Supporting the governing body

Supporting the governing body

In order to manage its workload, it is vital that the governing body is properly supported and serviced.

Clerking

Even in the many schools where the clerk to the governing body is also employed to carry out different duties under a separate contract, resources should be made available for the clerk to be properly qualified and capable of servicing and advising the governing body with independence. The clerk should have a job description and pay grade appropriate to the post.

The governing body should use the clerk to manage the business of the governing body, and should not make unnecessary demands of other school staff.

Expenses

Governors’ out of pocket expenses should be reimbursed as per an agreed policy on governors’
allowances.

There should be adequate allowance in the budget for governors’ expenses.


Taken from a joint document entitled 'What governing bodies should expect from school leaders and what school leaders should expect from governing bodies' The document was written in 2008 by the NGA (National Governors Association) working together with the two main headteacher’s unions, the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) and the National Association of Headteachers (NAHT).

http://www.nga.org.uk/uploadfiles/documents/HEGagreementamended.pdf