Managing the work of the governing body
The most effective governing bodies see their work as part of
the strategic whole rather than piecemeal tasks. We recommend that
each governing body invests time at the beginning of the school
year in planning its work. This is best done by a small group (e.g.
the chair/prospective chair, headteacher and clerk) making some
recommendations and enabling and encouraging governors to modify or
choose between options. The aim is that all members of the
governing body have an understanding and ownership of decisions,
which will affect the way they operate throughout the year.
The Managing the Work of the Governing Body toolkit is a
collaborative publication of the GLM Federation, which was
established to facilitate joint working and sharing practice
between the governor services teams of three local authorities:
Cambridgeshire, Oxfordshire and Warwickshire. Peterborough Governor
Development Team has adapted this step-by-step guide for use by our
own governing bodies. The CD Rom contains program files and
instructions of particular value to the clerk. A step-by-step
process is recommended, but the toolkit does not need to be used in
its entirety and areas can be used when needed.
Contents
- A: Introduction
- A1: List of contents
- A2: Copy of the explanatory leaflet
Step 1: Decide what you are going to do through the year
- B: Schedule of governing body work
- B1: Annual Schedule of Governing Body Business
- B2. Self Evaluation Form
Step 2: Decide your structure
- C: Deciding your structure
Step 3: Decide delegation
- D: Delegation Decision Planner
Step 4: Agree terms of reference
- E: Guidance on terms of reference
- E1: Background/additional guidance - Appeal Committees
Step 5: Agree membership of committees and individual governor
responsibilities
- F: Reflecting on your current structure and membership
Step 6: Agree dates of meetings
- G: Reflecting on your previous pattern of meetings
- Clerks' Folder
- H: Clerks' Tool
- H1: Clerks' Working File
- J: Example of Committee Agenda
- K: Committee Minutes Pro-forma
- I. Terms of Reference Committee
All clerks of schools who subscribe to the
Peterborough governor service have a copy of the toolkit. If
you are not a subscribing school and wish to purchase a copy,
please contact the governor services
team.