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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
17/06/2026

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 strategic purpose and functions.

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.

We provide two role descriptions: for multi academy trust (MAT) board chairs and for chairs of school governing boards (maintained schools, single academy trust (SAT) and academy committee).

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
  • person specification

Chair role description: MAT board

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Chair role description: school board

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