Following on from Diana Vernon’s excellent article on “Building your relationship with your Senior Leadership Team”, I thought it might be helpful to consider how as a new Head you might also go about beginning to build your relationship with your Chair and governing body (or board).

The appointment of a new Head marks a significant transition for any school. 

This change can bring fresh perspectives, new energy and innovative ideas.  However, the success of the transition heavily depends on the relationship between the Head and the board, particularly the Chair.  A strong, collaborative relationship is crucial to ensuring that the school’s mission, vision and values are aligned and effectively implemented. The working relationship between the Chair and the Head is critical to both a board/governing body’s and consequently the school’s performance. The nature of this relationship will depend upon every context – whether the Chair has been in post for a long time or is relatively new, and conversely, whether you are an experienced or a new Head.

The relationship you will have with your governors will be different from the one you have with your SLT.  You have been appointed by the board and they will hold you to account for both your performance and that of the school.  It is likely that all or some of them will play a part in your annual appraisal.  But you must remember that your board consists of unpaid volunteers. Engaging and encouraging them, so they want to give of their time and expertise, will also play a vital role in making the relationship successful.

Your first few weeks and months in post will be crucial in laying the groundwork for sustaining a strong working relationship with your governing body.  When you inherit a board of governors, it is likely that they will already have an established way of working together – you should respect this, but also not be afraid to suggest changes to reflect your own leadership style.  The relationship is a complex one – both the Chair and the GB should act as your critical friends.  This implies that there will be a blend of support and challenge in your interactions.

A transparent trust-based relationship between the Head and the governing body is the key to success.

At the outset, expect that as well as wishing you every success in your role – they have after all appointed you, it is inevitable that the governors will also be asking themselves:

  • “Do I respect this person?”
  • “Can I trust this person?”.

They will be using all of their initial interactions with you to try to see what kind of leader you will be.  So how can you, as a Head, set about building good working relationships from the start?

  1. Focus on establishing relationships. Beyond formal meetings and reports, as a Head you should invest time in building personal relationships, not just with the Chair, but with other members of the governing body. Building trust requires personal connections – create opportunities for governors to get to know you, such as attending social events, participating in school activities or simply making time for informal conversations.  When building these personal connections, ensure that all voices are given equal weight and take proactive steps to engage governors who may have different perspectives or come from different backgrounds.  Try to make time to meet governors individually, to learn about their backgrounds – this will not only give you the opportunity to understand their drivers and motivations, but will also enable you to consider how you can tap into their expertise to benefit the school.  It may even expose the power dynamics on the board!
  2. Align on Mission, Vision and Values. The Head and the board must understand the purpose of the school and share a common vision for its future.  Aligning on the purpose or “the Why” and what culture is needed to support this is key and should also reflect the school’s commitment to inclusivity, ensuring that the mission and vision support a learning environment where diversity is embraced and every member of the school community feels a sense of belonging.   Early in the relationship you should seek to understand the strategic goals of the governing body and how these align with your own vision for the school.  This alignment is crucial because it forms the basis of all decision-making and strategic planning.
  3. Ensure roles and responsibilities are clearly set out. Understanding what you are and are not responsible for and respecting that will help to improve your relationship with the board.
  4. Establish clear communication channels. One of the most critical aspects of any professional relationship is clear and open communication.  From the outset you should work with the Chair to establish regular communication channels that work for both of you.  This could include a weekly meeting, bi-monthly reports or even informal check-ins (such as text messages or phone calls).  You might also want to consider a monthly dashboard for governors reporting against KPIs.  The aim is to ensure that both parties are kept up to date on important matters and that there is a mutual understanding of priorities and expectations.  One useful rule of thumb for a Head is NO SURPRISES – EVER!
  5. Demonstrate respect and understanding – and don’t forget to listen – but expect the same from the Board. Building a strong relationship requires mutual respect.  As Head you should take time to understand the roles and responsibilities of the governing body, and acknowledge the expertise and experience which the governors bring to the table.  This includes having clarity of roles and respecting the boundaries between governance and management – “Eyes on, hands off”.  Both sides demonstrating an understanding of this distinction will help prevent potential conflicts and ensure harmonious working relationships.  Showing appreciation for the time and effort that governors invest in the school can go a long way in building rapport. If you feel that the “eyes off/hands on” distinction is not being observed, try to raise this with the Chair. If it’s still a problem, your membership association should be able to advise you.
  6. Engage in collaborative decision-making with your board.  This fosters a shared sense of responsibility and also ensures that decisions are well-rounded and consider multiple perspectives. Decision-making processes should be structured to include a diversity of viewpoints.  This teamwork helps to build trust and reinforces the idea that everyone is working towards the same goals.
  7. Be accessible and approachable, transparent and accountable. Transparent communication helps to build trust, reduces the risk of misunderstandings, and ensures that everyone is on the same page.  It is essential to agree on the best methods and times for communication to ensure that it is effective and consistent.  It is also important to allow yourself to be vulnerable – many Heads find this difficult to do for fear of looking weak or incapable and it is easier said than done, but by allowing yourself to be vulnerable and asking for help or advice from your governors, you will more quickly build trust with them, which in turn will leader to stronger relationships.
  8. The best governing bodies will evaluate themselves and will expect their Head to be evaluated too.  Be open to this as a constructive process. You may want to encourage it.
  9. Private business. Don’t be defensive about private business – there are sometimes circumstances when it is necessary, but encourage the Chair to share quickly, honestly and empathetically with you any governor feedback. Do let the Chair know if you find Private Business very uncomfortable and agree what can be done to ameliorate this.
  10. Provide professional development opportunities. Offering or suggesting professional development opportunities for governors can help to build a more informed and effective governing body.  You can play a key role in identifying areas where governors might benefit from additional training or exposure to new ideas and facilitating these opportunities.  For example, organising workshops on the latest educational trends, governance best practices or school-specific challenges can enhance the governing body’s ability to provide valuable oversight and support. You might also want to consider suggesting professional development opportunities on inclusive leadership and unconscious bias, for example, to help the governing body better understand the diverse needs of the school community.
  11. And finally – Be patient and consistent – developing strong relationships with governors is a process which requires time, patience and consistent effort. Don’t expect immediate results, but remain committed to building trust and understanding over time.

The relationship between you and the Board, led by the Chair, is fundamental to the success of the school.  The better the working relationship between you as Head and the governors, the easier it is to have challenging or difficult conversations.  The important thing is to learn how to disagree when you have to.  By engaging in all of the steps listed here, you will not only smooth the transition into your new role as Head but also set the stage for long-term success and positive outcomes for the entire school community.

Lucy Walsh-Waring,

Senior Advisor