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Governing board evaluation

Governing board skills audit

Use our skills audit to assess your governing board's strengths, identify gaps and build development plans.

Guidance
02/08/2024

We recommend that skills audits are completed on an annual basis and by new governors/trustees on joining the board.

The NGA skills audit helps boards to recognise their strengths and identify areas where they need to develop knowledge, skills and behaviour to deliver their functions effectively. It is widely used by governing bodies and trust boards to support recruitment and training plans.

The skills audit asks governors and trustees to rate their knowledge, skills and experience in relation to:

  • governing experience
  • strategy and risk management
  • school funding and budgets
  • the curriculum
  • stakeholder engagement
  • board business and relationships
  • legal responsibilities
  • diversity and inclusion

Separate versions of the NGA skills audit (and accompanying dashboard) are available for multi academy trust (MAT) trustees and for those governing in all other types of school structure. Select the appropriate skills audit for your board.

The NGA skills audit has been reviewed for 2024 – whilst no changes have been made to the core content, additional resources have been signposted throughout the skills dashboard to help boards build effective development plans.

Skills audit for MAT trustees

The skills audit and dashboard below are designed for multi academy trust boards to assess the breadth and depth of their skills, knowledge and experience:

Skills audit (2024) MAT trustees

Excel download

Skills dashboard (2024) to collate scores

Excel download

PRINTABLE skills audit (2024) MAT trustees

MS Word download

Skills audit for governors in single schools and academy committees

The following audit and dashboard are suitable for maintained school and federation governors, trustees of single academy trusts and those serving on academy committees (local governing bodies):

Skills audit (2024) for single schools

Excel download

Skills dashboard (2024) to collate scores

Excel download

PRINTABLE skills audit (2024) for single schools

MS Word download

E-learning

Interactive skills audit

NGA Learning Link subscribers can now complete an interactive skills audit. Designed to be completed together as a group, this audit prompts boards to discuss and assess overall competence across a range of areas.

Your results are saved and can be downloaded for future reference alongside helpful links to additional resources.

Find out more
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Evaluating board diversity

The DfE recognises that diversity is important and wants governing boards to be increasingly reflective of the communities they serve. 

Our diversity indicators form is designed to help boards gather data on their membership and use this as a basis for discussion and action.

View diversity indicators form
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