School Governance

School governors provide strategic leadership and accountability in schools in England, Northern Ireland and Wales. Scotland does not have a formal system of school governance and instead schools have Parent Councils to maintain links with the school community.

The first section of this briefing looks at how school governance is structured in different school types in England, Northern Ireland and Wales. The following sections look at the main roles and responsibilities of school governors and some of the challenges associated with the position. Finally, the briefing will look at recruitment and skills of school governors.