It's that time again. You're booking your staff Christmas dinner. Someone's choosing the venue. Someone else is suggesting Secret Santa.   And then, just as you’re feeling festive, someone pipes up: “Shall we invite the governors this year?” And everyone nods. Because it is a lovely idea, isn’t it? A chance to get to know them better, to share a few laughs.   And that's nice. I mean it. There's nothing wrong with creating some warmth with your board.   But please, remember th

We drown new governors in context. Strategic plans. Inspection reports. Budget summaries. Safeguarding policies. Staff structures. The story of why that decision happened in 2019, why that building project stalled, why caution guides certain approaches. We think we’re helping. We think we’re onboarding. We’re not. While we’re handing over context, they’re learning something else entirely. The hidden curriculum Here’s the truth: New governors learn governance by watching gover

Some boards help you lead.  Others make you doubt you can. We talk about system reform. We talk about leadership retention. We talk about...