Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government why they decided to end the National Leaders of Governance Programme for schools in October 2023, rather than extend it to 2025.

The National Leaders of Governance (NLG) programme closed in October 2023 following the natural end of the contract with the National Governance Association (NGA). The department is grateful to the NGA for their successful delivery and for the quality of governance support the NLGs provided to schools and trusts.

Strong governance remains a core pillar of the department’s vision for ensuring quality in the school system. The department continues to encourage school and trust boards to regularly review their governance arrangements to ensure they are operating as effectively as possible. The department recently published the Trust Quality Descriptions which state the department’s expectation that high-quality trusts will regularly access an independent review of their governance arrangements. The department, local authorities and governance support organisations can signpost boards to the growing number of potential providers that may be commissioned to undertake such a review. The Chartered Governance Institute has also started a process of accrediting providers of external reviews of governance which will be a helpful resource for school and trust boards. More information on the Trust Quality Descriptions can be found in the attached pdf.

More guidance for school and trust governing boards can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/external-reviews-of-governance-whats-involved, and maintained school boards can seek advice from their local authority.