The role of the governing body
The governing body is the school’s accountable body. It is responsible for the conduct of the school and for promoting high standards. The governing body aims to ensure that children are attending a good school which provides them with the best education possible and supports their well-being.
The governing body sets the strategic direction of the school by:
- setting the values, aims and objectives for the school
- agreeing the policy framework for achieving those aims and objectives
- agreeing the school improvement strategy which includes approving the budget and agreeing the staffing structure
It challenges and supports the school by monitoring, reviewing and evaluating:
- the implementation and effectiveness of the school improvement strategy
- the budget and the staffing structure
- the implementation and effectiveness of the policy framework
Ensures accountability by:
- ensuring effective self-evaluation takes place
- responding to Ofsted reports and any other reports about the performance of the school when necessary
- holding the headteacher to account for the performance of the school
- ensuring parents and pupils are involved, consulted and informed as appropriate
- making available information to the community
- appointing and performance managing the headteacher (who is responsible for leading on all matters concerned with the day to day management of the school and on the successful achievement of its aims
For governing bodies to carry out their role effectively, governors must be:
- prepared and equipped to exercise their responsibilities
- prepared to undertake training
- acknowledged as the accountable body by staff and lead professionals
- supported by the appropriate authorities
- be willing and able to monitor and review their own performance.
Understanding Roles and Responsibilities
The NGA together with the two main headteacher’s unions, the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) and the National Association of Headteachers (NAHT) published a joint document What governing bodies should expect from school leaders and what school leaders should expect from governing bodies in 2009. That document for the first time clearly set out what is expected for a governing body to be effective. The document can be downloaded from the NGA’s website via the attached link – ASCL/NAHT/NGA Joint Document.
Regulations stipulate that the governors’ role is largely strategic and the headteacher is responsibility for the operational day to day management of the school. The distinction between governance and management needs to be clearly understood by all parties to ensure an effective working partnership.
The NGA’s view is that it would not currently be helpful to offer payment to some or all school governors, but supports further strengthening of arrangements to ensure proper payment of expenses and time off with pay agreed with all employers to support governors in their valuable work.
The NGA’s view is that the dual role of the headteacher in presenting plans, giving advice and providing information to the governing body while at the same time being a member of the governing body creates an inherent conflict of interest. The NGA does not think that the headteacher should be a member of the governing body.
Other key responsibilities that flow from the legal framework that governors work within include oversight of the school's financial structures, responsibility for the school buildings and employer responsibilities. Most governing bodies are assisted in these responsibilities by their local authority and/or diocese. Academies need to ensure that they have access to appropriate professional advice.
Although the governors’ role is largely strategic, there are elements that are operational, for example, they have responsibility for the performance management of the head.
Equalities Duties
Governing bodies have a specific statutory responsibility in respect of promoting pupils’ well-being as well as wider responsibilities under equalities legislation. Governing bodies should ensure that schools strive to do the best for all of their pupils, irrespective of disability, educational needs, race, nationality, ethnic or national origin, gender, religion or sexual orientation or whether they are looked after children. Governing bodies are also responsible for promoting community cohesion. Both these duties are discharged within the legal framework for equality. The NGA believes that governing bodies as a whole and all individual governors should be committed to preventing discrimination – whether directed at children or adults – which it is within their control to prevent or challenge.
Effective Governance
It is the NGA’s view that an effective governing body ensures that it:
- carries out a skills audit (see the NGA website) and ensures that its governors receive appropriate training
- employs a skilled clerk (who is not a member of the staff) who is able to manage the business of the governing body and advise the governing body as appropriate
- ensures that it has access to objective school improvement advice
- reviews its own performance and takes action when required
- accepts the need for inspection and welcomes Ofsted
- joins the National Governors’ Association to ensure that it receives up to date advice and guidance and has access to the views and comments of fellow governors
Although there is no legal constraint on the length of time a chair of governors can serve, the NGA’s view is that an element of regular reappraisal and renewal is beneficial to all schools, and that all chairs should normally expect to step down after a maximum of six years in post.
The NGA supports the stakeholder model of governance, while urging governing bodies to audit the skills of their current members, make good use of the skills and seek to fill vacancies with reference to any gaps identified by the skills audit.
Governor Training
The NGA’s view is that if governors are going to carry out these serious and demanding responsibilities effectively then they need to be trained. In keeping with other voluntary roles that carry important statutory responsibilities, school governance should properly be perceived as a professional undertaking. Therefore the NGA thinks that the government should commit to ensuring the governors are equipped to operate effectively from the outset by making induction training mandatory for all new governors.
The NGA thinks that the National College should be tasked with ensuring that current and aspiring head teachers understand the rationale of governance and accountability.
The role of the chair of the governing body is a crucial one and in the NGA’s view all chairs should undergo specific training. The NGA in partnership with the National College is developing professional development resources for chairs of governors.
For more information about how to join the NGA click the attached link - Join the NGA