Commenting on National School Governors' Awareness Day (Tues 22 Feb), Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, said:

"Governing boards are made up of volunteers and the importance of the work they do on behalf of the education system cannot be overstated.

"The job of a head teacher has enormous responsibilities and very high accountability; they need to be able to rely on their governing body for support. A school’s culture is defined by pupils, governors, school leaders and everyone who works in the school. To create good governance, it’s essential for school governors, trustees and leaders to work closely together and be mutually supportive.

"It is critical therefore that governors are trained and prepared for their important role, and to understand their responsibilities. Such training should be mandatory and funded by the government."