Leading Governance: Clerking essentials: a practical introductory programme for clerks
Support to get you started, whatever your setting
Working as a clerk lets you help your governing board make a positive impact on your trust or school and its pupils. Taking on the role is a significant commitment that deserves focused, practical and affordable support.
To help you meet the challenge, NGA is offering a new programme that provides new clerks with
- core skills and knowledge to help you start clerking more confidently in any setting
- the opportunity to further develop these skills in your own chosen setting(s): academy trust board, maintained school governing body, or MAT local governing body.
You should see this programme as the first step on your clerking journey.
Building your career
We recommend you complete this programme before or during your first six months in the role. You can then progress to our Level 3 Leading Governance Clerking Qualification and explore other modules for governance professionals available through Learning Link e-learning.
At a glance
This programme will include:
Equipping you with essential skills and knowledge common to all settings
Providing the understanding and approaches needed for the different type(s) of governing boards you clerk
Exploring the basics of clerking in live, face-to-face online sessions
Helping you grasp the basics of clerking, like how governance works and arranging and minuting meetings
Including programme materials, NGA publications e-learning modules and templates
Embedding your learning by addressing common clerking tasks and challenges and best practice solutions
Additional learning opportunities
You can complement and extend your learning by
- Completing additional online workshops to prepare you for different clerking settings
- Studying further e-learning modules on specific clerking areas, such as panel work, advising, and dealing with difficult situations
Who is this suitable for?
This programme is ideal for those new to clerking or anticipating becoming a clerk soon. It is also useful as a refresher for those with some experience looking to update their knowledge and skills.
Who is this suitable for?
This workshop is designed for clerks or future clerks working with a maintained school or federation governing body.
What are the outcomes
This workshop will enhance your understanding of clerking a maintained school governing body and how to:
- arrange a governing body meeting
- work with your chair and your headteacher
- comply with the statutory requirements of the Governance Regulations
- meet the expectations of DfE’s Maintained schools governance guide
- collaborate with key stakeholders such as the local authority and faith organisations
- use your governing body’s constitutional documents
- advise on governing body decision making and quorums
- help manage conflicts of interest
- support the election, appointment and retirement of governing body members
- minute a governing body meeting
- keep necessary governing body records
- help meet information publication requirements
What are the benefits
You will consolidate your understanding of clerking a maintained school governing body through arranging, supporting and following up a full governing body meeting, preparing you to approach the real thing with confidence. The session will use typical scenarios to help familiarise you with what to expect.
Who is this suitable for?
This workshop is designed for clerks or future clerks working with local governing bodies (LGBs) of multi academy trusts (MATs).
What are the outcomes
This workshop will enhance your understanding of working with a MAT local governing body and how to
- arrange a LGB meeting
- work with your LGB chair and principal/headteacher
- operate within your scheme of delegation and LGB terms of reference
- follow any LGB meeting frameworks, protocols or practices
- collaborate with your MAT governance lead
- advise on LGB decision-making and quorums
- help manage conflicts of interest
- support the election, appointment, removal and retirement of LGB members
- minute an LGB meeting
- keep necessary LGB records
- help meet internal reporting and communication requirements of the LGB
- help meet information publication requirements
What are the benefits
You will consolidate your understanding of clerking an LGB by arranging, supporting and following up a full local governing body meeting. The session will use typical scenarios to help familiarise you with what to expect, preparing you to approach the real thing with confidence.
Who is this suitable for?
This workshop is designed for clerks or future clerks’ clerking the trust board of a single academy trust (SAT) or a multi academy trust (MAT)*.
* Note: It is recognised that it is uncommon for someone new to clerking to provide governance services for a larger MAT board. However, there may be situations where a new clerk is needed for basic support tasks such as arranging, minuting, and following up meetings.
What are the outcomes
This workshop will enhance your understanding of working with an academy trust board and how to
- arrange a trust board meeting
- work with your chair of trustees
- work within your trust’s articles of association and any committee terms of reference
- ensure compliance with relevant laws, regulations, and guidance
- collaborate with your governance lead (MATs only) and other trust executives
- advise on trust board decision-making and quorums
- help manage conflicts of interest
- support the election, appointment and retirement of trustees and chair
- minute a trust board meeting
- keep necessary trust board records
- meet internal reporting and communication requirements of the trust board
- meet information publication requirements
What are the benefits
You will consolidate your understanding of clerking an academy trust board by arranging, supporting and following up a full trust board meeting. The session will use typical scenarios to help familiarise you with what to expect, preparing you to approach the real thing with confidence.
Possible partnerships
As we work with local partners across the country, we may also be able to facilitate local cohorts, face to face or online. Please contact us directly to discuss this option.
about this course
What are the benefits?
This programme addresses the need for new clerks to be well-prepared for their upcoming tasks, from meeting the chair to minuting a board meeting. It focuses on the basics and outlines the expectations for the modern professional clerk and those governing.
This programme aims to equip you to start to clerk your board by
- providing you with an understanding of governance and how to work with the chair, board and headteacher
- equipping you with essential knowledge of key regulations and guidance
- developing key clerking skills
- demonstrating differences in regulation and practice between settings
You can choose to focus on your own setting(s)
While many clerking competencies are common to all settings, there are important differences that clerks need to know to start clerking with confidence. This programme provides core competencies relevant for all settings and allows you to select the second workshop based on the setting you will be clerking in:
- maintained school governing body
- academy trust board (single and multi-academy)
- MAT local governing body
If you want to find out how to clerk in more than one setting you can opt to study the workshops for the other settings when you make your booking for a small additional fee.
Your facilitator
Erica Wilson is an experienced governance professional with over ten years of experience working with governing boards in trust and school settings. As an NGA consultant since 2015, Erica designs and delivers training for clerking and governing in trusts and maintained schools. She also has several years’ experience of working with and supporting clerks on NGA’s accredited Level 3 Development Programme for Clerks.
about this course
How will you learn?
This programme includes
- a blend of flexible learning delivered at a sensible pace over six weeks
- 30 minute online welcome session
- eight e-learning modules with assessment questions to test your understanding
- two 2-hour online workshops
- workshop facilitation by an experienced NGA consultant and online trainer
- a range of engaging activities exploring sound clerking practice
- opportunities for sharing, problem solving, discussion and debate
- networking with clerks from all over England
See the programme outline for more detailed information about the content and timings.
A certificate on completion of the programme
By participating in the three live online sessions and successfully completing of all eight e-learning modules you will be entitled to receive an NGA Certificate of Completion.
about this course
What are the outcomes?
By the end of the programme, you will understand:
- what clerks do
- the governing board’s function and how governance works
- how to work with your board, the chair and your senior leader
- how to approach clerking in your setting and other settings
- how to find and use the documentation, regulation and guidance you need
- how to arrange meetings
- how to minute a meeting effectively
- how to support a meeting
- how to manage information
- how to manage changes in governing board membership
Upcoming dates
|
Online Session |
Activity |
Date |
Time |
|
1 |
Welcome and introduction |
22 January 2025 |
9.30-10.00am |
|
2 |
Understanding your clerking environment |
12 February 2025 |
9.30-11.30am |
|
3 |
Clerking a maintained school governing body meeting |
12 March 2025 |
9.30-11.30am |
|
3 |
Clerking a MAT local governing body meeting |
13 March 2025 |
9.30-11.30am |
|
3 |
Clerking Academy trust board (SAT & MAT) meeting |
14 March 2025 |
9.30-11.30am |
Please read the Terms and Conditions of the programme linked from the booking form.
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Add a second session: £220
-
Add a second and third session: £245
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