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Governing board roles

Role description for governing board chairs

Use our role descriptions for chairs to learn more about this important leadership role.

Tools & templates
14/09/2022

The chair of the governing board is one of the most important leadership roles in education. The chair provides leadership to the board and is responsible for ensuring it functions effectively and remains focused on its core strategic functions.

Chairs work closely with their governance professional and the headteacher/CEO (whom they also line manage) to maintain the efficient conduct of business and compliance.

Adopting a role description for the role of chair can support recruitment and succession planning, including conversations with board members who are considering stepping up to the role. Chairs may also wish to consult a role description when discussing how tasks are delegated to the vice chair and to explore co-chairing arrangements.

Use our role descriptions for multi academy trust (MAT) board chairs and for chairs of single schools to learn more about this important role.

The role description sets out the chair’s role in terms of:

  • leading governance
  • leading and developing the team
  • working with the headteacher/CEO
  • leading improvement
  • leading board business
  • the skills and attributes required of chairs

Chair role description: MAT board

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Chair role description: maintained, academy, SAT

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More governing board roles

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Role description for governors and trustees
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Role description for governance professionals
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The role of vice chair

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