Governance guidance for school governors

Following the withdrawal of the Governance Handbook, the DfE published non statutory guidance for the strategic leadership and governance of schools:

• Local authority maintained schools governance guide - guidance - GOV.UK
• Academy trust governance guide - guidance - GOV.UK

Guidance is provided about the:

• must, which is a legal requirement or duty that governing board must comply with
• should, is the minimum practice which should be applied (unless it can be demonstrated that an alternative approach is more appropriate)

Further reading is signposted from within each section for those who would like more detailed information. Links are provided to relevant regulations, guidance and resources.

This page was last updated on 11 February 2025