AS IF governing bodies do not have enough on their plates, ministers want to alter the membership rules - barely four years after increasing parental representation and creating a new category of non-teaching staff governors.

The Department for Education and Skills is consulting on a constitutional framework which offers governors more freedom to decide - within boundaries - their size and composition.

Many of the proposals have been around for some time, and draw heavily on the work of last year’s Way Forward group, made up of head, governor, LEA and central government representatives.

The DfES draft guidance endorses recommendations that governing bodies consist of no fewer than nine and no more than 20 members. Some “guiding principles” set down the proportions of parent, staff, LEA, community (currently co-opted) and foundation governors that must be present. But within these guidelines, schools will have some freedom to create a board that best meets their local needs. The principles state that in community schools:

* at least a third of members must be parents;

* two places, but no more than a third, should be reserved for staff, and at least one must be for a teacher (unless no teachers stand);

* LEA governors should make up a fifth of membership;

* community governors should take at least a fifth of the places.

In foundation and voluntary-controlled schools, at least two but no more than a quarter of members should be foundation or partnership governors, community governors should fill at least a tenth of places, and the LEA up to a fifth.

In voluntary-aided schools, foundation governors should outnumber all the other governors by two, with LEA appointments making up at least a tenth, and no community governors.

Headteachers would be included in the staff group and even if they indicated they did not want to be a governor, a place would have to be kept free for them.

That would mean the smallest governing bodies (nine-strong in community schools), with only two staff places, having no room for a non-teaching staff governor. There would, however, be a guaranteed slot on larger governing boards with three staff members.

The other controversial measure is to bar staff who work at the school for 500 hours or more, and LEA councillors, from being parent governors. They would also be barred from being community members.

In addition, governing bodies can choose to have up to two “sponsor” governors. These might represent financial sponsors or major service providers or, for example, be members of an education action zone forum which includes the school.

Boards will continue to be able to use “associate member” status to draw in outside experts or interested parties for help on particular issues. These people would not be governors and would not be able to vote on key strategic issues, but they could include pupils.

The DfES wants to hear people’s views on these and other issues detailed in the draft guidance. The deadline for responses is November 29. The regulations are expected to come into force next March. Details are available at www. dfes.gov.ukconsultationssgb