Governance Board Pack
One assessment, one scorecard and one action register for the next board meeting
Summary
Fifteen statements across five governance areas, followed by a scorecard, action register, short brief and one-term meeting cadence. Complete it individually before the meeting, then agree the actions together.
September 2026Educave research · Board pack
One · The tenancy test
If the primary technology supplier closed tomorrow, could the institution still access pupil data and run its core operations? Mark Yes, No or Unsure, then test the answer against an export and continuity exercise.
Two · The consolidated assessment
The statements
| No | In part | Yes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1We have stated two or three improvement aims for this year in terms that can be tested. | |||
| 2Every technology subscription has a stated contribution to one of those aims. | |||
| 3Renewal requires evidence before the contract date. | |||
| 4Teachers shaped how our systems capture their practice. | |||
| 5Staff do not enter the same information twice to obtain a finding. | |||
| 6Local governors can see spend, use, implementation and outcomes for their school. | |||
| 7A named person reviews every model output before it enters a pupil record. | |||
| 8System outputs state their source, confidence and limits. | |||
| 9A governor can ask an unscheduled question and receive a traceable answer without manual assembly. | |||
| 10High-evidence provision reaches pupils by need. | |||
| 11We can say whether our technology is narrowing or widening attainment gaps. | |||
| 12Our terms recognise the value created when institutional data improves a supplier product. | |||
| 13We capture a baseline before adopting a tool. | |||
| 14We record staff time and cash cost alongside effect. | |||
| 15We share null and negative findings in a form another school can use. |
Scoring by area
- Purpose and directionality
- Questions 1, 2, 3. Out of 6. Name the improvement aims that technology must serve. Attach every renewal to one of them.
- Co-creation and participation
- Questions 4, 5, 6. Out of 6. Review one staff workflow with the people who use it. Remove duplicate entry and expose the local view.
- Transparency and accountability
- Questions 7, 8, 9. Out of 6. Ask one unscheduled question. Require the answer, source and named reviewer in the same record.
- Access for all and reward-sharing
- Questions 10, 11, 12. Out of 6. Test who receives the benefit, who supplies the data and how both are reflected in the terms.
- Collective learning and knowledge-sharing
- Questions 13, 14, 15. Out of 6. Take a baseline before the next adoption. Record cost with effect and share the result.
Reading the total
- 25-30 · Governing the estate
- The board can specify, examine and change the technology estate. Keep the instruments current and test whether the position survives a change of staff.
- 17-24 · Partial sight
- The board holds some answers and relies on staff or suppliers for others. Close the lowest-scoring area before adding another system.
- 9-16 · Supplier-dependent
- The institution can operate, but the board cannot examine enough of the estate without supplier help. Start with purpose, total cost and renewal dates.
- 0-8 · In tenancy
- Decision rights sit outside the institution. Begin with one critical contract: establish what survives exit, what can be exported and who holds the record.
Three · The action register
For every lowest-scoring area
| Agreed | Review | |
|---|---|---|
| 1Action: what will change before the next meeting? | ||
| 2Owner: who will bring the evidence back? | ||
| 3Review date: when will the board test the position again? |
Four · The board brief
- What boards can see
- A board needs spend, use, outcomes, renewal dates and data flows in the same view. Educave field research with trust leaders responsible for around 50,000 pupils found that none could state total technology spend without asking the office first.
- Where exposure accumulates
- Usage shows that a tool was opened. A board decision needs a baseline, a defined outcome and cost, including staff time.
- What counts as evidence
- The practical test is exit. The board should know what data, workflows and audit records remain available when a critical contract ends.
Five · The meeting cadence
- Before the meeting
- Each governor completes the assessment alone. The clerk places the scorecard and lowest areas in the papers.
- In the meeting
- Compare answers rather than averages. Agree one action for every lowest-scoring area, with an owner and review date.
- Next term
- Ask one unscheduled question with its source attached. Review the actions. Retake the assessment with the same group.
Complete the pack online to create a scorecard and shareable action register at educaveresearch.com. educave.ai · Free to copy, forward and use inside your institution, with attribution.