This Trustee Week comes at a pivotal moment for governance across UK schools, trusts and charities. Here are the key trends worth locking in, and what it means if you serve on a board.
What’s changing
- Strategic governance over oversight alone: For schools and FE/skills institutions the era of “we check compliance, we approve accounts” is giving way to “we shape strategy, risk, outcomes”.
- Boards under pressure to be more capable, diverse and resilient: In the not-for-profit sector, governance is not just about legality but about risk, transparency, digital, ESG (environmental/social/governance) and sustainable income.
- Upgrades to frameworks: The revision of the Charity Governance Code signals that trustees must get ahead of changes around digital governance, stakeholder engagement and sustainability.
- Financial and regulatory squeeze: Across the public and not for profit sectors, the operating environment is tougher (funding shortfalls, regulatory complexity, accounting standard changes), meaning governance must focus on resilience and fund-diversification.
- Education sector specific: In schools and trusts, governance is under heightened expectations around SEND (special educational needs and disabilities), community role and increasing strategic complexity.
What you should be doing if you’re a trustee (or recruiting one)
- Review your board’s skills, diversity and capacity. Do you have enough digital/data literacy, risk-savvy trustees, someone thinking about long-term sustainability?
- Make governance more than a checklist. Ask how the board adds value to your mission, outcomes and strategy, not just compliance.
- Ensure transparency and accountability are real. Stakeholders (including beneficiaries, communities) increasingly expect boards to be open about performance, risk and decision-making.
- Prepare for the code changes. Even if your organisation is small, align now with emerging good practice around digital governance, stakeholder voice and ESG.
- Look at your business model. How robust is your funding? How diversified are your income streams? Are you ready for cost-pressures and rule changes?
- For education boards: Make sure you’re engaging with the big strategic issues (SEND, inclusion, school-group models) and not just meeting agendas.
What Trustees (and Those Recruiting Them) Should Be Considering
As you celebrate Trustee Week, remember good governance isn’t just sitting at the table; it’s helping to steer the organisation. With change around every corner, boards that are forward-looking will drive stronger impact, not just survive. If you’d like any advice around being a Trustee, or recruiting Trustees, contact Helene Usherwood at helene.usherwood@andersonquigley.com or connect with her on LinkedIn.
