Thank you for volunteering to become a governor in Buckinghamshire. The education system and our schools could not exist without the dedication, time and commitment of volunteer governors, both locally and nationally.

Working collectively, governing boards across Buckinghamshire form a strong network of volunteers who bring a diverse range of skills, knowledge and experience. Whether serving in a maintained school, federation, academy trust or local governing body, governors play a crucial role in supporting educational excellence and improving outcomes for children and young people.

As a new governor, you may be wondering what is expected of you, how much time the role requires and how you can make a meaningful contribution. Getting off to a positive start will help you develop confidence and become effective in your role more quickly. Preparation, training and support are key to success.

We have brought together a range of resources, guidance and training opportunities from Buckinghamshire Council and national organisations to support you throughout your governance journey.

New Headteacher and Governor Handbook

Buckinghamshire Council publishes an annual Headteacher and Governor Handbook which provides important information for school leaders and governors.

The handbook contains information on:

• The statutory role of the Local Authority
• The Side by Side approach to school improvement
• Key Buckinghamshire Council services available to schools
• School improvement and inclusion support
• Safeguarding services
• Governance support and training
• Contact details for council services

The latest version of the handbook can be accessed via SchoolsWeb and should be used as a key reference document throughout your term of office.

View the Headteacher and Governor Handbook. 

Buckinghamshire New Governor Welcome Package

We are committed to ensuring that newly appointed governors develop the knowledge and confidence needed to become effective board members as quickly as possible.

Buckinghamshire Council offers a structured Governor Development Programme, which provides a clear pathway for governors from induction through to advanced governance leadership.

All new governors are encouraged to complete the following training during their first year of appointment:

Course	Date(s)
New Governor Induction: Being a Governor in Buckinghamshire	15 September 2026
Understanding Governance: What Good Strategic Governance Looks Like in Buckinghamshire	17 November 2026 or 9 February 2027
Safeguarding in Schools in Buckinghamshire	29 September 2026, 2 March 2027 or 18 May 2027
Inclusion Training for Governors	13 October 2026
Preparing for an Ofsted Inspection	10 November 2026 or 9 March 2027
Introduction to Buckinghamshire Schools Finance	25 May 2027

Additional specialist pathways are available for:

• Chairs and Vice Chairs
• Safeguarding Governors
• Finance Governors
• SEND and Inclusion Governors
• Curriculum Governors
• Attendance, Behaviour and Exclusions Governors
• Health and Safety Governors
• Governors serving on Panels
• Clerks and Governance Professionals

Governors can attend individual courses or access training through their school's governor training package.

For the latest course information and booking details, visit the Governor Training page.

Priorities Briefings for Chairs and Clerks

Buckinghamshire Council holds termly Priorities Briefings for Chairs of Governors and Clerks. These sessions provide governors with updates on:

• Local and national education developments
• School improvement priorities
• Legislative and policy changes
• Children's Services priorities
• Governance developments

The briefings also provide an opportunity to ask questions and hear directly from senior local authority officers and education leaders.

2026/27 Briefing Dates

• 22 September 2026
• 19 January 2027
• 11 May 2027

Briefing dates and joining information are circulated through SchoolsWeb newsletters and published within the Governor Zone.

Child Protection

The statutory guidance Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) places specific responsibilities on governing boards and academy trusts.

As a new governor, reading this guidance and understanding your safeguarding responsibilities should be one of your first priorities. Governing boards must ensure that their school has effective safeguarding policies, procedures and training in place that reflect statutory guidance, local safeguarding arrangements and the needs of the children they serve.

Governors play a key role in ensuring that safeguarding remains a strategic priority. This includes monitoring safeguarding arrangements, understanding local risks, ensuring appropriate staff training is in place and providing constructive challenge and support to school leaders.

Buckinghamshire Council provides a range of safeguarding resources and training opportunities to support governors in carrying out these responsibilities.

Safeguarding Resources

• Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) 
• Buckinghamshire Safeguarding Toolkit 
• Governor Safeguarding Resources and Checklist 

The Department for Education (DfE) is responsible for children’s services and education in England, including early years, schools, further and higher education, apprenticeships and skills. The DfE publishes a range of statutory guidance, governance resources and updates that all governors should be familiar with.

As a new governor, one of your first priorities should be to understand the statutory responsibilities of governing boards and the key guidance documents that support effective governance.

Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE)

All governors should read and understand the latest version of Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE).

This is statutory guidance that schools and governing boards must have regard to when carrying out their duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. Governors should ensure they are familiar with safeguarding requirements and undertake regular safeguarding training.

Maintained Schools: Governance Guide

The Department for Education's Maintained Schools: Governance Guide is essential reading for governors, associate members and governance professionals in maintained schools. It brings together key information about the roles, responsibilities and legal duties of governing boards.

The guide provides information for:

• Governing boards in local authority maintained schools
• Associate members
• Governance professionals and clerks
• School leaders
• Local authorities and other organisations supporting school governance

It explains:

• Effective governance
• Strategic leadership
• Accountability
• People and governance roles
• Governance structures
• Evaluation and self-review
• Compliance and statutory responsibilities

Governance Skills and Effective Governance

Effective governors continually develop their knowledge and skills to support the strategic leadership and accountability of their schools. The Department for Education's Maintained Schools: Governance Guide provides the current framework for effective governance and signposts a range of professional development resources.

Seven Principles of Public Life (Nolan Principles)

Governors are expected to demonstrate the highest standards of conduct and are guided by the Seven Principles of Public Life:

• Selflessness
• Integrity
• Objectivity
• Accountability
• Openness
• Honesty
• Leadership
• Characteristics of Effective Governance

The National Governance Association identifies seven key behaviours that contribute to effective governance. Effective governors are:

• Committed
• Confident
• Curious
• Challenging
• Collaborative
• Critical
• Creative

Further Guidance

• Maintained Schools: Governance Guide (DfE)
• National Governance Association (NGA)

Governance Professionals

Governance professionals (clerks) play a vital role in supporting effective governance and ensuring that governing boards operate efficiently, transparently and in accordance with their legal and regulatory responsibilities. The governance professional supports the board by providing independent and professional advice on governance, constitutional and procedural matters.

Key responsibilities include:

• Advising the board on governance law, regulations and procedures.
• Supporting the effective organisation and administration of meetings.
• Ensuring the board works within its statutory duties and delegated powers.
• Maintaining accurate governance records and documentation.
• Supporting compliance, accountability and good governance practice.
• Facilitating induction, training and continuous professional development for governors.

Further Guidance

• Maintained Schools: Governance Guide (DfE)

Statutory Policies and Governance Regulations

Governors should be familiar with the statutory policies that maintained schools are required to have in place and understand the legal requirements concerning the constitution and membership of governing boards.

Useful resources include:

Maintained Schools: Governance Guide (DfE)

•  Includes guidance on statutory policies, governance structures and legal responsibilities.

The School Governance (Constitution) (England) Regulations 2012

• Sets out the categories of governor and requirements relating to the constitution of governing bodies in maintained schools.

DfE Governance Updates

The DfE regularly publishes governance updates containing important information for governors and trustees, including policy changes, consultations, safeguarding updates and governance guidance.

Governors are encouraged to subscribe to these updates to remain informed about national developments affecting schools and governance.

Alongside DfE guidance, all new governors are encouraged to complete the following Buckinghamshire training during their first year of office:

Course	Date(s)
New Governor Induction: Being a Governor in Buckinghamshire	15 September 2026
Understanding Governance: What Good Strategic Governance Looks Like in Buckinghamshire	17 November 2026 or 9 February 2027
Safeguarding in Schools in Buckinghamshire	29 September 2026, 2 March 2027 or 18 May 2027
Inclusion Training for Governors	13 October 2026
Preparing for an Ofsted Inspection	10 November 2026 or 9 March 2027
Introduction to Buckinghamshire Schools Finance	25 May 2027

OFSTED

Ofsted is the Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills. It inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people, including maintained schools, academies, independent schools, further education providers and early years settings.

The Education Inspection Framework (EIF) sets out how Ofsted carries out inspections, the principles that inspectors follow and the key judgements used when evaluating the effectiveness of schools. Governors should have a good understanding of the framework, as inspectors routinely consider the impact of governance during inspections.

Governors should be familiar with:

• Quality of Education
• Behaviour and Attitudes
• Personal Development
• Leadership and Management
• Early Years Provision (where applicable)

Strong governance contributes to effective leadership and management and supports continuous school improvement.

Useful Ofsted Links

• Ofsted Education Inspection Framework (Current Framework) 
• Ofsted Inspection Reports 

The National Governance Association (NGA) is the leading membership organisation for governors, trustees and governance professionals in England. NGA provides a wide range of training, guidance, resources and professional development opportunities to support effective governance.

Schools may choose to subscribe to NGA membership packages, including Learning Link, NGA's online learning platform. New governors should check with their Chair, Governance Professional or school office to find out whether their school or trust subscribes to NGA services and how to access available resources.

NGA offers:

• A wide range of governance guidance, training and support for governors, trustees and governance professionals.
• The NGA Knowledge Centre, providing access to practical governance resources, model policies, templates, checklists and best-practice guidance.
• NGA Learning Link, which offers flexible e-learning modules covering induction, safeguarding, finance, leadership, SEND, risk management, pupil outcomes and many other governance topics.
• Leadership programmes, including Taking the Chair, designed to support governors taking on leadership responsibilities.
• A comprehensive Glossary of Governance Terms, which is an excellent reference resource for new governors.

Useful NGA Links

• NGA Knowledge Centre
• NGA Learning Link
• NGA Glossary of Governance Terms
• NGA Training and Development

Recommended NGA Learning for New Governors

New governors may find the following NGA Learning Link modules particularly useful alongside Buckinghamshire's Governor Development Programme:

• Governance Induction Programme
• Introduction to the Strategic Role of Governance
• Understanding the Expectations of Governance
• How to Complete Monitoring Visits
• Monitoring Performance Data and Targets
• Cyber Security and Governance
• Ofsted and the Education Inspection Framework

These modules complement Buckinghamshire's governor training programme and support governors in developing the skills and knowledge needed for effective governance.

The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) is an independent charity dedicated to improving educational outcomes for children and young people, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds. The EEF supports schools by providing accessible, evidence-informed guidance about teaching, learning and school improvement.

EEF resources help governors, trustees, school leaders and teachers make informed decisions about how resources can be used most effectively to improve pupil outcomes.

The EEF publishes a wide range of resources, including:

• Teaching and Learning Toolkit - a summary of educational research covering a range of approaches and interventions, including their impact on pupil progress, cost and evidence strength.
• EEF Guidance Reports - practical recommendations based on the best available evidence to support school improvement.
• Evidence Reviews and Research Summaries - accessible overviews of educational research and effective practice.
• Projects and Evaluations - large-scale evaluations of programmes and interventions designed to identify what works in improving outcomes for pupils.
• Implementation Resources - guidance to help schools introduce and sustain effective changes in practice.
• Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Resources - evidence-informed guidance to support inclusive education

Why is this useful for governors?

Governors are responsible for providing strategic oversight and holding school leaders to account for educational performance. EEF resources can help governors:

• Understand the evidence behind school improvement decisions.
• Ask informed questions about teaching and learning.
• Evaluate the impact of school initiatives.
• Support evidence-informed decision making.
• Consider value for money when reviewing spending decisions, including pupil premium funding.

EEF resources are particularly helpful when discussing school improvement priorities, disadvantaged pupils, curriculum development and the impact of interventions designed to raise attainment.

New Governor Checklist

The first few months in your role are an important opportunity to build your knowledge, understand your board's priorities and establish positive relationships with school leaders and fellow governors.

The checklist below will help you get off to a strong start.

Within Your First Few Weeks

Provide your Governance Professional (Clerk) with the information required for your appointment and publication on the Get Information About Schools (GIAS) database. The school is legally required to keep governor details up to date.

Complete all appointment paperwork and ensure your DBS check has been processed in accordance with the school's safer recruitment procedures.

Read and sign your governing board's Code of Conduct.

Complete your Declaration of Interests and ensure it is updated whenever circumstances change.

Essential Reading

Read Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE), with particular attention to Part 2, which sets out governing board responsibilities for safeguarding.

Familiarise yourself with:

• the school's safeguarding policy
• the school's behaviour policy
• the school's most recent Ofsted report
• the School Development Plan (or equivalent improvement plan)
• recent governing board minutes

Training and Development

Attend New Governor Induction: Being a Governor in Buckinghamshire on 15 September 2026.

Attend Understanding Governance: What Good Strategic Governance Looks Like in Buckinghamshire on 17 November 2026 or 9 February 2027.

Complete Safeguarding in Schools in Buckinghamshire - An Introduction for Governors on 29 September 2026, 2 March 2027 or 18 May 2027.

Ask whether your governing board uses a Governor Skills Audit and complete this if requested.

Governor Training Information.

Building Your Knowledge of the School

Arrange an introductory meeting with the Chair of Governors.

Meet the Headteacher and discuss the school's priorities, strengths and areas for development.

Take a tour of the school to see its provision and learn more about the pupils and community it serves.

Make sure all governing board and committee meeting dates are in your diary and allow sufficient time to read papers before meetings.

Need Support?

The Buckinghamshire School Governance Team is here to support governors throughout their governance journey.

📧 schoolgovernance@buckinghamshire.gov.uk

Thank you for volunteering your time and expertise to support education in Buckinghamshire. Your contribution helps governing boards provide effective strategic leadership and improve outcomes for children and young people across the county.