Department for Education (DfE) Resources

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:

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