Governors
who don't attend meetings can cause problems, particularly in
ensuring that meetings are quorate (1). The Governing Body should be
consistent in dealing with this to ensure that you have enough
individuals available to support the various committee structures and
panels which they are responsible for.
Although, within
the Regulations, a governor is automatically disqualified if they
have not attended for six months and not tended apologies for
acceptance, Governor Support Service (GSS) strongly recommends that
before taking the more formal steps, the Chair contacts the governor
on an informal basis to establish the reasons for non-attendance such
as timings of meetings, not receiving papers, no longer wishing to
serve etc.
Where
a governor has not attended a meeting for a period of 6 months or
more and has not tendered apologies for acceptance, the Clerk or
Chair of governors should write to that governor stating the dates of
the governing body and committees meetings missed, and that the
governing body may resolve to remove them from the governing body
(parent, community, partnership and sponsor governors) or apply to
the relevant body to have them removed (LA and foundation governors)
for non-attendance, and that they have the right to reply to this by
letter or at the next governing body meeting. This should then be an
agenda item at the next governing body meeting, where the governing
body should consider any statement given by the non-attending
governor, and then agree what action they wish to take (see
below).
Deciding
to disqualify the governor
Different
rules apply to different types of governor. Please note that the
guidance below ONLY applies to disqualificaton of governors for
non-attendance. The same rules do not apply if there are other
reasons for wishing to remove a governor (for example, their
conduct).
Authority
governors
Authority
governors can only be removed by the Local Authority (LA). In this
case, you should contact GSS. It would be helpful if you could
provide the following information:-
Name of the Governor
Any contact made
List of full governing body and committee meetings not attended (including information about where they have sent apologies or not)
GSS will then request the LA governor appointment and selection panel to make a decision about the disqualification of that governor, and will contact you when that process is complete. The panel is held at least every term.
Community,
partnership, staff, parent and sponsor governors
Community
governors, partnership governors and sponsor governors can be
disqualified from office by the governing body.
If you
need to remove one of these governors, it would be good practice to
write to the governor as indicated above, and table the removal at
the next meeting of the governing body. At that meeting, the level of
non-attendance should be stated, with any statement from the governor
put forward (either by letter or by a verbal statement from them if
they have attended the meeting).
Foundation
governors
Foundation
governors can be removed at any time by the people who appointed them
for reasonable cause. You will need to contact the Church authority
or voluntary trust or organisation associated with the school to
discuss disqualification re non attendance.
Knowsley Governor Support Service
Working with governors to support and encourage effective governance
Guidance sheet 5 – non attendance – updated summer 2010
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