Schools are being encouraged to nominate their hard-working governors, trustees and clerks for the National Governance Association’s prestigious Outstanding Governance Awards 2019.
The awards, which take place every two years, celebrate the best examples of school governance.
The ceremony announcing the winners will take place in May 2019 and nominations are now being invited, with a closing date of 3 December 2018.
The NGA awards are the only national education awards to recognise the contribution of governors, trustees and clerks.
They aim to highlight best practice that can be shared with other schools across the country.
The categories open for nominations this year include:
- Outstanding governing board in a single school
This award looks at how the governing board fulfils its core functions, based on the NGA’s eight elements of effective governance. Nominees must have gone beyond the basics of their responsibilities to have a significant impact on their school.
- Outstanding governing board in a group of schools
Taking into account the different challenges and opportunities in governing a group of schools, this award recognises a board of a trust or federation that has shown outstanding leadership and created positive outcomes. Nominees must explain how the governance structure of the schools has developed since formation, and what lessons have been learned.
- Outstanding vision and strategy
This award recognises a board governing a single or group of schools that has an “inspiring vision”, and can show how progress is being made towards achieving that vision with a clear strategy.
- Outstanding clerk to a governing board
Entries can be submitted using the NGA’s nomination forms.
Nominations are encouraged from governing boards and clerks themselves, as well as from others they work with.
Carey Jacobs, a Partner with Palmers said: “Governors, trustees and clerks are the unsung heroes of our schools. They often give up a vast amount of their own time, going way beyond their core responsibilities, so this is an opportunity to recognise the fantastic contributions made by them.
“As a Director sitting on the board of a local Multi Academy Trust board myself, I’d love to see colleagues in our region at the forefront of nominating the best governors, trustees and clerks we have to offer and to see our school leaders showing their appreciation by nominating a deserving individual.”