Knowledge Centre

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.

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.

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 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.

For more information see our Data Protection Training and awareness for schools section.