Your role
Read the guide for your school type. Ask your governance professional about the board’s responsibilities, delegated decisions and induction plan.
Supporting your school community
Governors & trustees
Good questions start with a clear picture. Find the guidance for your board, build your confidence in the role and explore what learning can look like.
The official guidance here is for England. Sector providers may also support Wales; each resource names its jurisdiction. Made by Matt materials are teacher-created resources.
A useful starting point for your next conversation
Safeguarding
Use the current safeguarding guidance to discuss how the board receives assurance, checks training and follows up concerns through the school’s procedures.
SEND & inclusion
Ask how pupils and families are heard, how barriers to learning are identified and how leaders know that support is helping.
Curriculum
Look at a sequence of lessons. Ask what pupils build on, how activities are adapted and how teachers check what pupils understand.
These conversation prompts are Made by Matt’s own suggestions. Use them alongside your board’s agreed role and the linked guidance.
Find the support you need
17 resources
Publisher content and booking terms can change. Links and access information checked 2026-09-06. External links take you to the named publisher.
No matching resources. Try a broader search or clear the filters.
Official guidance
Start with the guidance for your type of school or trust.
Non-statutory government guidance
Academy trusts: governance guide
A reference for trust leadership, board roles and legal responsibilities. Read alongside the trust’s funding agreement and the relevant academy trust handbook.
- Publisher
- Department for Education
- For
- Academy trustees, members, local governors and governance professionals
- Jurisdiction
- England
- Access
- Free to read and download; no account, membership or registration required.
- Checked
- 2026-09-06
Non-statutory government guidance
Maintained schools: governance guide
A reference for the governing body’s role and responsibilities, including strategic leadership, curriculum, safeguarding and inclusion.
- Publisher
- Department for Education
- For
- Governors and governance professionals in local-authority-maintained schools
- Jurisdiction
- England
- Access
- Free to read and download; no account, membership or registration required.
- Checked
- 2026-09-06
Statutory guidance
Keeping children safe in education 2026
The 2026 statutory safeguarding guidance is in force from 1 September 2026. Governing bodies, proprietors and management committees should use the full guidance for their responsibilities.
Effective from 2026-09-01.
- Publisher
- Department for Education
- For
- School and college governing bodies, proprietors, management committees and staff
- Jurisdiction
- England
- Access
- Free to read and download; no account, membership or registration required.
- Checked
- 2026-09-06
Government guidance
SEN and disabilities: guidance for school governing boards
A practical introduction to board oversight of SEN and disability, with a checklist and advice on using information to support and challenge leaders.
- Publisher
- Department for Education
- For
- Maintained-school governors, academy trustees and committees with delegated duties
- Jurisdiction
- England
- Access
- Free to read and download; no account, membership or registration required.
- Checked
- 2026-09-06
Statutory code
SEND code of practice: 0 to 25 years
The statutory SEND code for education, health and local-authority bodies. Use it alongside the board-specific guidance when considering provision, participation and responsibilities.
- Publisher
- Department for Education and Department of Health and Social Care
- For
- Governors, trustees and governance professionals
- Jurisdiction
- England
- Access
- Free to read and download; no account, membership or registration required.
- Checked
- 2026-09-06
Statutory curriculum
National curriculum in England
The national curriculum framework and subject programmes for England. Local-authority-maintained schools must teach these programmes; check the duties that apply to your own school or trust.
- Publisher
- Department for Education
- For
- Maintained-school governors and leaders; trustees considering curriculum provision
- Jurisdiction
- England
- Access
- Free to read and download; no account, membership or registration required.
- Checked
- 2026-09-06
Mandatory handbook
Academy trust handbook 2025
The academy trust financial and governance handbook in force until 30 September 2026. Trusts must comply with the relevant handbook as a condition of their funding agreement.
Effective from 2025-09-01 to 2026-09-30.
- Publisher
- Department for Education
- For
- Academy members, trustees, accounting officers, finance leaders and auditors
- Jurisdiction
- England
- Access
- Free to read and download; no account, membership or registration required.
- Checked
- 2026-09-06
Mandatory handbook
Academy trust handbook 2026
The next academy trust handbook takes effect on 1 October 2026. Use it to prepare for the change; the 2025 handbook remains in force until then.
Effective from 2026-10-01.
- Publisher
- Department for Education
- For
- Academy members, trustees, accounting officers, finance leaders and auditors
- Jurisdiction
- England
- Access
- Free to read and download; no account, membership or registration required.
- Checked
- 2026-09-06
Induction, training & development
Independent sector organisations. Check the access details before booking.
Sector events and networks
NGA events and networks
Explore conferences, webinars, leadership forums and networks. Availability depends on event type and, for some events, your membership level.
- Publisher
- National Governance Association
- For
- Governors, trustees, chairs and governance professionals
- Jurisdiction
- England
- Access
- Mixed access. Conferences and several networks are member-only; webinars are open to members and non-members. Booking and any fee depend on the event.
- Checked
- 2026-09-06
Sector webinars and recordings
NGA webinars
Browse governance updates and recorded discussions. Topics include safeguarding, inclusion, accountability and working with school leaders.
- Publisher
- National Governance Association
- For
- Governors, trustees and governance professionals
- Jurisdiction
- England
- Access
- Most webinars are free to everyone, including non-members. Live attendance requires booking; check the individual event for fees and access conditions.
- Checked
- 2026-09-06
Member induction sessions
An introduction to governance with NGA
Online introductory sessions tailored to maintained-school governors, local governors, single-academy trustees and multi-academy trustees.
- Publisher
- National Governance Association
- For
- Governors and trustees in their first six months
- Jurisdiction
- England
- Access
- NGA Gold or MAT membership required. No additional session charge for eligible members; booking required.
- Checked
- 2026-09-06
Charity resources, courses and events
Boards for Education learning hub
Find governance resources, webinars and eLearning, with separate England and Wales signposting. Recorded webinars reflect guidance at the time they were made.
- Publisher
- Boards for Education (formerly Governors for Schools)
- For
- Prospective and serving governors, academy trustees and other education board volunteers
- Jurisdiction
- England and Wales; choose the relevant national guidance
- Access
- Public resource pages are free to browse. Live webinars require registration; eLearning uses an account. Some courses, including the induction series, require payment.
- Checked
- 2026-09-06
Paid school-governor induction
Become an Effective New School Governor
An induction series with role-specific modules, terminology, examples, quizzes and videos from governors. Choose the course for your school type.
- Publisher
- Boards for Education
- For
- New school governors and people preparing to become governors
- Jurisdiction
- England; separate maintained-school and academy-governor courses
- Access
- Paid, with account access: £30 per individual including VAT, or £150 plus VAT for a whole board. Provider states lifetime access from purchase; check terms before buying.
- Checked
- 2026-09-06
Explore Made by Matt
Teaching materials to support curriculum conversations and a closer look at inclusion.
Made by Matt teaching collection
Lesson Hub
Look through lesson sequences, schemes and teaching packs to discuss how learning builds over time. These are classroom materials, not an official governance or inspection framework.
- Publisher
- Made by Matt
- For
- Governors and trustees exploring teaching with school leaders
- Jurisdiction
- Teacher-created materials; check suitability for your own setting
- Access
- Free to read and download; no account, membership or registration required.
- Checked
- 2026-09-06
Made by Matt teaching collection
BUILD ASDAN · master hub
Explore the existing BUILD ASDAN learning collection. Use real activities to discuss access, participation and meaningful next steps for learners.
- Publisher
- Made by Matt
- For
- Governors and trustees exploring teaching with school leaders
- Jurisdiction
- Teacher-created materials; check suitability for your own setting
- Access
- Free to read and download; no account, membership or registration required.
- Checked
- 2026-09-06
Made by Matt teaching collection
Resource Catalogue
Browse worksheets, downloads and resource collections, including older materials. Ask how a selected resource fits the school’s own curriculum and pupils’ needs.
- Publisher
- Made by Matt
- For
- Governors and trustees exploring teaching with school leaders
- Jurisdiction
- Teacher-created materials; check suitability for your own setting
- Access
- Free to read and download; no account, membership or registration required.
- Checked
- 2026-09-06
Made by Matt teaching collection
Teach Hub
Follow the teaching and planning routes to see the materials behind a sequence. Explore these with school leaders when discussing provision and classroom support.
- Publisher
- Made by Matt
- For
- Governors and trustees exploring teaching with school leaders
- Jurisdiction
- Teacher-created materials; check suitability for your own setting
- Access
- Free to read and download; no account, membership or registration required.
- Checked
- 2026-09-06