Link governor roles and committees

From providing insight on specific areas to feedbacking in meetings, a link governor plays an incredibly important role in school governance.

Link Governor Role

When becoming a school governor, you might be assigned a link governor role and be asked to join a committee. Link governors are responsible for taking on oversight of a particular area of school life. These could include; safeguarding, pupil premium, or special educational needs and disabilities.

The link governor role normally involves:

  • Firstly, making pre-arranged visits to the school, with a clear focus on a particular area of school life.
  • Secondly, keeping the governing board informed about their area of responsibility.
  • Finally, supporting the member of staff who is responsible for the particular area/subject within the school.

Committees

Committees are delegated responsibilities by the main board in a particular area, such as finance, curriculum and learning, and HR. They must report back to the board on their work and any decisions they’ve taken.

The board as a whole retains responsibility for all its duties, whether they have been delegated to a committee or not.

Panels (special committees)

Panels, often referred to as special committees, address issues such as exclusions, staff grievances, and headteacher appraisals.

Typically, the board decides on membership as needed. This ensures that no members are personally involved or have a conflict of interest. Furthermore, in the case of an appeal panel, the selection process ensures that members have had no prior involvement in the case.

Wellbeing link governor

Mental health and wellbeing is an integral undertaking in schools and needs to be considered throughout all aspects of the school experience. The wellbeing link governor role creates a connection between the governing board and the wider school/Trust. Additionally, it’s focused on supporting the school to embed its mental health and wellbeing provision across the entire school.

You can find out more about the wellbeing link governor role through our dedicated Wellbeing Governors campaign. Additionally, this campaign showcases the importance of looking after the mental health of all those in the school community.