General resources

School Governors: Who are they and what do they do?

Written by Governors for Schools, this article provides a whistle stop tour of school governance and explains the role of a school governor. From the requirements to the benefits, it is a great read for anyone thinking about becoming a school governor.

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Become an Effective New Governor eLearning series

Our CPD-certified induction course is ideally suited to those new to education, with key language, regulations and acronyms explained so you can fully engage with meetings and visits early in your school governance role. Each section contains real examples of actions and questions – to help you develop best practice – as well as videos of current school governors speaking about their roles.

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Key Abbreviations and Acronyms

This document outlines the most common abbreviations and acronyms used across governing bodies and schools. This resource is a great help to school governors both new and experienced within the role, as well as those thinking of getting involved in the governance landscape.

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Academy trust governance guide

The academy trust governance guide is produced by the Department for Education. It is a reference document for those involved in trust governance. It provides essential information from a range of sources on the trust board’s roles and legal responsibilities.

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School and MAT performance Info

Search for primary, secondary and special schools and colleges near you, and compare their performance. You can view and download; exam and test results, Ofsted reports, and financial information.

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Schools financial benchmarking

Compare a school or academy trust’s income and expenditure with similar establishments in England.

You can view your school or academy trust’s financial data, see how it compares with others and use the information to establish relationships with other schools or multi-academy trusts.

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Ofsted Website

Ofsted is responsible for inspecting a range of educational institutions, including state schools and some independent schools. It also inspects childcare, adoption and fostering agencies and initial teacher training, and regulates early years childcare facilities and children’s social care services

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Digital Safeguarding with Smoothwall

This resource from Smoothwall is essential reading for school governors and anyone interested in or responsible for ensuring the safeguarding compliance within schools and colleges.

This guide details 5 practical steps school governors can take towards fulfilling their digital safeguarding responsibilities, to achieve optimal outcomes for the students and institutions they support.

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Governors’ DEI Toolkit

This toolkit from Diverse Educators features a bank of resources to help you and your team examine your current board setup and outlook. In addition, it provides thought on the ways DEI can be prioritised, ensuring governors have the knowledge, skills, and tools they need to take action in promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in the school community.

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Welsh Schools

Campaign Resources