Complaints handling

The aims of this session are to:

• Share knowledge and experiences of dealing with complaints
• Understand the school complaints procedure
• Consider the role of governance within school complaints
• Consider the role of the governance professional within school complaints
• Reflect on our approach to managing complaints within schools

Effective financial management

This course will provide you with expert guidance to enable you to make effective decisions based upon sound financial knowledge, and ensure that you can support the effective financial management of the school in line with relevant legislation and local arrangements.

Governor induction: A workshop for maintained school governors

This practical and supportive workshop is your essential guide to becoming an effective governor. Designed specifically for new governors in Barnsley's maintained schools, this session will give you the confidence and practical knowledge you need.

You’ll leave with the tools to:

• Understand your core role and key responsibilities, so you can contribute with confidence from day one.
• Master the three core functions of governance that drive school improvement and long-term success.
• Build strong working relationships with the headteacher, the local authority, and other key people, creating a foundation for effective collaboration.

We’ll show you how to:

• Set the strategic direction for the school's success and shape its vision.
• Effectively hold the headteacher to account for providing an excellent education for all pupils.
• Ensure school finances are managed effectively, so every penny is used to benefit the students.

Join us to connect with other new governors, get practical, actionable advice, and leave ready to make a significant difference in your school community.

Governor workshop: Effective governance in practice 

This session is designed for experienced governors who are ready to tackle the nuances of truly effective governance.

Through dynamic, interactive case studies and advanced peer-to-peer discussion, you’ll not just discuss governance theory - you'll apply it. Join us to challenge your assumptions, sharpen your strategic insights, and engage with fellow governors in a space built for growth.

Our aim is to help you transition from simply being a "good" governor to a truly effective one, capable of driving positive strategic change and ensuring your school's long-term success.

New and aspiring chairs: Leading your governing body to excellence

This workshop is your essential guide to becoming a truly effective chair. Designed for new chairs in maintained schools, and local committees within multi-academy trusts, this session will give you the confidence and strategic insights you need to excel in your pivotal leadership role.

You’ll gain the practical wisdom to:

• Define your unique strategic leadership role, clearly distinguishing it from operational management.
• Forge powerful partnerships with your Headteacher/Principal and Clerk, creating a foundation of trust and shared vision.
• Master the art of agenda setting, ensuring every meeting is focused, productive, and aligned with the right priorities.

We’ll show you how to:

• Steer your governing body to fulfil its three core functions, from setting strategic direction to holding school leaders to account and ensuring financial probity.
• Run focused, productive meetings that drive genuine school improvement, not just compliance.
• Ensure every discussion and decision aligns with statutory/trust requirements and your school’s long-term vision.

Join us to connect with other chairs, gain proven leadership strategies, and leave ready to shape your school’s future and make a lasting, positive impact on its community.

Safeguarding

The governing body has the overall responsibility for safeguarding.

All governors should receive appropriate safeguarding and child protection training every two years, providing them with the knowledge they need to effectively challenge practices and to ensure that updated policies and procedures are in place. 

SEND: The role of the governor

The law requires governing boards to use their ‘best endeavours’ (do everything they can) to ensure that pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) get the support they need.

Statutory guidance, the SEND code of practice, is clear that boards should appoint a link governor/trustee to lead on the board’s monitoring of support for pupils with SEND. 

In practice, SEND link governors and trustees should work closely with the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) in their school or trust.

• This session will help you to understand how the Code of Practice provides statutory guidance on duties, policies and procedures relating to Part 3 of the Children and Families Act 2014 and associated regulations. It relates to children and young people with special educational needs (SEN) and disabled children and young people.
• You will learn how your role as SEND Governor should be carried out and develop understanding of the four broad areas of need.
• There will be opportunities to understand more about the context of the local area and to examine local data sets including academic outcomes. 

Suspension and exclusion: The role of the governor

To provide governors with an overview and understanding of the guidance and legislation in relation to suspension and exclusion.

To ensure that governors understand the important role they play in ensuring that the process is correctly followed and that schools are doing all they can to prevent suspensions and exclusion.