Committees

The governing body must determine the membership and proceedings of any committee.

The governing body must also review the establishment, terms of reference, constitution and membership of any committee annually, usually at the first meeting of the autumn term. The membership of any committee may include associate members, provided that a majority of the members of the committee are governors.

Each committee must have a chair, who is either appointed by the governing body or elected by the committee. The governing body may remove the chair of a committee from office at any time.

Clerking committees

The governing body must appoint a clerk to each committee. The headteacher of the school cannot be appointed as clerk to a committee. The governing body can appoint a governor to clerk one or more committees, if the clerk to the full governing body does not wish to clerk committee meetings.

Terms of reference

Exemplar terms of reference are available to view. They show the terms of reference for individual committees but also indicate the different committee structures that governing bodies can adopt.

Statutory committees

The statutory committees that a governing body must set up are staff dismissal; dismissal appeal and pupil discipline. The membership of these must be established at the beginning of the autumn term and whenever a change of membership makes it necessary.

Voluntary aided and foundation schools will also need to have a pupil admission committee.