The Governing Board is constituted on the basis of the skills the Governing Board as a whole requires.  This skill set is detailed below.  Of course, no one governor need have all these skills, but the relative strengths and weaknesses of the Board are taken into account when recruiting new governors.

Fundamental skills

  • Commitment to improving education for all pupils
  • Ability to work in a professional manner as part of a team and take collective responsibility for decisions
  • Willingness to learn
  • Commitment to the school’s vision and ethos
  • Basic literacy and numeracy skills
  • Basic IT skills (i.e. word processing and email)

Understanding and/or experience of governance

  • Experience of being a board member in another sector or a governor/trustee in another school
  • Experience of chairing a board, governing body or committee
  • Experience of professional leadership

Vision and strategic planning

  • Understanding and experience of strategic planning
  • Ability to analyse and review complex issues objectively
  • Problem solving skills
  • Ability to propose and consider innovative solutions
  • Change management (e.g. overseeing a merger or an organisational restructure, changing careers)
  • Understanding of current education policy

Holding the Head to account

  • Communication skills, including being able to discuss sensitive issues tactfully
  • Ability to analyse data
  • Ability to question and challenge
  • Experience of project management
  • Performance management/appraisal of someone else
  • Experience of being performance managed/appraised yourself

Financial Oversight

  • Financial planning/management (e.g. as part of your job)
  • Experience of procurement/purchasing
  • Experience of premises and facilities management

Knowing your school community

  • Links with the community
  • Links with local businesses
  • Knowledge of the local/regional economy
  • Working or volunteering with young people (e.g. teaching, social work, youth work, sports coaching, health services for young people
  • Understanding special educational needs

Functional experience

  • Recruitment
  • Negotiation
  • Handling complaints, grievances or appeals
  • Risk assessment
  • Human resources
  • Legal matters
  • IT or management information systems
  • PR and marketing
  • Work placements or career planning
  • Health services
  • Safeguarding
  • Quality assurance
  • Surveying, consultation and/or research