The government has rejected recommendations made in the aftermath of the Trojan horse scandal that school governors be restricted on the number of boards they can serve on.
Reports from education commissioner Peter Clarke and former headteacher Ian Kershaw on extremism in schools in Birmingham recommended governors be restricted on the number of schools they could run, with Mr Kershaw suggesting a maximum of one school and Mr Clarke two.
But the government has now confirmed it has no plans to implement the recommendations, sparking criticism from National Governors Association chief executive Emma Knights.
Ms Knights said: “This was something that was at the heart of the Trojan horse issue, this web of different connections that was one of the fundamental problems.
“I think it’s absolutely appalling that the Secretary of State didn’t come back to Parliament to say they were rejecting that recommendation, I think it’s wrong that they have rejected it in the first place.
“I see no reason why they should decide separately that they don’t like this particular rule.”
A DfE spokesperson said: “The governors’ handbook recommends that if a prospective governor is already serving at another school, the chair of governors at the new school should get a reference from their counterpart at the other school to ensure they have capacity.
“We have also taken steps to ensure that we know when governors are on more than one governing body by requiring them to include this in the registers of interests.”
Your thoughts