Every School a Good School
Every School a Good School – The Governors Role
“Every School a Good School – The Governors Role” is a DE reference guide outlining the roles and responsibilities of school boards of governors.
It provides school governors with access to key information on a variety of school management issues relating to a range of their responsibilities.
Although the range of responsibilities within the guide is significant, governors do not need to be experts to manage them. Help and advice is available from various sources including the school principal, the EA, Catholic Council for Maintained Schools (CCMS), Northern Ireland Council for Integrated Education (NICIE), Governing Body Association (GBA), Controlled Schools Support Council (CSSC) and Comhairle na Gaelscolaíochta (CnaG).
The Governor Guide is available to download from the DE Website along with the Every School a Good School Policy document.
Schemes of Management
Every school must have a Scheme of Management approved by the Department of Education.
Schemes of Management provide for:
- The membership and procedure of the Board of Governors;
- The management of each such school;
- The functions to be exercised in relation to each such school by the Board of Governors, committees of the board of governors and the principal;
- Such other matters as are required or authorised by the Education Authority.
Secretary Hub
Guide to Meetings and Committees
Guidance on organising and running meetings
Part VII of the Scheme of Management sets out procedures and guidelines for holding meetings and committees. The Board of Governors is required to operate in accordance with the Scheme of Management which reflects good management, practices and procedures.
Articles 32 to 61 of the Scheme for the Management of Controlled Schools give comprehensive guidance on running meetings and committees including the frequency of meetings, remote attendance and how agendas and minutes should be structured.
You can view the Scheme of Management here.
Emergencies
Article 22 of the Scheme for the Management of Controlled Schools covers the power of Chairperson or Vice Chairperson of the Board of Governors to act in cases of urgency.
Non-Attendance at Meetings of School Governors
Article 8(3) of the Scheme for the Management states:
Where a voting or co-opted member is absent from three consecutive meetings of the Board of Governors, or for six months consecutively, whichever is the greater period, the secretary shall report the matter at the next meeting and, unless the Board of Governors is satisfied that his/her failure to attend was occasioned by illness or other unavoidable cause, the member shall be deemed to have resigned his/her membership and shall cease to be a member.
Routinely, the principal as secretary to the BOG will have an overview of the Governor attendance and will discuss this with the Chairperson where an emerging issue is noted. This may differ from school to school. The priority is to act promptly to identify any issues affecting a governor’s ability to attend meetings on a regular basis.
Where the chair/principal are not satisfied with the reasons given for absence, the chair/principal may wish to make contact with the governor to ascertain the nature of the absence and inform the governor of the Scheme of Management requirement regarding attendance. This call should be pastoral in nature, and should seek to identify any support the governor may require to improve attendance.
The Chairperson may wish to contact the School Governance Service for guidance on how to proceed.
How to Report a Governor Resignation
Arrangements for Notifying Governor Resignations from Boards of Governors in Controlled Schools
Notes
The following outlines the means by which governor resignations should be notified to EA. Governors are appointed to various designations through separate arrangements, and the arrangements for governors to notify their resignation differ accordingly.
Where the governor is required to notify their resignation to a body other than EA, that body should notify EA at the earliest opportunity by contacting govsupport@eani.org.uk. Relevant bodies should ensure they have received confirmation of a governor’s resignation in writing, (and forward a copy to EA wherever possible).
|
Governor Designation |
Appointment Process by which the governor was appointed |
Governor to notify their resignation to the relevant body as follows |
Next Steps |
Notes / Additional Information |
|
Application to EA |
EA |
Governor informs EA |
Governors can notify their resignation to govsupport@eani.org.uk |
|
Application to DE |
DE |
DE informs EA |
Governors can notify their resignation to govapps@education-ni.gov.uk |
|
School-led Election Process |
School |
School copies letter of resignation to EA |
Parents will usually write to the principal as secretary to the board of governors |
|
School-led Election Process |
School |
School copies letter of resignation to EA |
Teachers will usually write to the principal as secretary to the board of governors |
|
Nomination from those with ‘Rights of Nomination’ |
Nominating body (or to the school where the governor is unclear who the nominating body is)
|
Nominating body informs EA
|
Those with rights of nomination are routinely church bodies, or other bodies from which the schools historically transferred |
|
School-led process routinely an election type process |
School |
School copies letter of resignation to EA |
Post Primary Transferors will usually write to the principal as secretary to the board of governors. Where a Post Primary Transferor is also resigning a governor role at Primary School(s), they should also notify the relevant nominating body as outlined at point 5 above. |
|
Nomination from Nominating Trustees |
Nominating body (or to the school where the governor is unclear who the nominating body is) |
Nominating body informs EA |
|
|
Application to EA |
EA |
Governor informs EA |
Transferor or Trustee Governors are appointed directly by EA in certain circumstances. Governors can notify their resignation to govsupport@eani.org.uk |
|
Discussed and agreed at a meeting of the board of governors |
Board of governors |
Board of governors informs EA |
Usually principal as secretary to board of governors will notify EA of the decision to appoint, and of the resignation, and will forward the relevant board of governor minutes. |
School Governor Training
The EA Learning Portal Area for School Governors contains a series of online learning opportunities.
Your account lets you access all your documents, videos, discussions and any communications from one easy place.
Links and login information is contained in the Board of Governor Training Programme which is available from your Principal.
If you experience any problems please email govtraining@eani.org.uk
The links below can be used to view the current opportunities and useful information for new governors:
The Nolan Principles
The Nolan principles are seven rules that describe how people in public office should behave and the ethical standards they should uphold. They apply to all school governors because they apply to anyone elected or appointed to public office.
They are named after Lord Nolan who chaired a committee in 1995 which examined standards in public office. All governors should accept the Nolan principles, which are also known as the “seven principles of public life”.
Selflessness
Holders of public office should act solely in terms of the public interest.
Integrity
Holders of public office must avoid placing themselves under any obligation to people or organisations that might try inappropriately to influence them in their work. They should not act or take decisions in order to gain financial or other material benefits for themselves, their family, or their friends. They must declare and resolve any interests and relationships.
Objectivity
Holders of public office must act and take decisions impartially, fairly and on merit, using the best evidence and without discrimination or bias.
Accountability
Holders of public office are accountable to the public for their decisions and actions and must submit themselves to the scrutiny necessary to ensure this.
Openness
Holders of public office should act and take decisions in an open and transparent manner. Information should not be withheld from the public unless there are clear and lawful reasons for so doing.
Honesty
Holders of public office should be truthful.
Leadership
Holders of public office should exhibit these principles in their own behaviour and treat others with respect. They should actively promote and robustly support the principles and challenge poor behaviour wherever it occurs.
School Management Polices and Guidance
Collection of useful documents, guidance and templates around privacy, health and safety, child protection and complaints.
Safeguarding & Child Protection for Governors
Do you wish to join the EA Governor Network?
By joining you may be contacted to take part in surveys, webinars and focus groups on issues that affect school governors. You do not have to take part and may only wish to contribute when it is of something of interest to you. If you would like to join, please log your details using the form below.