What support will I receive?

As a new governor you should receive an information pack, which typically will include information about the roles and responsibilities of a governor, how governing boards work and the support available to you. 

This would normally come from your clerk to the governors. If your school buys the governor services service level agreement (SLA) for clerking you will receive an induction booklet and checklist, a copy of the Department for Education (DFE) Governors' Handbook and details of the courses that are currently on offer. We run a comprehensive programme of training courses for Salford governors, details of which can be found on the training courses page of our website.

We suggest that governing boards appoint a mentor for new governors and this should help you to understand and feel comfortable with your new role. This will be an experienced governor who can answer questions, help you prepare for meetings, offer any explanations of subjects discussed after the meeting and generally provide support when you need it.

The chair of governors and the headteacher are likely to want to meet new governors and they will each be able to provide you with valuable information. In particular, we advise that you should receive:

• The DFE Governor Handbook
• The governing board's code of conduct
• The school prospectus
• The local authority's (LA) New Governor Induction Booklet
• The LA's governor training programme
• Copies of the last three sets of approved governing board minutes
• A copy of the latest record of school visit report completed by a school improvement officer or external consultant
• Details of the governing board committees, including their terms of reference
• Dates for future governors' meetings, including committees
• Details of how to contact the other governors (if this has been agreed within your governing board)
• Details of how to contact the school, including the email address
• A calendar of school events
• Recent school newsletters

New governors are also recommended to read:

• The School Improvement Plan
• The latest School Evaluation Document
• The latest Ofsted report and action plan
• Policy documents relevant to committee membership
• The monitoring and evaluation policy
• The school visits policy for governors
• Keeping Children Safe in Education 2022

A trip around the school with the headteacher and chair of governors would also be very helpful in order to provide you with the opportunity to ask any questions you may have and to meet with key members of staff.

Please also contact governor services with any questions that you may have.

This page was last updated on 22 February 2023