Associate Membership (45 KB)
Being an effective Parent Governor (21 KB)- Description of Possible Roles (22 KB)
- Example Code of Practice and Protocol (77 KB)
- Examples of Agenda Items (127 KB)
- Ideas for Recruitment and Retention (57 KB)
- Induction: How to get to know your school (37 KB)
- Preparing for School Visits (25 KB)
- School Committee Structure (40 KB)
- What you need to know (39 KB)
It is important to ensure that the governing body is well organised at the beginning of each academic year.
At the first meeting of each year the governing body will need to prepare for the year ahead by reviewing various areas of governance i.e. the protocol, the agendas for the coming year and the delegation of specific roles and responsibilities to individual serving governors and committees.
Please find details and information below to assist you with your own preparations for the year ahead.
Example Code of Conduct for Governors
A Governor Should:
- Support the aims and objectives of the School as determined by the Governing Body and promote these aims and objectives within the community.
- Work co-operatively with other governors to achieve these aims and objectives.
- Acknowledge that diversity of opinion may arise in discussion and that such diversity is healthy and a necessary part of the decision making process but that when a majority decision has been reached that this decision must be supported subject to the terms of the Code of Conduct of meetings.
- Base his or her view on matters before the Governing Body on an honest assessment of the available facts.
- Make available to the Governing Body and its committees all information relevant to the discussion or decision making at hand unless that information is of a confidential nature. If it is possible to disclose partial information on a sensitive subject without affecting confidentiality then this can be attempted but caution should be exercised at all times.
- Acknowledge that with the exception of statutory powers granted to the chair or powers specifically delegated by the Full Governing Body, he or she has no legal authority outside the governing body and its committees.
- Understand that and individual governor does not have the right other than through the Chair and with the Governing Body’s agreement to make statements or express opinions on behalf of the Governing Body.
- Resist any temptation or outside pressure to use the position of governor to benefit himself or herself or other individuals or agencies.
- Declare openly and immediately any personal conflict of interest arising form a matter before Governors or from any aspect of governorship. The Clerk to Governors or in his or her absence the Chair of Governors is available to advise Governors who are unsure about whether a conflict of interest exists. This advice can be confidential if no conflict of interest is deemed to exist.
- Respect the confidentiality of those items of business, which the governing body declares from time to time to be confidential.
- Not deliberately mislead the Governing Body, its committees or its Chair.
- Take or seek opportunities to enhance his or her effectiveness as a governor through participation in training or development programmes and by increasing his or her knowledge of the school and the community within which it exists.
- Usually expect to be a member of more than one of the three voluntary committees and may in addition be a member of one or more statutory committees.
- As far as it is practical, give priority to attendance at meetings of the Full Governing Body, the committees of which he or she is a member and any other necessary aspects of governorship.
- Have regard to his or her broader responsibility as a governor of a public institution including the need to promote public accountability for the actions and performance of the Governing Body.
- Abide by the seven principles of public life as set out by the Nolan Committee on standards in public life 1996.