Education CommitteeFurther written evidence submitted by the Department for Education

The following briefing aims to provide additional information and correct a small number of inaccuracies relating to issues arising at the Committee’s hearing on 31 January 2012.

Election of Chairs of Governing Bodies

Chairs do not have to be elected every year. Regulation 5 of the Procedures Regulations allows governing bodies to determine a term of office between one and four years for chairs and vice chairs. Academies are at liberty to set their own term of office.

New NPQH and Governance

In the new, non-mandatory NPQH aspiring head teachers study three essential and two electives modules. Governance features in all essential and some electives modules. Legal aspects of governance, the governing body’s role in the strategic leadership of the school, and the head teacher’s accountability to the governing body are covered in the essential modules. Also addressed in these modules is the responsibility a head teacher has to develop an effective relationship with the governing body and its chair of governors.

Governing Bodies’ Responsibility for Admissions

Only some governing bodies are admissions authorities:

Type of School	Who is the admission authority?	Who deals with complaints about arrangements?	Who is responsible for arranging/providing for an appeal against refusal of a place at a school?
Academies	Academy Trust	Schools Adjudicator	Academy Trust
Community Schools	Local Authority	Schools Adjudicator	Local Authority
Foundation Schools	Governing body	Schools Adjudicator	Governing body
Voluntary aided schools	Governing body	Schools Adjudicator	Governing body
Voluntary controlled schools	Local Authority	Schools Adjudicator	Local Authority

Governing bodies with admissions responsibilities can delegate the administration of attendance processes and attendance at admission hearings, but they cannot delegate the responsibility for these. Further details can be found at: http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/adminandfinance/schooladmissions/a00195/current-codes-and-regulations

Peer Support for Governors

The Government has introduced the concept of National Leaders of Governance building on the successful National Leaders of Education model. The National College is responsible for designating and deploying chairs of good and outstanding schools to provide peer support to other chairs of governors.

Terms of Reference Regulations

The Department for Education is planning to launch shortly a targeted consultation with its partners on proposals to repeal the Education (School Government) (Terms of Reference) (England) Regulations 2000 for maintained schools. In parallel, we will consult on changes to the School Governance (Procedures) (England) Regulations 2003—within which essential information on the role of Governing Bodies will be retained.

April 2013