Governor services
West Northamptonshire Governor Service:
- fulfils the local authority's statutory responsibilities with regard to school governance by ensuring all local authority maintained school governors have access to information required
- nominates Local Authority governors and supports schools to recruit co- opted governors
- provides effective challenge and support to governing bodies, thus raising standards and leading improvement
- provides support, guidance and advice as required
- provides a comprehensive training offer, organises events and activities such as workshops and conferences to enhance training
- shares best practice and provide networking opportunities with other governors
Contact us at: [email protected]
Safeguarding
Our model safeguarding policy has been developed from good practice examples and includes reference to safeguarding arrangements in Northamptonshire.
Find out further information on our safeguarding in education webpage.
Resources on the GOV.UK website may also be useful:
Note: all governors and trustees are subject to an enhanced DBS check and are required to complete Child Protection and Safeguarding training. On 20 May 2022, the Department for Education published Keeping Children Safe in Education 2022, which came into force on 1 September 2022.
Part 2: The management of safeguarding
There is a new requirement for all governors and trustees to receive appropriate safeguarding and child protection (including online) at induction.
The safeguarding will:
- equip them to test and assure themselves that the safeguarding policies and procedures in place are effective and support a robust, whole school approach to safeguarding
- be regularly updated
Governor skills audit
No single governor can be expected to have all of the knowledge and skills that are required by the governing board. Governing boards should undertake a skills audit to identify which governors have appropriate knowledge and expertise and where the governing board needs to provide training and development to its governors.
The National Governance Association (NGA) have a skills audit template that can be used by Governing boards.
Concerns and complaints
All schools are responsible for having a complaints process for which the governing body are responsible for overseeing. Please see best practice guidance for school complaints procedures - GOV.UK
Governor support newsletter
The Governor support newsletter updates governors on current developments locally and nationally.
If you wish to subscribe to the Governor support newsletter please contact Governor services by emailing [email protected]
Chair of governors
Being a chair of governors is a key role in the leadership and management of schools. To be effective, chairs need a good understanding of the role and its responsibilities so that your school gains maximum benefit from the work that you do.
An effective chair of governors:
- works with the head teacher to promote and maintain high standards of educational achievement
- ensures that the governing body sets a clear vision, ethos and strategic direction for the school
- works with the governing body to hold the head teacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils, and for the performance management of staff
- ensures oversight of the financial performance of the school and effective use of the schools resources
Chairs of governors have no special power to take decisions on behalf of governors unless there has been a resolution of the whole governing body to delegate a specific authority.
However, under The School Governance (Roles, Procedures & Allowances) (England) Regulations 2013; p.8 it states that
"the Chair is permitted to act in cases of urgency where a delay in exercising the function would be likely to be seriously detrimental to the interests of the school, a pupil or parent or member of staff."
Details of a new chair of governors
Please ensure that we have your details by contacting us via your clerk or by emailing [email protected].
Resources for chairs of governors
- The constitution of governing bodies of maintained schools
- Leading Governors - The role of the Chair of Governors
- GOV.UK has more information on the role and responsibilities of a chair of governors
Useful resources and documents
- Governance handbook and competency framework - GOV.UK
- DfE list of statutory policies for schools and academy trusts - GOV.UK
- Guidance and resources for governors of local authority maintained schools - GOV.UK
- Guidance on making effective decisions when recruiting a headteacher - GOV.UK
- School teachers' pay and conditions guidance - GOV.UK
- Education inspection framework - GOV.UK
- Health and safety advice for schools -GOV.UK
- School leaders and governing boards - what we expect from each other
Last updated 27 March 2024