the skills of your staff governors not count?
These are the options available if your school governors are looking for online training and e-learning. Please let me know if you know of any other courses available and I will add them to this page.
All the courses listed are pre-recorded sessions so you do not need to book and you can access the learning at any time. The only free courses I have found are from Governors For Schools and a Prevent duty course from the government, but many of the paid providers listed offer free trials.
National Governance Association (PAID)
The National Governance Association (NGA) offer online e-learning through their Learning Link program, with a free trial available. They offer a suite of 50 modules on all aspects of governance, plus bitesize courses that take just five to 15 minutes to complete. Courses available include:
key functions of the governing board
governance visits to schools
monitoring and evaluation
understanding schools finance
getting it right as a staff governor
succession planning
handling difficult situations
exclusions
pupil premium
headteacher appraisal and capability
health and safety.
The cost depends on whether you are a member of the NGA. If you are not a member it costs £165 for one year of access for all governors. Standard NGA members can purchase one year of access for £122 and gold members for £82.
The Key for School Governors launched their online training in 2020. There is one induction course available so far for maintained school governors, with an academy induction course coming soon. Future courses to release in 2021 will cover being a link governor for safeguarding, SEND and pupil premium.
Members of the Key also gain access to a wide range of articles, policies and compliance documents. Discounts are available if your school also subscribes to The Key for School Leaders and a free trial is available too.
The cost of membership will depend on the number of pupils in your school. As a guide a smaller school of 200-4oo pupils might cost around £525 per year whereas a larger one of around 1000 pupils might cost around £705.
Modern Governor offer a range of paid e-learning courses on subjects such as:
effective governance
what to expect from your chair
OFSTED
safeguarding and governance
GDPR essentials.
You will need to ask for a quote as they do not list prices online. However GovernorHub members can access all their courses as part of their membership package. GovernorHub costs £400 per year for each single governing board or £400 for a multi-academy trust board plus £100 for each local committee. Free trials are also available.
National Society For The Prevention of Cruelty To Children (PAID)
The NSPCC provide an online course on child protection specifically for school governors. It explains the role and responsibilities of governors regarding safeguarding, the duties of the school, creating a safer culture and how to provide evidence that your school is fulfilling its safeguarding duties.
The course costs £25 but discounts are available if multiple governors are taking the course at the same time.
The NSPCC also offer a course on safer recruitment in education which may be useful to governors who are involved in hiring staff. The safer recruitment course costs £35 per person with discounts for multiple purchases.
The government provide online training on the Prevent duty, the obligation on schools to help prevent pupils from being radicalised into terrorism. It was developed using feedback from teachers and aims to explain how you can safeguard vulnerable young people who could become radicalised.
National Online Safety offer a course on online safety specifically for school governors. It covers the law and statutory guidance around safeguarding children online, the responsibilities of governors, how staff can support pupils, how to develop a culture of safety and keeping up to date with online risks.
The course costs £100 if the school is not a member of National Online Safety but can be accessed for free if you become a certified school at £495 per year.
All school governors and academy trustees must have safeguarding and child protection training, including online safety training.
The DfE Governance Guides also recommend that induction training is provided and at least one governor/trustee should complete cyber security training.
Safeguarding Training
The requirement to have safeguarding training comes from the statutory guidance Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE).
KCSIE says that the training should be “regularly updated”, which I imagine most schools will interpret as updated annually.
“Governing bodies and proprietors should ensure that all governors and trustees receive appropriate safeguarding and child protection (including online) training at induction.
“This training should equip them with the knowledge to provide strategic challenge to test and assure themselves that the safeguarding policies and procedures in place in schools and colleges are effective and support the delivery of a robust whole school approach to safeguarding.
Your school may invite governors to attend the safeguarding training they give to staff members, although be aware that the governor role is different to staff roles so the training may not cover everything governors need to know.
The DfE recommend in their Governance Guides that “at least one” governor or trustee should take cyber security training.
“Governing bodies need to understand the considerable damage cyber security attacks can cause to their schools. At least one governor should complete cyber security training.”
“The board needs to understand the considerable damage cyber security attacks can cause to their trust. At least one trustee should complete the cyber security training.”
The DfE says that boards in both maintained schools and academies are responsible for providing induction training.
The quote below is from the Maintained Schools Governance Guide but the wording is very similar in the academy trust version.
“A governing body is responsible for…providing an induction for new governors, associate members and the governance professional and identifying specific training such as safeguarding, Prevent and how to keep pupils safe online.”
I would not want to serve as a governor without induction training that explains the powers of governors and how they should be used. Governors have a wide range of responsibilities and poor governance can have a serious impact on the school.
Meetings can be difficult to understand at first, with lots of acronyms, jargon, policies and documents. Data sheets and budgets can be very difficult to understand when seen for the first time.
Induction training should cover:
the statutory responsibilities of governors
the difference between being “strategic” (the role of governors) and being “operational” (the role of the headteacher and staff)
introduction to budgets
how to use and interpret school performance data
staffing issues
safeguarding children (if not covered in a separate course)
how to ask challenging questions and when to offer support
how to conduct school visits and get to know your individual school
how to make an impact as a governor.
Do governors need Prevent duty training?
A separate article looks at Prevent duty training for governors. My interpretation of Keeping Children Safe in Education is that all governors need Prevent training.
Does the clerk need safeguarding or Prevent training?
Keeping Children Safe In Education states that all staff should receive safeguarding training, so if the clerk is a member of staff they should receive at least basic training in this area.
“All staff should receive appropriate safeguarding and child protection training which is regularly updated.
“In addition, all staff should receive safeguarding and child protection updates (for example, via email, e-bulletins and staff meetings), as required, and at least annually, to provide them with relevant skills and knowledge to safeguard children effectively.”
There’s no legal requirement to keep a training record but it is recommended. The record lets you ensure new governors receive appropriate training and keep track of any gaps in the board’s expertise.
OFSTED may ask to see this record and it’s also useful if you are evaluating the effectiveness of the board.
Governor Training Record Template
A downloadable, editable Word form to keep a record of governor training is available on my templates and letters page.
