Governing body quorum

The School Governance (Procedures) (England) Regulations 2003 have been amended with effect from 2007 and now state that the quorum for a meeting of the governing body and for any vote on any matter at such a meeting shall be a half of the current membership of the governing body (rounded up to a whole number). Vacancies will no longer be included in the calculation.

The quorum is explained and calculated at the top of the governing body membership list.

Governors are not able to vote in their absence (ie by postal or proxy vote) with the following exception:

proxy voting is allowed in a decision to change the name of the school.

Surplus governors

If the governing body has reconstituted and has a new instrument of government, there may be 'surplus governors'.

These are able to serve out their term of office because they were on the governing body on or before 1 September 2003, but the category in which they are a governor has been reduced in number in the new instrument of government.

The quorum is determined by the total size of the governing body as recorded on the instrument of government.

Surplus governors (and additional governors) are not recorded on the instrument and are therefore not included for purposes of determining what the quorum figure is.

However, any governor, including additional and surplus governors, present at the meeting counts towards calculating if the meeting is quorate.

For further information please contact school workforce and governance development.