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Maintained Schools Governance Guide: a summary

A summary of the DfE's latest guidance and main source of governance information for maintained schools.

Guidance
07/03/2024
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The Department for Education (DfE) governance guides serve as the DfE’s primary source of governance information, replacing the Governance Handbook.

The role of the Maintained Schools Governance Guide is to:

  • distinguish between governance in academy trusts and in maintained schools (with separate guides for each)
  • provide clarity about the board’s role in relation to legislative and contractual requirements
  • provide content that is clear, concise and avoids repetition
  • enable stakeholders and the sector to take more ownership of best practice over time

Read our summary to understand how the DfE's governance guidance has changed and how governing boards can use the new guide.

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