Governance Training: Why Healthy Head/Board Relations are Essential for School Success

In this article, our consultant Brian Roach reflects on his personal experience as a school leader to highlight the critical role of effective governance. Through contrasting boardroom experiences, he explores how board dynamics, trust, and support directly impact school success, and outlines key practices that foster strong, productive relationships between boards and heads of school.

The Director of a small international school in Africa sits in his office…pondering. He sighs as he prepares for his next Board meeting. He knows that it will be an ordeal. It’s not that he doesn’t usually get the go-ahead from the Board for most of his initiatives or funding requests, it is simply how painful it may be to get there and what indignities he may have to endure.

He continues to ponder as the sun moves lower on the horizon and illuminates his office. He enjoys the sun and the warm, golden glow of the late equatorial afternoon. What is the problem, he wonders? Enrollment has increased by 40% since he arrived, the school has adopted two new inquiry-based curricula and has moved to a bright, pleasant new building. Perhaps even more important, the school has gone from having a very significant budget shortfall to holding substantial funds in its reserve accounts.

But still…but still, he knows that at tonight’s meeting, two members of the Board will be on the attack—and they will be vicious! The other seven may tell him privately that they support him, but at tonight’s meeting he will be alone, aside from the occasional supportive voice. One Board member will wonder why this four-year-old school doesn’t have facilities to compete with a long-established premier international school in a neighbouring country. The other member of the opposition wonders why this small, young school doesn’t have a body of policy to compete with a European welfare state. The Board likes to work by consensus and, so, even with the regular support of seven members, the two have an outsized influence. How many hours will he need to spend to generate long, detailed reports to justify simple, logical decisions? How many other, more important, things will he not get done as a result? And he is sure to hear about what has been left undone at the next meeting…if not before.

The Director looks at the school’s accreditation protocol and notes, with interest, that one of the roles of the Board is to evaluate, support, and motivate the head of school. He realizes that he is far from perfect and doesn’t expect mindless support, but he struggles to think of a single instance where he has felt motivated by his Board.

At another small school in Africa, half a continent away, the head of school prepares for his evening meeting with the Board. He knows that he will have a pleasant catch up with the Board Chair—a warm, wise, and supportive person—prior to the meeting. Board meetings are fun: there will be cheerful, good-natured discussion and lots of laughter. The Board isn’t afraid to tell the Director when they think that he has got it wrong, but they do so without rancour and always with the presumption of good intention. School enrollment has increased by 40%, the financial position is strong, and the parent community largely happy. The Board, while unafraid to be a critical friend, lets the head know that things are going well and that his work is valued.

At the end of his initial contract, the Board of the first school above offers the head a significant salary increase and a one- or two-year extension at head’s discretion. The Director thinks deeply on the experience of the past three years and politely declines the offer.

At the end of a three-year contract and a one-year extension, the Director of the second school announces his intention to retire. Board members seem genuinely disappointed and invite the head to reconsider and to do just one more. There is no high pressure, no significant salary offer…just a gentle, kind request to reconsider. He goes home, speaks with his wife, thinks deeply, and accepts their offer.

Those heads of school, of course, were the same person. Those heads of school, of course, were me.

What is the point, then, of this trip down memory lane? It’s simple, really: good governance and a strong mutually supportive relationship between the head of school and the governing body is vitally important for school stability and success.

This speaks to the need for:

• Regular governance training for Boards and school leaders—both Boards and school leaders need to understand their respective roles and responsibilities

• Board stability and thoughtful processes to appoint new members with needed skills when vacancies occur.

• Thorough onboarding for new members of the Board.

• A strong, open, and honest relationship between the Board chair and the head of school.

• Presumption of good intentions unless there is compelling evidence to the contrary.

• And much, much more.

Regular governance training is vital to a school’s success. At Sage Consultancy, we bring deep expertise in governance, including former heads of school, current board governors, and extensive experience in developing and refining board policies. We work closely with schools to ensure their governance practices are effective, compliant, and aligned with best practice.