Three stages of governance maturity.
Where does your board stand?
The School Governance Assurance Framework covers 11 governance functions across three progressive stages — Compliance, Assurance and Continuity. Every governing board sits somewhere on this journey. Find out where yours is.
Every part of school improvement has a structured system — except governance
Boards are expected to show impact, not just activity, yet most lack the infrastructure to produce a traceable evidence trail. Clerks minute decisions. Governors attend training. But where is the system that connects these activities to demonstrable school improvement?
Under the 2025 Ofsted framework, leadership and governance is assessed as a core judgement area. Boards without systematic assurance will find themselves unable to evidence their impact when it matters most.
Healthcare has CQC. Finance has the FCA. Manufacturing has ISO. School governance has had nothing — until now.
A progressive model of governance maturity
Every governing board sits at one of three levels. The framework does not judge — it diagnoses. It shows you where you are, what you are missing, and what to prioritise next. The board audit maps your board against all three.
Compliance
“Is the board properly constituted, legally compliant and operating its basic functions reliably?”
The foundation. Without compliance, nothing else holds. This stage covers the governance controls, meeting structures, statutory duties, financial oversight, and policies that every board must have in place.
- Clerking & record-keeping
- Terms of reference & delegation
- Statutory responsibilities
- Financial oversight & SFVS
- Policy review schedule
Assurance
“How does the board know the school is improving in the right areas, at the right pace, for the right pupils?”
Where compliance asks “are we doing the right things?”, assurance asks “how do we know they are working?” This is the largest stage because it is where most boards have the biggest gaps. It connects governor monitoring to systematic evidence of impact.
- SIP-driven monitoring visits
- Evidence-based reporting
- Curriculum & outcomes scrutiny
- Stakeholder voice mechanisms
- Board effectiveness reviews
Continuity
“Will governance remain effective under pressure, change of personnel, or leadership transition?”
The highest level of governance maturity. Most boards function well enough until someone leaves — a chair steps down, a head retires, a clerk moves on. Continuity ensures the system survives personnel change.
- Succession planning
- Governor recruitment pipeline
- Knowledge management
- Head teacher performance management
- Crisis & confidential protocols
Find out which stage your board is at
The board audit maps your board across all 11 governance functions and three stages. Free to complete. Immediate results.
The eleven framework sections
across all 11 sections
See It In Action
How the framework works
A six-step evidence chain that creates traceable, inspection-ready documentation
The framework operationalises governance through a six-step evidence chain. Each step connects to the next. The board does not create new work — it reorganises what it already does into a structure that produces evidence automatically.
The result: a school that is Ofsted ready at all times, not Ofsted fearing.
Go further
Get a bespoke Governor Assurance Plan for your school
Upload your SIP and we produce inspection-ready governance documentation mapped to every priority. Built on this framework, tailored to your school.
Not a tool. Not a template. A system.
It is a system, not a tool
Existing providers offer admin platforms (GovernorHub), knowledge libraries (The Key), or evaluation instruments (NGA). None provide the operational methodology that connects school improvement planning to governor monitoring to evidenced assurance.
Sector-specific by design
Built around the DfE Governance Handbook, the Academies Trust Handbook, and the Ofsted inspection framework. This is not generic governance. It is built for schools, academies, and trusts.
Personalised, not templated
Every school receives documentation generated from its own School Improvement Plan — not generic templates adapted after the fact. Your priorities drive every visit, every question, every report.
See where your board stands
Assess your governing board across all 11 governance functions. Free, no cost, immediate results. Or upload your SIP and get your Governor Assurance Plan back.