An analysis of the role and responsibilities of chairs of further education college and sixth-form college governing bodies in England

This article reports research into the role and responsibilities of the chairs of governing bodies of further education (FE) colleges and sixth-form colleges in England. FE colleges and sixth-form colleges represent a significant part of post-16 educational provision in the England. Every college in the sector has a governing body which has a chair elected from and by the governing body’s membership. Sixteen chairs from FE and sixth-form colleges in England were interviewed and data themes identified. The chair’s role and responsibilities reflect those of chairs in non-FE/sixth-form college settings; a range of expertise is required but detailed educational knowledge is a not a priority in the requisite skill-set; chairs consider they bring a range of high level values and commitments to the role; chairs’ participation in role-specific training and development was not a strong theme; the responsibility of being the chair is substantial and complex; high quality chair-principal relationships are crucial and complex; the governing body clerk has a significant role in relation to the chair, the principal and college governance generally; and the role and the responsibilities of chairs and the way they are specified locally by their governing bodies have significant implications for FE and sixth-form governance.