Governors' DEI Toolkit
Governors' DEI Toolkit
Toolkit collated by Adrian McLean
Does School Governance Have a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Problem?
As leaders of our schools, governors and trustees have 4 key responsibilities:
- Developing a vision and strategy for the school.
- Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent.
- Holding the school leaders to account, ensuring that every pupil has the best possible education.
- Engaging with pupils, staff, parents and the school community to understand their views.
With this in mind, you would think that diversity of thought, voices and perspectives is facilitating good governance and the effective running of schools across the United Kingdom. However, this is not the case. Research undertaken by the National Governance Association (2022) shows there is much work to do in diversifying our school governing boards. Respondents to the National Governance Association survey demonstrate vast inequity in the following characteristics:
Age
- 52% of governors are over 60 years old.
- 6% of governors and trustees are under 40 years old (lowest on record).
- 1% are under 30 years old.
Ethnicity
- The percentage of governors and trustees that are white are overrepresented, whilst those of the Global Majority are underrepresented in all regions.
- 6% of governors identified as being from the Global Majority:
- 3% Asian
- 1% Black, African, Caribbean or Black British
- 1% Mixed/Multiple
- 1% Other
Sexual Orientation
- 3% of governors identify as LGBTQ+.
The Importance of Diverse Governance
Fundamentally, governors are responsible for creating inclusive environments, processes and systems which ensure that all pupils have the best educational experience possible whilst validating all stakeholders to feel valued and able to progress as their authentic selves.
Members of a governing board are not recruited solely on the basis of their protected characteristics or lived experience. A diverse board makes better decisions by:
- Avoiding groupthink
- Considering issues from a variety of perspectives
- Bringing different skills, knowledge, experience and approaches
- Reflecting the community of which it serves
A diverse governing board is both setting an example and demonstrating the board’s commitment to achieving diversity and equity at all levels of the school/trust. Is your governing board a diverse one? How do you know?
Collecting and Publishing Governing Board Diversity Data
- New Guidance from the DfE as of April 2023
- Diversity is important and we want governing boards to be increasingly reflective of the communities they serve.
- We encourage schools to collect and publish governing board members’ diversity data. Information must be widely accessible to members of the school community and the public. Board members can opt out of sharing their information, including protected characteristics, at any given time including after publication.
- Schools must ensure that individuals cannot be identified through the publication of data, particularly when board member levels are low. Read more about this in the data protection toolkit for schools and Equality Act 2010: advice for schools.
- There is no prescriptive way to collect diversity data from volunteers; this needs to be done on a voluntary basis. Schools may prefer to adopt a similar approach to how they collate the diversity data of pupils.
The Diverse Educators Governors’ DEI Toolkit
Below, you will find a bank of resources to help you and your team examine your current board setup and outlook, providing thought on the ways DEI can be prioritised, ensuring governors have the knowledge, skills, and tools they need to take action in promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in the school community. Some questions to think about may include:
- How do you hold yourself and your school accountable for promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion?
- Do you have a clear and concise statement that outlines the school's commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion?
- Does DEI run through your policies? How do you assess progress, and make necessary changes?
- Are all governors familiar with the terms, concepts, and principles that are central to DEI?
- How do you ensure that the curriculum is inclusive and reflects the diversity of the pupil body and prepares young people to be a global citizen? Eg this can involve including books, materials, and resources that are representative of various cultures and identities; the provision of accommodations for students with disabilities, ensuring that all students have equal access to learning opportunities.
- How does your school celebrate and promote diversity, equity, and inclusion? This could include things like multicultural festivals, mentorship programs for underrepresented students, or diversity training for staff.
- Have you conducted a DEI audit of your school? This involves collecting data on the diversity of the pupil body, staff, and leadership, as well as any existing policies, programs, and practices that relate to DEI. This will help you identify areas of strength and areas that need improvement.
- Is your board inclusive? How do you know?
- How can you make your recruitment process more inclusive?
- How can you recruit, develop and retain diverse governors?