Education Act 1996

Meetings and proceedings

11 The proceedings of the governing body of a school shall not be invalidated by—

(a) any vacancy among their number, or

(b) any defect in the election or appointment of any governor.

12 Subject to the provisions of Chapter V of Part III and any instrument of government or articles of government made under that Chapter, the governing body of a school may regulate their own procedure.

13 (1) The instrument for a school may make provision as to the meetings and proceedings of the governing body.

(2) The provision that may be made in pursuance of this paragraph includes, in particular, provision—

(a) as to the election of a chairman and vice-chairman,

(b) as to the establishment, constitution, meetings and proceedings of committees,

(c) for the delegation of the governing body’s functions, in such circumstances as may be specified in the instrument, to committees established by that body or to any member of that body, and

(d) as to the procedure (including any quorum) when business is transacted by members of the governing body of a particular category.

(3) The provision mentioned in sub-paragraph (2)(b) may provide for a committee to include persons who are not members of the governing body.

(4) The instrument shall make provision for an appeal committee for the purposes of paragraph 6(1) of Schedule 23 to include among its members (with full voting powers) a person nominated by the governing body from among persons who are eligible to be lay members.

(5) A person is eligible to be a lay member for the purposes of sub-paragraph (4) if—

(a) he is a person without personal experience in the management of any school or the provision of education in any school (disregarding any such experience as a governor or in any other voluntary capacity), and

(b) he does not have, and has not at any time had, any connection with—

(i) the school, or

(ii) any person who is a member of, or employed by, the governing body of the school,

of a kind which might reasonably be taken to raise doubts about his ability to act impartially in relation to the school.