Policy & Compliance

Use the school compliance tracker to organise owners, review dates, approval evidence, publication status and next actions in one register.

Policy governance is a continuous process: identifying what the school needs, confirming ownership, reviewing the current version, securing the right approval and making information available where required. In an English school or academy trust, that process can span statutory duties, DfE guidance, safeguarding expectations, local governance arrangements and trust-wide standards. A policy document on its own does not show that the lifecycle is controlled. Leaders and governors also need to know which version is active, when it was reviewed, who approved it, what evidence was retained and whether publication or follow-up remains outstanding.

This hub organises the practical guidance around those questions. The collection covers policy inventories, commonly required policies, review calendars, ownership, governor approval, publication, website checks and the records that support inspection or governance review. It also addresses recurring failure points such as outdated versions, unclear review dates, disconnected approval evidence and published documents that no longer match the school’s current position. The guides are designed to support deliberate review and action. They do not certify compliance, replace legal advice or remove the need to check the official source that applies to a particular policy. They also help boards separate a possible gap from a confirmed requirement before assigning work.

Headteachers, school business leaders, clerks, governance professionals, governors and trustees can begin with the broad policy overview and then follow the linked resources into the part of the lifecycle that needs attention. A maintained school may focus on its governing board’s approval schedule and statutory publication duties; a multi-academy trust may also need to distinguish trust-wide ownership from locally delegated review or implementation. Use the checklists to surface possible gaps, agree owners and create a traceable route from draft to decision and publication. Requirements can change and differ by setting, so confirm them against current DfE material, legislation, trust documents and appropriate professional advice.