Governor Clerking
What we do
We offer a comprehensive clerking service via a service level agreement, that aims to enable governing bodies to work effectively.
Services
confidence that all relevant issues are brought to the attention of the governing
body at the appropriate time;
advice on the appropriate actions to be taken by governors and governing bodies
to comply with legislative requirements and best practice;
access to governance professionals for support and guidance, via email or
Access is available during office hours, and throughout the term;
advice on the proper conduct of governing body proceedings and clear guidance
on good practice;
full compliance with regulations on the maintenance of records (membership,
attendance, terms of office, business interests, DBS requirements, minutes etc);
guidance on the election of staff and parent governors;
guidance on the preparation and constitution of the governing body, and
preparation / amendment of the Instrument of Government as required;
timely and effective preparation and distribution of agendas and minutes to meet
legislative requirements and the needs of individual governing bodies;
provision of model policies, procedures and guidance documents;
guidance on models of governance such as collaborations, federations and
academy conversions;
guidance on the publication of governance related matters, such as statutory
policies and information required on the school's website;
an established and dedicated interface between individual governing bodies and
other local authority teams, including but not limited to Human Resources,
Finance and Legal Services;
guidance on governance structures post academy conversion;
close working with any newly established or existing incoming trust, delivering a
service that complements the Articles of Association / Scheme of Delegation in
shared good practice by strong links to local and national governance
organisations including:
The Lancashire Governance Association
Diocesan / Church Authorities
National Co-ordinators of Governor Services
The Department for Education
National Governance Association.
How we do it
The service has set high standards for the clerking of governing body meetings and will try at all times to ensure:
a competent Governing Body Adviser to be present at all governing body meetings, be it virtually or physically, as agreed locally;
a personalised agenda for each governing body meeting to be prepared in consultation with the chair of governors and the headteacher;
the notice of, and agenda for, each governing body meeting to be sent out as required and in accordance with the legal framework, either via GovernorHub or by post;
draft minutes of each governing body meeting to be forwarded to the chair and headteacher for approval within a maximum of 20 school days;
access to GovernorHub and the Knowledge;
a new governor pack for each newly-appointed governor.
All Governing Body Advisers​ have completed relevant training and commit to continuous professional development.
Testimonial from a Chair of Governors who use our service
"Dear Clerk
This is a personal "thank you" from me for the professionalism, knowledge, skills, continuous support and common sense you bring to your role as clerk to governors.
This together with your calm approach truly enhances our experience as governors and instils confidence in our work.
And as an added bonus, you are a lovely person to work with.
In gratitude
Mrs X Chair of Governors"
View the Lancashire Governor Services, Service Level Agreement Brochure for 2026 ~ 2027
Contact one of our area team leaders to find out about a service level agreement (SLA), pricing and how your school can sign up:
Contact details
Name Position Telephone Email
Judy Haydock Area team leader East 01254 220503 judy.haydock@lancashire.gov.uk
Val Morris Area team leader North 01524 581185 val.morris@lancashire.gov.uk
Helen Parkinson Area team leader South 01257 516143 helen.parkinson2@lancashire.gov.uk
***Please do not use the contact details in the footer***