Q: Do you agree that governing bodies should be able to remove an elected governor for such serious conduct that, for example, is contrary to fundamental British values, repeatedly brings the board into disrepute, or in circumstances where a governor has already been suspended on multiple occasions?
A: We agree that there should be a mechanism to enable elected governors to be removed under certain circumstances. We would encourage the department to consider the following suggestions:
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It would be better if the responsibility for removing a governor were to rest with the school’s ‘sponsoring body’ (e.g. LA, religious authority, trust members, trustees) rather than the governing body itself. This would enable the chair to be removed if necessary, as well as other governors. We would therefore suggest the introduction of a mechanism for the governing body to ask the sponsoring body to remove an elected governor.
- There should be an appeals process for a removed elected governor. It is important to ensure that this power is not exploited by governing bodies which are simply uncomfortable with the views or level of challenge presented by a particular governor. This is important for natural justice and to ensure compatibility with human rights legislation.
Read the full response here.
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