Essential safeguarding for governors and trustees | National Governance Association

At a glance

This module covers what you and your governing board must do to fulfil the governance safeguarding role.

You will cover:

the fundamentals of safeguarding

the purpose and effect of legislation and statutory guidance

what boards need to do to ensure sound safeguarding practice

what is expected of governors and trustees

strategic oversight and monitoring of safeguarding

Study time

30 minutes - 2 hours depending on experience

Certificate upon completion

Module description

Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is everyone’s responsibility. All staff and volunteers have a responsibility to provide a safe environment in which children can learn and will be expected to undertake suitable training and comply with school safeguarding policies.

Safeguarding is one of the most important responsibilities for governors and trustees – but annual training can feel repetitive. That’s why NGA has taken a new approach with this year’s Learning Link safeguarding module updates. Built completely in-house, it’s designed to save time while keeping you up to date with the latest priorities - and reflect what you already know and where you are in your governance journey.

From attendance to online risks, this year’s updates reflect the changing challenges schools face.

This module is part of the governance induction programme

Induction is a crucial first step for any new board member. This suite of e-learning modules will give you a clear and confident understanding of what governance is, why it matters, and how to do it well - whether you’re joining a maintained school or a multi academy trust.

Think of this programme as your national induction: it gives you the big-picture foundations of governance and how it works. It’s the perfect companion to the training and induction you’ll receive from your own school, trust and/or local authority. Together they’ll help you step into your new role with clarity and confidence.

The programme is structured as follows:

Ella Colley

Head of Content and Publishing

As Head of Content and Publishing, Ella leads the development and delivery of NGA’s cross-organisational content strategy, ensuring clarity, consistency, and an audience-first approach across all member-facing content. She oversees core outputs including NGA’s Knowledge Centre, Governing Matters magazine, newsletters and research reports, making sure they are accurate, relevant, and impactful.