Getting Strategic Value from Your Governance

Governance should drive strategy, clarity and confidence. Yet too often, meetings slide into operational questions, overly detailed scrutiny or long lists of compliance checks that add workload without improving outcomes. Both governors in maintained schools and trustees in MATs are expected to focus on strategic priorities, risk and long-term impact, but many boards struggle to hold that line in practice. This session offers fresh insight into how you can reset that balance. We will explore the core pillars of effective governance, how to keep conversations anchored in strategic intent rather than operational detail, and how to shape reporting that genuinely supports better decisions. You'll also look at the nuances between governing bodies and trustee boards, and how to work with volunteer members confidently and constructively. 

In this session we explore 

• The difference between strategic and operational governance and how to reinforce it 

• Where governance, compliance and operations overlap and how to keep boundaries clear 

• How to recognise when you're being asked for detail instead of insight 

• Practical ways to redirect questions towards strategy, risk and impact 

• What purposeful financial and risk reporting looks 

• How to make the most of volunteers' expertise while managing challenging dynamics 

Take home points 

• Clear, workable boundaries for what belongs on a board agenda 

• Language and framing that lift conversations out of the operational weeds 

• A simple structure for reporting that supports strategic decisions 

• Practical approaches for strengthening relationships with governors and trustees 

This session is for 

School and trust leaders who want more focused, strategic board conversations, reporting that drives better decisions, and the confidence to guide governors and trustees towards the issues that matter most.

Fee Stagg