This DfE report looks at how governors and trustees responded to the pandemic, whether the work of governing boards was affected and challenges faced.
The report summarises 4 case studies with a maintained school, a single academy trust (SAT) and two multi-academy trusts (MATs).
It found that governing boards have adapted well to operating in the challenging context of Covid-19 but the need to be highly responsive to the ever-changing situation has impacted on their ability to take a long-term strategic perspective.
COVID-19 has provided a learning opportunity for governing boards. For example, it has forced them to consider the role technology could play in governance practice in the future and how this could benefit them moving forwards. The value of particular policies and procedures has also been made apparent.
Looking ahead, governing boards are concerned with supporting schools to recover and re-engage pupils in learning. The pandemic has highlighted some opportunities such as the potential of technology to support learning opportunities in future. It has also put the spotlight on some challenges, for example how to hold schools to account in a fair way that appropriately scrutinises educational outcomes in the context of COVID-19’s disruption of schools and the external examination system.