Question: We had a vacancy for a non-teaching staff-governor. In the event there were no nominations and we were advised that the vacancy would, therefore, be offered to teaching staff. I think this would give us more teacher governors than what we agreed when we reconstituted. Surely that would not be right? It also raises the basic question of principle: can a support-staff governor post be offered to teaching staff if there are no support-staff nominations?

Joan Sallis replies: The places available for staff and some other governors are not expressed as a number but rather a proportion of the total number of governors you decided on initially. When you reconstituted, you would have been asked to choose for staff representatives a number no more than one third of the total number of governors, with a minimum of two. One of the two would be the head – unless the head was among the minority not wishing to be a governor from the outset – and the other a teacher. If you chose three or more the third place would have to be offered to a support staff member. It would theoretically be possible to have staff representation of seven in all but you have to stick to the total size you elected to have initially, and whatever one third of that comes to as a maximum for staff. If you tried to get a support staff member and no-one came forward, that space could legally be used for another elected teacher. The simple answer to your final question is yes – as long as you do not exceed the total agreed initially.