Effective induction for new governors

As well as being part of Ofsted’s judgement on leadership and management, the need for effective and committed governors is stressed in the Department for Education’s (DfE) competency framework for governance. Published in January, the framework stresses the importance of having governors who can acquire the knowledge needed for the role and build strong collaborative relationships.

While the importance of having the right members on your governing body is clear, research conducted by the charity SGOSS – Governors for Schools found that of all the governors that resign, 73 per cent do so within the first year.

Entering the world of education can be daunting, especially if you are from another sector. So how can schools ensure their governors are knowledgeable from the start, able to make an impact, and more likely to stick around? In The Key’s 2016 survey, a quarter of governors said that higher quality induction training would have the biggest positive impact on their governing body. Taking the time to ensure that your new governors know how to apply their skills and have a realistic understanding of their responsibilities could make a real difference to their confidence and ability to succeed (and remain) in the role. So, here’s five steps to consider when inducting new recruits.