What are standing orders?

Standing orders are a set of rules that guide how school governing bodies work. They are not legal rules that boards must follow, but governors often choose to adopt standing orders to clarify points of procedure.

For example, when electing a chair of governors the law for maintained schools does not describe whether the election should be held by ballot or how long the term of office should be. Because this can cause confusion governors may wish to set the rules for the election beforehand in a set of standing orders.

Standing orders may be less common in academies than maintained schools as academies may already have more precise procedures set out in their articles of association and terms of reference.

How are standing orders approved?

Governors should vote to approve standing orders at a quorate meeting. Before the vote the clerk should check that the proposed orders do not contradict any relevant laws, terms of reference or articles of association (in academies).

Download Model Standing Orders

I have produced a short set of editable model standing orders for maintained schools, available on my templates and letters page.

I’ve also posted the text at the end of this page so you can read them before downloading. (Academies will probably find that many points are already in your articles of association and terms of reference, but may still find them useful.)

I have seen some sets of standing orders that are very long and contain many items which are statutory in maintained schools, for example that governors must have DBS checks, a chair must be elected at the next meeting if the role is vacant or that governors must meet at least three times a year.

In my view it’s not helpful to include these mandatory items in standing orders because governors may then believe they have the power to alter them. The clerk should advise on the statutory requirements that the board must work within. Standing orders simply clarify optional procedural issues and work as a framework to fill in the blanks in law.

My model standing orders cover the following points:

• how the chair and vice-chair are elected
• length of term of office for chair/vice-chair
• what to do if the chair and vice-chair are both absent from a meeting
• what to do if a meeting is inquorate
• virtual meetings
• voting procedures
• revoking decisions
• drafting agendas and adding items of business
• signing the code of conduct.

Model standing orders for governing bodies

These model standing orders can be used to clarify procedures in maintained schools (academies may already have many of these rules in their articles/terms of reference). I have not included any statutory requirements, so governing bodies can edit items as they wish within existing laws or terms of reference.

Chair and Vice-Chair

1. The chair and vice-chair will be elected for one calendar year.
2. The term of office for chair and vice-chair will end at the first full governors’ meeting held after this one-year term.
3. The election will specified as an agenda item.
4. Nominations can be made in advance or at the meeting. Governors can self-nominate.
5. If there is more than one candidate each candidate will be given two minutes to state why they should be elected. If a candidate cannot attend the meeting they can submit a written statement to the clerk.
6. The election will be held by ballot. If there is only one candidate a ballot will still be held with governors voting either in favour or against that candidate.
7. If the vote is tied governors will discuss the result and vote again to reach a resolution. They can also ask for another candidate to come forward.
8. If the chair and vice-chair both fail to attend a meeting the board will elect a chair for that meeting who is a) a governor, not an associate member and b) not a school employee.

Quorum and Voting

1. If a meeting is inquorate it will be postponed. (You may wish to use instead: “If a meeting is inquorate it will continue and be minuted but no votes can be held.”)
2. Unless governors are voting for the chair or vice-chair or specifically request a secret ballot all votes will be cast by verbal agreement.
3. Votes do not need to be seconded.
4. If governors wish to revoke a decision at a future meeting this proposal must be specified as an agenda item.

Virtual Meetings

1. Governors may attend meetings via telephone or video link.
2. Governors attending meetings virtually have the right to vote.

Agendas

1. The draft agenda will written by the clerk, chair and headteacher.
2. A governor can place an item on the agenda by sending it to the clerk.

Code of Conduct

1. All new governors and associate members must sign the code of conduct.
2. Governors and associate members will also sign the code of conduct annually.