Ministers are being urged to recognise the role played by governors as a “core component” of the accountability framework for schools.
This comes as a new study, released today, found schools with effective boards were better prepared for Ofsted visits and “more likely to sustain improvement beyond the inspection cycle”.
The report, penned by the National Governance Association (NGA), also stated “governance-related issues commonly precede formal intervention”.
NGA chief executive Emma Balchin challenged leaders to “develop a system-wide understanding of governance as something to be acknowledged, celebrated, scrutinised, invested in, and kept firmly on the agenda”.
Bad governance precedes intervention
The report noted that analysis from the Department for Education and NGA’s external reviews of governance (ERGs) show “governance-related issues commonly precede formal intervention”.
“These issues rarely stem from bad intent or lack of commitment. More often, they arise where boards lack clarity about their role, confidence to challenge, or capacity to exercise effective oversight.”
The ERGs identified “recurring patterns in weaker governance”, including limited challenge to executive decisions, gaps in financial oversight and risk management, and an “insufficient strategic focus, with boards drawn into operational detail”.
Governance and inspections
The report added effective governance provided leaders with “intelligence” through “regular oversight of performance, finance, risk and culture”. Consequently, boards “are often the first to identify emerging issues”.
The ERGs showed “organisations with effective governance are better prepared” for Ofsted visits. They are “more able to respond constructively to findings, and more likely to sustain improvement beyond the inspection cycle”.
“In this sense,” NGA said, “governance acts as a form of system readiness, helping organisations translate external judgement into long-term action.”
‘Core component’
The report urged government to “formally recognise governance as a core component of the national accountability framework”.
It also told policymakers to “invest in governance training, development and research”, including impact assessments.
Schools should also “treat governance as an overarching strategic priority” and “commit to regular external reviews and internal self-evaluation”, the report said.
A ‘side note’
The NGA study also offered a vision for the sector if governance is recognised as “essential infrastructure”.
If this happened, “inspection, regulation and intervention would be designed to complement and reinforce” the work of boards, “rather than bypass it or relegate it as a side note”.
“Where governance is strong, external accountability can be lighter-touch and more proportionate; where it is weak, support and development can be targeted earlier.
“Such an approach would reduce duplication, improve coherence and make better use of system capacity.”
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