VerbatimParliament, as it happens

Schools: Governing Bodies

Asked by Dan NorrisIndependentDepartment for EducationTabled Answered 12 January 2026UIN 97735

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if her Department will publish guidance on recruiting impartial school governors.

Answered by Georgia Gould

The government’s guidance on the constitution of school governing bodies explains that the most robust governing bodies welcome and thrive on diversity of viewpoints, skills, experiences and backgrounds. This ensures open debate, effective decision-making, and prevents dominance by a single perspective. It promotes inclusivity, strategic challenge, and decisions in the best interests of the school community. As public officeholders, governors must uphold the seven Nolan principles of public life. Additionally, governors must ensure compliance with the law on political impartiality in schools.

Governors, associate members and governance professionals must declare their interests to ensure that transparent strategic decision-making can take place.

Schools should publish governors’ relevant business, financial and pecuniary interests on their website.

There are comparable expectations for academy trusts.

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