Managing the Governing Board

Governance Guides (replacing the Governance Handbook).

• Maintained schools governance guide (gov.uk)
• Academy trust governance guide (gov.uk)

These documents have replaced the Governance Handbook

Board structure and people

• Maintained schools governance guide - 5. Governance structures - Guidance - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
• Maintained schools governance guide - 4. People - Guidance - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) 
• How to change your instrument of government (reconstitution)(pdf format, 347 KB)

Code of conduct

• Model code of conduct for governing boards - free resource (nga.org.uk)

Chair and vice chair of governors

• Process for electing a chair and vice chair of governors, including FAQs (pdf format, 216 KB)

Declaration of interests

• Financial interests: Introduction and guidance
• Declaration of Interests form (docx format, 38 KB)
• Register of Business Interests summary template for publication (doc format, 41 KB)

Planning the work of the governing board

• Model standing orders 2024-25 (docx format, 50 KB)
• Annual schedule of governing board business 2024-25 (pdf format, 768 KB)

Governor monitoring

• Governor monitoring visit template (docx format, 56 KB)
• Example Governor Monitoring Plan (docx, format, 33KB)

Governor Recruitment and new governor induction

• Governor recruitment

Ofsted (GOV.UK)

• Education inspection framework
• Early years inspection handbook
• School inspection handbook
• Guidance for schools

Safeguarding

• Safeguarding overview for boards (pdf format, 106 KB)
• Keeping children safe in education (GOV.UK)

Statutory guidance (GOV.UK)

• Constitution of governing bodies of maintained schools
• School governance regulations 2013 (roles, procedures and allowances)
• Schools: statutory guidance
• The Seven Principles of Public Life
• Running a school or college: list of information about running a school or college including e.g. admissions, governance, statutory policies and guidance - GOV.UK