College governance

College governance: resources for leaders and managers

Effective governance structures support leaders and governors to communicate a clear vision for their college. Governors should have a good understanding of further education and high aspirations for students. The inspectorates Ofsted or Estyn will assess how effective they are in their roles. The information and guidance on these pages are aimed at college leaders and may also be useful for governors.

If you are a Natspec member college and are looking for governors, or are an individual interested in becoming a college governor, please fill in our recruitment form.

Natspec also offers a governance review consultancy service for any organisation that wishes to explore any aspect of governance, or conduct a full review.

Purpose and strategic direction

Does your specialist college have a clear purpose? Do governors know and understand its strategic direction? Top tips for answering these and other high level questions.

Governance structures

How should governance arrangements be structured in specialist colleges? One main body, committees or sub-committees? An overview with examples of practice.

Meetings and self assessment

How should governing bodies conduct their business? This section examines effective self-assessment, planning and the conduct of meetings.

Recruitment and selection

Recruiting the right people is essential for effective oversight of your specialist college. This section covers the process for recruitment, how to attract candidates, selection and induction.