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Maintained School Governance Checklist 2026/27

Detailed overview

The Maintained School Governance Checklist 2026/27 is for headteachers, governors and clerks in maintained schools, checked against the DfE's maintained schools governance guide as updated in July 2026 for new duties from 1 September 2026.

What's inside

  • Strategic leadership, accountability, people, governance structures, evaluation and compliance, in the same order as the guide
  • Each item marked as a legal requirement (must), a recommendation (should) or good practice, with the guide section it comes from
  • Columns for status, evidence and actions
  • A list of policies and documents to keep under review
  • Links to every source on gov.uk and legislation.gov.uk

New in this edition

  • Maximising value for pupils programme
  • Free school meals expansion grant and the inclusive mainstream fund
  • Digital and technology infrastructure, including cyber security
  • Sustainability leads and climate action plans
  • Collecting and reviewing diversity data
  • The allergy safety policy required from September 2026
  • The limit on branded items of uniform and PE kit

Format: editable Word document and a PDF.

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