Balarin, M., Brammer, S., James, S. y McComarck, M. (2008). The school governance study. London: Business in the Community. University of Bath.

Since the mid-1980s governing bodies have had a significant role in the governance of education in England. Currently, they are responsible for the conduct of all maintained schools. There are about 350,000 school governors and they are all volunteers.

During the last 20 years, the English school system has changed substantially and the work of schools has become more complicated and demanding. These changes have had important implications for school governing and are likely to further complicate it in the future. A study of school governing is therefore timely and appropriate.

The School Governance Study took place between April and September 2008. Its aims were: to review the arrangements for school governance and propose improvements; review the business contribution of governors; and to analyse what can be learned from the business and human/public service sectors about governance and how those insights might enhance school governance. It was commissioned by the Business in the Community Education Team and was funded by Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP.The Study analysed the policy and research literature relevant to school governing. It carried out 43 in-depth interviews with key stakeholders, undertook a large scale random on-line survey of over 5000 school governors and elicited the views of 42 headteachers.