We provide a number of services providing governors and trustees with specialist advice and guidance to help them fulfil their roles successfully.

• Governance Helpdesk
• Chairs Service
• Governor recruitment
• GovernorHub and The Knowledge

Governance Helpdesk

An independent and impartial helpdesk supporting governors and trustees on matters relating to statutory legislation and help solve governance related issues. The Governance team has significant experience in governance and is proud of its strong and close working partnership with schools, single academies and multi academy trusts. Capitalising on its wealth of experience, the Governance team, via the helpdesk, offers the following services:

Maintained schools

The Governance helpdesk is funded for all maintained schools in Hertfordshire. Comprising unlimited advice, covering:

• Safeguarding
• Governor recruitment and election
• School-based complaints
• Reconstitution, including processing of new instrument of government

Schools subscribing to this service receive:

• Unlimited telephone and email support for governors
• A welcome letter for all new governors, ensuring they are fully aware of the training opportunities available to become a skilled and functioning member of a governing board.

Academy schools/MATs

• Single or Multi-Academy Trusts can purchase this service comprising unlimited advice, covering:
• Safeguarding
• Governor recruitment and election
• School-based complaints

This service is intended to offer advice and guidance to governing boards, e.g,. if academies need to ask a question relating to a complaint or are looking for support with developing effective governance. This service is not intended to act as a legal service.

Chairs' Service

Whether you’re an experienced existing Chair of Governors, a Vice-Chair with an ambition to step up, or a Committee Chair looking for a more senior role, the HFL Education Chairs Service is the perfect opportunity to grow and develop your skills and knowledge.

Our dedicated training and informative briefings are a reliable and effective way to ensure your Chair is kept up to date on relevant topics and themes relating to school governance and their role in it. The service includes:

• A termly Chairs’ strategic briefing
• Half-termly e-bulletin updates
• Termly Chairs Networks, where Chairs can meet together to share concerns and best practice

The Chairs’ Service provides opportunities to work collaboratively on bespoke training programmes such as Being an Effective Chair training, which is designed to meet the specific needs of chairs and governing board leaders who want to develop their knowledge and skills.

The Chairs' Portal on GovernorHub also provides users with focused news and information direct to their inbox, relevant articles, guidance, tools and templates to enhance the effectiveness of their role, and additional useful and targeted support materials.

Chairs service subscribers also enjoy the benefit of unrestricted access to our Governance helpdesk for support.

GovernorHub and The Knowledge

The Knowledge is an online resource that provides role-specific, expert-led guidance for every member of your governing board.

Membership of The Knowledge on GovernorHub will:

• Help new governors to hit the ground running, with an on-demand, online induction that splits the basics of governance into manageable chunks
• Guide your board on how to support your school effectively
• Keep your board up to date with the latest sector news and next steps

Subscribed to and trusted by more than 12,000 schools and academies across the UK, The Knowledge is the country’s leading provider of sector intelligence, services and resources, and gives education leaders the knowledge and guidance they need to run their schools.

The Knowledge is available at a reduced cost if purchased with GovernorHub through HFL Education.

Find out more

For full details of all our services, including prices please contact our Governance team.