Equality, diversity and inclusion

A governing board needs a balance and diversity of volunteers with different skills, experiences, backgrounds, perspectives and attributes to fulfil its role effectively. It helps more robust discussions to take place and better decisions to be made. When the people around the table come from different places and think different things there is sufficient challenge which ensures better decisions are made in the interests of all pupils. Visit our Everyone on Board campaign page to find out more about board diversity statistics and the benefits of a diverse board.

NGA guidance and resources  

• Diversity Indicators - The NGA diversity indicators form can be used by governing boards in all types of school structures to gather diversity data on their membership and use this to inform discussion and action. 
• The Right People Around the Table – a guide to recruiting and retaining school governors and trustees
• Skills audit – helps governing boards to identify where they need to develop knowledge, skills and behaviour to deliver their functions effectively.
• Increasing participation in school and trust governance – a state of the nation report on recruiting and retaining volunteers from underrepresented backgrounds.
• Model role descriptions – role descriptions for chairs, governors, trustees, governance professionals and clerks to help introduce volunteers to the role
• Virtual governance resources – find out how virtual governance and the future of a blended approach to board meetings can support recruitment and inclusion
• School Governance in 2020 – find out the latest information on governing board composition regionally and nationally

Other resources

• #DiverseGovernance webcast series – a series of free webcasts with governors and trustees sharing their experience and tips on a range of topics including board recruitment and board inclusion
• Department for Education Governance Handbook – sets out the expectations and requirements of boards in relation to equality, diversity and inclusion

NGA guidance and resources

• Equality and diversity: responsibilities, culture and impact - guidance for governing boards
• Equality and diversity: a practical guide for governors and trustees – a three unit eLearning module that will help you to understand the Equality Act and the practical implications for those governing, provide an understanding and awareness as to how the Act relates to pupils, as well as how the Act impacts recruitment, retention and the performance management of staff. 
• Being Strategic: a guide for governing boards and school leaders – a guide which encourages governing boards and executive leaders to work together to set a strategy for their organisation and monitor progress within an annual cycle.
• The board’s role in promoting diversity and equality in staffing – a session of NGA’s annual conference seminars including flexible working and men teaching in primary schools

Articles

• Diversity begins with boards: a Governing Matters article on promoting equality, diversity and inclusion from board level
• Diversity: moving the dial: a Governing Matters article setting out how everyone involved in governance can contribute to increasing the diversity of characteristics and thought around the board table.
• Influencing leadership: a Governing Matters article on how to encourage diversity, promote development and focus on wellbeing
• Tackling racial inequity in schools: a Governing Matters interview with Professor Paul Miller, founder of Education Equity Services
• Championing diversity: a Governing Matters article on how boards can promote equality, diversity and inclusion
• Supporting LGBT pupils: Young people thrive when difference is celebrated. Holly Green, education programmes manager at Stonewall, offers five ways to make that happen

1. NGA will conduct research on the experience of governors and trustees from Black, Asian or minority ethnicities and those aged under 40, and on the views and perceptions of people from these groups that do not currently volunteer. 

Our action: We published the Increasing participation in school and trust governance report in June 2021. 

2. Improve our information, guidance and e-learning for governing boards on equalities and diversity and ensure it is threaded through our suite of information and guidance. 

Our action:

• NGA has partnered with ASCL to develop a programme of e-learning modules intended to focus on creating an inclusive culture through practice, and going beyond compliance by giving users the knowledge, understanding and tools to do so.
• Produced a three-unit eLearning module on ‘Equality and diversity – a practical guide for governors and trustees’. 99% of users who have completed the module would recommend it to others and 94% of users say it will help them to improve their governance practice.
• Published guidance on ‘Equality and diversity: responsibilities, culture and impact’ which outlines governing board legal duties, what this means in practice and the importance of a culture that embeds equality and inclusion. 
• Updated our popular Being Strategic guidance to cover the impact of a positive culture on diversity and equality
• Released an updated toolkit and new eLearning module on executive leader recruitment to emphasise the importance of a fair and inclusive recruitment process and of attracting candidates from underrepresented groups.

3. Support the creation of a BAMEed Network governance hub. 

Our action: We developed the NGA and BAMEed steering group on governance and race with the BAMEed network. The group focussed on taking action on the ground to progress the issue of race diversity on governing boards.

4. Re-energise the Everyone on Board campaign.

Our action:

• We hosted a podcast on Increasing participation in Governance (episode 14). Speaking to three Chairs and Governors, we discussed why diversity on boards is important. We explored how boards diversified their membership and supported new governors and trustees when they joined.

• We hosted a podcast on Being a young governor (episode 18). In their own words two members of NGA’s Young Governors’ Network, talked about their experiences of being a young governor, the importance of diversity of thought and representation on boards and what they have learnt from governing. 

• We arranged for three governors of Black and mixed heritage to take part in a the ‘conversations about race’ series on BBC Radio 4 World at One

• We have developed partnerships with organisations including Operation Black Vote which include writing articles for their publication and presenting at events.

5. Continue to work with other national representative organisations to ensure as an education sector we are making progress and coordinating activity to maximise impact.

Our action: We have met and shared insight and progress with other national representative education organisations. In particular, we have met with representatives of ASCL’s BAME, women and LGBT networks and of NAHT’s Leaders for Race Equality network to hear directly from senior leaders about their experiences, what support they would like for their boards and to develop solutions for these needs.

NGA is a co-signatory to the sector-led statement of action and commitments published in June 2021. View the Statement of Intent.

6. Summarise and promote to governing boards a range of race charters, frameworks and audit tools that have been created for schools/trusts.

Our action: You can find the round-up in the Knowledge Centre.

7. Continue to report on the diversity of our own board.

Our action: NGA’s trustees recognise that, while reflecting the school and trust governance community, the board does not reflect wider society and the community schools serve. For its autumn 2020 and 2021 election, NGA encouraged members to nominate Black, Asian and minority ethnic governors, trustees and clerks for its board and promoted the opportunities widely.

• NGA is a co-signatory to the sector-led statement of action and commitments on equality, diversity and inclusion in education published in June 2021. View the Statement of Intent.
• NGA is signatory to the Department for Education’s statement of intent on diversity, which was published in October 2018. Read more about the statement and our commitment.
• NGA is a strategic partner of the BAME forum, a local Birmingham network, where we have been involved in delivering a session on governance to current and aspiring leaders on the BAME forum’s development programme.
• Submitted a response to the government’s Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities consultation in November 2020.

In 2020, NGA launched its Visible Governance in Schools campaign to celebrate, champion and raise the profile of the impact of good governance on schools. We were delighted with how governance volunteers and professionals and the wider education community, embraced the campaign.

We see a future where governance is at the forefront of people’s minds when they think about schools, trusts and education. A future where the integral role governance plays in the success of schools and trusts is understood. 

Good governance is not an insurance policy which picks up the pieces when things have gone awry; it is a central component of a successful organisation. Through this collective action, we want school governance to take its rightful place as a visible, valued and understood component of the education system.

NGA has produced the film below as part of our Visible Governance campaign. It celebrates the power of governance, the people who volunteer and the value of governing to the education system. 
The film is designed to highlight the vital role governance plays in helping schools and trusts to flourish and the impact it has on your local community. 

These resources are not directly related to governance but may be useful in supporting your learning, reflection and action.

• BAMEed network website
• Diverse Educators website
• ASCL’s BAME, women and LGBT networks
• NAHT’s Leaders for Race Equality network