Decision details

That a review be undertaken on how school governors, and in particular Local Authority Governors, are recruited and appointed.

The School Governance Working Group met on 12^th March 2013 to consider how the Local Authority could ensure that it had a pool of well-trained governors able to play an effective role in ensuring that schools were well governed, that they were aware of their role and responsibilities and that they worked closely with the Local Authority with the support they needed to undertake their role into the future.

Following consideration, the Working Group developed a number of proposals to support the role of Local Authority Governor into the future, including the recruitment, selection and training processes for Local Authority Governors, the development of best practice, and work to promote the benefits of Local Authority Governors to Academy Schools.

The proposed review of the recruitment and appointment of school governors, and in particular Local Authority Governors, would support the delivery of priorities for children and young people as set out in the Council’s Education Commitments and agreed at the meeting of Full Council on 21^st January 2013 to work to improve school governance.  It would also support the delivery of the work programme as set out in the Education Portfolio Plan 2013/14 which aimed to promote educational opportunity in the Borough, ensuring all families have a choice of good and outstanding schools and early years and to work with governing bodies, the Department for Education and others to expand popular and successful schools and create additional early years capacity.