Department for Education written question – answered at on 12 January 2026.
Dan Norris
Independent, North East Somerset and Hanham
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if her Department will publish guidance on recruiting impartial school governors.
Georgia Gould
Minister of State (Education)
The government’s guidance on the constitution of school governing bodies explains that the most robust governing bodies welcome and thrive on diversity of viewpoints, skills, experiences and backgrounds. This ensures open debate, effective decision-making, and prevents dominance by a single perspective. It promotes inclusivity, strategic challenge, and decisions in the best interests of the school community. As public officeholders, governors must uphold the seven Nolan principles of public life. Additionally, governors must ensure compliance with the law on political impartiality in schools.
Governors, associate members and governance professionals must declare their interests to ensure that transparent strategic decision-making can take place.
Schools should publish governors’ relevant business, financial and pecuniary interests on their website.
There are comparable expectations for academy trusts.
Yes1 person thinks so
No1 person thinks not
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Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
