School Governors: The Role of the Chair

A good Chair does more than lead meetings and set agendas. A Chair must be able to encourage and inspire, he must be able to delegate effectively and promote the strengths found in other Governing Body members. Unfortunately, these are all things that cannot be taught in an online training course. These are skills which can only be developed through practice, and through ongoing discussions with other, more experienced Chairs.

Most recently, the National College for School Leadership (NCSL) has taken on the task of defining this role, stating:

"Being a chair of governors is a key leadership role and governing bodies are central to the effective accountability of schools and academies. Leading the governing body and working in partnership with the headteacher, the chair plays a pivotal role in school improvement."

Understanding that the role of the Chair is not fully understood, the CfBT Education Trust has commissioned further research on Governing Body Chairs.

As with much of school governing, the role of ChGB is inadequately understood. This Project, which being funded by CfBT Education Trust, will seek to redress that lack of understanding. It will explore who ChGBs in England are and what they do, and the development of ChGBs. The outcomes will enhance understandings of the role and provide a secure basis for future policy developments and ChGB training and development.

An interim report in Governing Body Chairs was released in October 2011.
Understanding and developing the role of the chair of the school governing body

In a word, yes. It is beneficial for all members of the Governing Body if Terms of Reference are written and approved by the Governing Body, then reviewed annually with the other Terms of Reference. Carefully written Terms of Reference assist all members of the Governing Body, not just the Chair, in knowing exactly what their role is and what responsibilities they hold.




These are the Roles and Responsibilities of the Chair of Governors

• to make sure the governing body's affairs are conducted in accordance with the law


• to report any urgent action taken on behalf of the governing body, ensuring it is fully explained and supported. Chairs (and vice chairs in the chair's absence) 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, they do have the power to take action if the matter is urgent and if it concerns one of the functions that can be delegated. The Education (School Government)(England) Regulations 1999 Regulation 43 defines 'urgent' as a case where delay would be seriously harmful to the school or to any pupil or member of staff, and where it would not be reasonably practicable to hold a governors' meeting to resolve the issue. Any urgent action the chair or vice chair takes on behalf of the governing body should be reported at the next meeting


• to ensure meetings are run effectively - that they start and finish on time, that agenda items are properly introduced, that people are encouraged to contribute and that decisions are taken when necessary and minuted


• to help the governing body work as a team - by recognising and using people's strengths, delegating effectively, clarifying objectives and using the whole governing body by creating committees and small groups to develop new ideas, work out plans of action and to cover contentious or difficult areas of planning. Define, with the governing body, a clear understanding of the roles of the chair, vice chair, the other governors and the professionals within the school.


• to work with the headteacher - be available to the headteacher, make time to listen to concerns and give constructive advice, talk through disagreements before governing body meetings, work together on effective school policies


• to carry out any duties delegated by the governing body, be seen in school regularly, attend school functions or make sure another governor represents them, work with the local authority, be accessible to other governors, staff and parents, meet governors from other schools


• to use time effectively, their own and other people's - plan the year's cycle of meetings and a timetable for action and reports, plan for effective meetings


• to make it clear that all governors must accept collective responsibility for decisions taken at governors' meetings.

Source: Governing Body procedures and committees: The Role of the Chair

There are the Terms of Reference where I serve as Chair of Governors.

• To ensure the business of the Governing Body is conducted properly, in accordance with legal and London Borough of Bromley delegation requirements.


• To ensure meetings are run effectively, focusing on priorities and making the best use of time available, and to ensure that all members have an equal opportunity to participate in discussion and decision-making


• To establish and foster an effective relationship with the Headteacher based on trust and mutual respect for each other's roles. The Chair has an important role in ensuring that the Governing Body acts as a sounding board to the Headteacher and provides strategic direction


• To work with the Clerk to the Governing Body in setting meeting agendas


• To perform such other functions as may be determined by the Governing Body from time to time

Disqualification - the Headteacher, Staff Governors, Pupils, Staff Members

Given the high level of responsibility placed upon the Chair, it is surprising that closer look at the training for the Chair of Governors has not been made until now. At this time training for Chairs, and indeed for all governors, is not mandatory. The current government has taken a strong look though and in 2011 tasked the National College for School Leadership (NCSL) to develop a training program for Chairs of Governing Bodies.

National College for School Leaders

The NCSL started by conducting a series of focus groups across England to ask currently serving Chairs their views on what should be included in a training program. I took part on one of these panels in early 2011. They have also been working with the National Governors' Association (NGA), the National Association for Head Teachers (NAHT), and other educational groups.

In October 2011, the NCSL released "Leading Governors" which looks at the role of the chair and provides an overview of the training and development program they will be offering. This can be downloaded from the NCSL website. Leading Governors
The training program itself will be released in April 2012.

Department for Education

A self study training course for Chairs can be found on the DfE website. This program, "Taking the Chair" was distributed to all Local Authorities and can also be downloaded from the DfE website free of charge.

Taking the Chair

Local Authority Governor Services

Local authorities which offer a comprehensive governor development and training program will offer training for chairs. Check with your local governor services team for information.