1. Association of Bristol Governors meeting March 5th
2013
The Clerk's Perspective:
Some Top Tips from Clerks on what makes a governing body
meeting run smoothly and effectively.
OUR TOP TEN
1. Circulate everything you possibly can in advance, including
committee minutes, so as governors have a chance to prepare,
you don’t spend a lot of time reading papers in the meeting or
going over the same things twice.
2. Put Minutes of the last meeting at the end of your agenda and
set expectation that any comments on accuracy should have
already been sent to the clerk before the meeting.
3. Ensure Heads Report is circulated in advance and consider
requiring questions on Heads Report to be emailed in advance
4. Make sure the chair sums up at the end of each item so that
everyone knows what has been decided and who is going to do
what
5. Embrace new technology! Use online storage for papers – school
website, dropbox etc, use whiteboards (or iPads!) for displaying
papers at the meeting
6. Don’t talk about things for too long before someone says
‘actually… we don’t know what we are talking about! Lets find
out more before wasting valuable time on speculation and
assumption’
7. Have a Year Planner – and use it! (see Summer edition of Bristol
Governor Newsletter and Governing Body Essentials circulated in
the Governors’ Bulletin)
8. Review Committee terms of reference and membership every
year to prompt changes if they are not working well.
9. Use and abuse of AOB. NO discussion No decisions … or don’t
have it!
10. Keep your Clerk in the loop: She or he can serve you better if
they know what’s going on.

2. Association of Bristol Governors meeting March 5th
2013
WHAT CLERKS SAY
I am entitled to:
• Have a proper induction on appointment like any other member
of staff
• Have performance review meetings lead by the chair (supported
by the headteacher) in line with the school’s Performance
Management Policy.
• Negotiate payment for additional hours worked.
My role is made easier when my Chair of Governors:
• works with the headteacher and myself to set the agenda;
• is easy to contact between meetings (by email if possible);
• carries out agreed ‘actions’ before the meeting and supports me
in chasing other governors;
• encourages the headteacher and others to produce all papers in
time to be circulated with the agenda. It’s difficult to pass
papers round, read them and take minutes all at the same
time.
• introduces new attendees and any visitors at the beginning of
each meeting;
• keeps to the items on the agenda and stops discussion going off
course;
• highlights when an item should be treated as confidential;
• avoids using acronyms or too much jargon;
• summarises discussion at the end of each agenda item,
confirming all action points and decisions to avoid
misunderstandings;
• uses a timed agenda… and sticks to it!
• returns draft minutes promptly and signs the agreed minutes at
each meeting;
• ensures that committees have properly appointed chairs and
appropriate arrangements for reporting back to the full
governing body;
• keeps up to date with developments at school and reads the
governors’ Bulletins and Newsletters;
• encourages governors to attend training;
I can make my Governing Body’s role easier by:

3. Association of Bristol Governors meeting March 5th
2013
• ensuring I am knowledgeable about legal matters relating to
school governance so that I can advise the Chair and the
Governing Body and ensure that the Governing Body is acting
within regulations;
• working with the chair and headteacher to set the agenda;
• circulating minutes and actions as soon as possible after each
meeting and following up actions where appropriate;
• setting up a central filing system (hard copy and/or electronic)
that everyone can access;
• keeping contact details and lists of committee members and
named governors up to date and circulating them regularly;
• communicating effectively between meetings – preferably by
setting up an email group;
• keeping up to date by reading the Governors’ Bulletins and
Newsletters;
• passing on all items identified in the Governors’ Bulletin for the
attention of specific members of the governing body;
• organising (and minimising!) paperwork;
• supporting yearly agenda planning;
• maintaining and circulating a calendar of dates for the year;
• creating a policies folder;
• maintaining a register of governor skills;
• consulting on the length and timing of meetings that would suit
most governors;
• ensuring that the meeting room is suitable/comfortable and any
visual aids work;
• attending clerks training and network sessions on a regular
basis.

4. Association of Bristol Governors meeting March 5th
2013
WHAT WE SAY TO CLERKS
AGENDA CHECKLIST
When preparing a draft agenda for the chair of governor’s approval:
 Look at the school or LA Year Planner and the “Essential
Agenda Items” circulated by the GDS.
 Review the minutes of the last meeting and identify matters
that need to be included in the current agenda.
 Check whether there are any items from recent Governor
Bulletins that need to be included.
 Identify the committees which have met and ensure the
minutes are available to go out with the agenda.
 Note policy documents and plans which the full governing body
need to ratify and itemise on the agenda.
 Any governor may ask for an item to be included on the
agenda. If the agenda has already been issued, then an urgent
item should still be submitted in advance of the meeting, not at
the meeting, to the chair of governors.
 Once the Chair has agreed the agenda make alterations as
necessary, print and issue together with minutes of the
previous meeting and any paperwork required for the meeting.
Sometimes an ‘agenda setting meeting’ is held to draft the
agenda, selecting items to be included and deciding the order.
The chair of governors, the headteacher and the clerk would
normally attend.
 It is good practice for the chair of governors, the headteacher
and the clerk to have a few minutes together immediately
before the meeting. This will enable the chair of governors and
the clerk to have all the information necessary to plan and
control a smooth running and effective meeting.
 Some governing bodies will indicate a starting time against
each item on the agenda. Whilst this cannot be strictly
adhered to it does help give a sense of pace to the meeting and
indicates when it might end.
 The agenda should indicate to governors the reason for the
agenda item, i.e. item for information, for discussion, for
approval etc.
Agree a standard agenda format with you chair so that it can
be used as the starting point for all draft agendas.

5. Association of Bristol Governors meeting March 5th
2013
Meeting Checklist
The checklist below is designed to help you ensure meetings run
smoothly and everything is prepared in good time. It might be helpful
to go through this with your chair of governors to make sure it fits
with their understanding of your respective roles and the timescales
you should both be working to.
Before the meeting:
 Two weeks before the date of the meeting, prepare a draft agenda
for discussion with the chair.
 Chase committee meeting minutes and any other papers to be
distributed.
 Set up an email group and/or prepare set of address labels to save
time when the meeting papers are ready to mail out.
 Make any necessary alterations to the agenda following consultation
with the chair and head. It may be helpful to put timings against
each item to help ensure the meeting ends on time.
 Make sure you have received all the necessary associated papers to
distribute (headteacher’s report, minutes of committee meetings,
plus any other reports, documents from the LA or correspondence).
 Issue the agenda to all governors and associate members, together
with any paperwork required for the meeting, at least seven days
before the meeting (the seven day rule may be waived in the case of
special or urgent meeting
 Keep a note of any apologies received so that they can be read out at
the meeting.
 Try to speak briefly with the chair of governors and headteacher
before the meeting starts. This will give you an opportunity to catch
up with any apologies passed on through the chair or head, and last
minute updates on agenda items. It is also an opportunity for the
clerk to inform the chair of any replies to correspondence received
and for the headteacher to run through any items in his/her report
with the chair that need particular attention.
At the meeting:
 Arrive promptly to ensure the room is ready.
 Ensure new governors are welcomed and introduced to the chair and
the headteacher if they have not already met.
 Ensure that at all times the meeting is quorate
 Ensure through the chair of governors that all items receive
attention. This is especially necessary when the order in which the
items are to be taken is re-arranged.
 Be ready to help and advise the chair of governors as necessary. It is
useful to have a copy of the Guide to the Law to hand, together with

6. Association of Bristol Governors meeting March 5th
2013
the latest Bristol Governor Newsletter and Bulletin.
 Ensure discussions and business are conducted in accordance with
the latest regulations and legislation. If in doubt, make this known to
the chair. If necessary, the chair should suspend the discussion and
seek clarification by referring to the Guide to the Law, or if still not
clear, from the Governor Development Service. The agenda item can
be brought back to the governing body at a later date.
 Make sufficient notes of the discussion and decisions taken to enable
you to produce accurate minutes.
 Ensure that a date for the next meeting is set and subsequently made
known to those governors not present when the date was agreed.
 Ask the chair of governors to sign and date the minutes of the last
meeting and any other papers requiring a signature (e.g. adopted
policies).
After the meeting:
 Prepare draft minutes and send them to the chair and head for
comments. Agree a timescale for this –we would suggest you send
out the draft within two weeks of the meeting.
 Make any changes agreed with the chair then distribute the draft
minutes to all governors and associate members.
 Attend to correspondence received between meetings in consultation
with the chair of governors. As necessary, pass correspondence
received to the chair of governors and headteacher for information.
 Circulate Governor Bulletin articles to appropriate governors (many
clerks now email round the whole bulletin document to all
governors).
 Remind governors of any delegated actions they agreed to take
(circulation of an ongoing ‘Action Checklist’ showing the status of
each item and who is responsible for completing it is an efficient way
to do this).
 Prepare for the next meeting!
At the request of the chair of governors:
 Convene committee meetings on dates convenient to members.
 Seek advice, assistance, information and clarification of regulations
etc. from the Governor Development Service or other sources of
support or information.
At the request of the headteacher:
 Find governors able to attend appeals panels, staff appointment
interviews etc. when necessary.

7. Association of Bristol Governors meeting March 5th
2013
Minutes Review – Do your minutes stand the
test?
Governors require evidence of their discussions and decisions which can
demonstrate to stakeholders and external bodies such as OfSTED evidence of
leadership and good governance to support the schools self evaluation processes.
Financial Value Standard also places responsibilities on the clerk and governing
bodies for recording specific decisions. Minutes would also have to be produced in a
court of law if the governing body were to be challenged on any decisions.
Headings Yes No
Include name of School?
Include title of meeting?
Include date of meeting?
Name of those attending – able to differentiate who were governors, associate
members, the clerk or others in attendance?
Are apologies together with any acceptance by the Governing Body recorded and
absences without apologies recorded?
Is timed attendance noted (if arrive late or leave early)?
Statutory tasks
Appointment of clerk, chair or vice chair
Membership items, notice of vacancies, new members
Annual review of committee structure and delegation (TOR)
Any variations to the Instrument
Governors opportunity to declare any personal interest
Evidence of good governance
Governors are made aware of the progress made by different groups/key
stages/curriculum areas of within the school?
Evidence of governors’ strategic role and understanding of the school’s strengths
and weaknesses?
Evidence of governors monitoring and evaluation and challenge of the senior
leadership team (in a positive and constructive manner)?
Governors’ acknowledgment of success of the school, staff and pupils?
Governing bodies or committee involvement in formulating, promoting,
monitoring and evaluating policies?
Reports are presented to the governing body by both governors and the senior
leadership team?
Discussions and monitoring of the budget referenced to the strategic planning
priorities?
General
Are acronyms given in full first time used?
Are the minutes clear, written in plain English, unambiguous and easy to follow?
Are any decisions clearly identified?
Are the actions points clearly identified?
Are actions clearly assigned to individuals/groups and timescale recorded?
Could a reader not on the governing body understand the business of the
meeting?
Can items be tracked from the agenda to the minutes and from meeting to
meeting?
Will minutes stand up to scrutiny in a court of law?
Does the choice of font type, size and general formatting help governors access
the information quickly?
Has consideration been given to decide on items of confidentiality?
Is the signature of the chair and date included at the end and all loose leaved
pages initialed?
Are loose leave pages numbered (1 of 3, 2 of 3 etc)?

8. Association of Bristol Governors meeting March 5th
2013
Quality of clerking
Quality of chairing
Quality of governors
Quality of headteacher!