We've tried very hard to make GovernorHub simple to use.
But it's still new to you with features you may not have seen before - so you might find these short video guides helpful.
Jump to:
Setting Up Your GovernorHub Account
When you are invited to GovernorHub, you will receive an email with a link to set up your account. This guide walks you through the process.
Account Setup Steps:
Email Invitation:
Receive an email with a link to set up your GovernorHub account.
The link will direct you to the welcome message.
Initial Setup:
Review and confirm your details.
Choose your privacy settings.
Create a password.
Agreement and Access:
Tick the box to confirm that you agree to the terms and conditions and privacy policy.
Proceed to the website.
Personal Profile:
You will arrive at your personal profile page on GovernorHub.
Here, you can fill in additional details such as your contact information.
Privacy Options:
If you prefer not to share personal information, tick the box labelled:
“Tick this box to hide your contact details from the members of your governing boards and other groups. Admins in these groups will still be able to see them.”
Complete the ‘Additional Information’ section with details like your date of birth, governor experience, and DBS check.
Note: If you don’t know your DBS number, you can return and add it later.
Accessing Your School’s Board Page:
If you wish to visit your school’s page, click on the icon located on the "washing line" at the top of the page.
This will take you to your board’s page on GovernorHub.
For more details, please feel free to watch the video below.
Navigating the GovernorHub News Page
The news page is the first page you see when you log into GovernorHub. It provides a comprehensive overview of educational news and upcoming events, making it easy to stay informed and organized.
Key Features:
Education News:
The news page pulls in education news from various sources across the country, including:
BBC
Schools Week
Possibly local education news
Updates from the Department for Education
Upcoming Events:
Right-Hand Side:
Your upcoming events are displayed on the right-hand side of the screen.
This allows you to see your upcoming meetings at a glance.
Video Meetings:
A new feature enables video meetings.
If your clerk adds the meeting link to the event on the calendar, you can join directly by clicking the camera icon next to the meeting.
This eliminates the need to search through emails for meeting details and ensures a secure connection.
Board Memberships:
Left-Hand Side:
A list of all the boards you are a member of is displayed on the left-hand side of the screen.
For clerks, this list may include multiple boards.
Local Governor Services:
Some users may see an icon linking to their local governor services team.
Here, you can book training in your area (note: not all partners provide training via GovernorHub, but many do).
Accessing the Noticeboard:
Clicking on the icon of your board will take you directly to your board’s noticeboard.
The GovernorHub news page provides easy access to important educational news, events, and board information, helping you stay organized and connected.
For more details, please feel free to watch the video below.
Using the Noticeboard on GovernorHub
The noticeboard is the primary communication tool for board members on GovernorHub. It allows you to post messages to the entire board, specific committees, or individual members, ensuring effective communication.
Key Features:
Posting Messages:
You can post messages to:
Everyone on the board
Specific committees
Individual members
Email Notifications:
Recipients will receive an email notification about the message.
Note: Even if a message is sent to a specific committee, other board members can log in and see it. However, only the committee members will receive the email notification.
Email Content:
The email will include:
The body of the noticeboard message
A link to view the message on GovernorHub
Accessing Linked Documents:
To view the message and any linked documents, governors must click the link and log into their account.
Recommendation: If your message is about a meeting, consider linking to a folder. This makes it easier for governors to find relevant documents and information.
Linking to a Folder:
To link a folder in your noticeboard message, follow this guide: How to Share a File to the Noticeboard.
Interacting with Messages:
Governors can respond to messages using:
Emoji reactions
Comments
Managing Email Notifications:
To adjust how often you receive email notifications:
Go to your profile area.
Click on ‘Settings.’
Select ‘Email & Notifications.’
You can customize the level of exposure to notifications for each board you are a member of.
The noticeboard on GovernorHub is a versatile communication tool, allowing for clear and organized messaging among board members, with customizable notification settings.
For more details, please feel free to watch the video below.
Organizing and Managing Documents on GovernorHub
Each board on GovernorHub has its own document storage area, which can be organized according to your preferences. Below are recommended practices and key features for managing documents effectively.
Recommended Document Organization:
Top-Level Folders:
Create a top-level folder for each committee and the full governing board. Examples include but not restricted to:
Finance Committee Folder
Full Governing Board Folder
Curriculum Committee Folder
Subfolders:
Academic Year Folders:
Within each top-level folder, create folders for each academic year.
Meeting Date Folders:
Inside the academic year folders, create a folder for each meeting date.
Additional Folders:
Policies Folder
Governor Visits Folder
Archiving:
For older documents, create an ‘Archive’ folder.
For detailed information and examples, refer to this article: Best Way to Organize the Documents Section.
Accessing and Managing Documents:
Viewing Documents:
Click on a document to view it within the GovernorHub platform—no download is required.
If enabled, you can also print directly from the viewer.
Adding Documents and Folders:
To upload files or create folders, follow this guide: How to Upload a File or Folder.
To add web links, refer to: How to Add a Web Link or Google Doc.
Locked Documents:
A padlock icon next to a file indicates it has been locked by an admin.
Locked files cannot be changed, deleted, or renamed but can still be accessed.
Learn more about locked documents here: How to Lock Documents.
Three Dots Menu:
On the right-hand side of the files, you’ll find a menu (three dots) with the following options and more:
Mark as Signed:
Useful for video meetings; more details here: How to Sign a Document Remotely.
Download:
Download the file to your computer.
Review Dates:
Some files may have review dates set by the admin.
Learn how to set review dates and what each colour code means: How to Manage Policies by Setting a Review Date.
Sharing Documents:
You can share a document to the noticeboard by selecting the ‘Share on Noticeboard’ option in the three dots menu.
For more information, visit: How to Share a File to the Noticeboard.
Properly organizing and managing documents on GovernorHub ensures efficient access and collaboration. Utilize the available features to keep your board’s documents well-structured and easily accessible.
For more details, please feel free to watch the video below.
Using the Calendar Tab on GovernorHub
The calendar tab on your board page is a shared tool visible to all board members. It offers multiple views and useful features for managing and accessing meeting information efficiently.
Key Features of the Calendar Tab:
Views:
The calendar can be viewed in the following formats:
List
Month
Week
Day
Meeting Details:
Clicking on a meeting provides additional information added by the clerk, including:
Who the event is for
Time and date
Name of the meeting clerk
Linked folders for easy access to meeting papers
Video meeting link (if added)
Calendar Subscription:
For Multiple Boards:
If you are part of multiple boards, you can subscribe to a specific calendar.
This feature allows you to pull all meeting details into your personal calendar.
Benefit: View upcoming meetings without logging into GovernorHub.
The calendar tab is a powerful tool for organizing and accessing meeting details. With options to subscribe and sync with your personal calendar, it ensures you stay informed across all your boards.
For more details, please feel free to watch the video below.
Exploring the Governing Board Tab on GovernorHub
The Governing Board tab provides an overview of your board's members, their roles, and essential administrative functions. It includes several subtabs for managing roles, committees, and compliance effectively.
Key Features of the Governing Board Tab:
Member List:
All board members are listed in this area.
You can see if a member has registered their account.
Roles are displayed under each member’s name, such as:
Chair
Clerk
Co-chair
Safeguarding
Headteacher and more.
Custom roles can be created by the clerk or board admin.
Admin Rights:
Members with admin rights are identified by a green ‘Admin’ badge under their names.
Recommendations:
Have more than one admin for your board.
Not all members need admin rights.
Admin Capabilities:
Add or remove governors.
Send password reset or registration emails.
Disable MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication) links.
Restrict access to files and folders.
Download reports.
Set up committees and more.
Member Details:
Click on a member’s name to view additional details:
Member type
Terms of office dates
First appointment date
Admins can update this information.
Subtabs Overview:
Roles:
View who holds specific roles on the board.
Committees:
See which members belong to each committee.
Identify the admin of a committee (green ‘Admin’ badge).
Note: Committee admins may not necessarily be board admins.
Constitution:
Define your board’s unique constitution.
Check for any open vacancies on your board.
Compliance:
Access declarations of interest and confirmations for all boards you are a member of.
The Governing Board tab on GovernorHub is a central resource for managing member roles, committee assignments, compliance, and board-specific details, providing an organized and accessible structure for your governance needs.
For more details, please feel free to watch the video below.
Using the About Tab on GovernorHub
The About tab provides essential information and administrative tools for your board. It contains three subtabs: Settings, Downloads, and Permissions, each serving a specific purpose for managing board information and access.
Subtabs Overview:
1. Settings Subtab:
Functions:
Edit or add your board’s Twitter account.
Change the school logo.
View or edit the group type your board is set to.
Example: Rename the Governing Board tab to a custom name like Local Board.
Check whether Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) is enforced.
If enforced, the admin will have ticked the option: "Require all members of this Local Board to set up multi-factor authentication."
2. Downloads Subtab:
Features:
Download and export data about board members, such as:
Board diversity data.
Current members list.
Current members list including hidden contact details.
GIAS format list of current members.
Historical members list.
Other specialized reports.
Access Restrictions: Some reports contain sensitive information and can only be downloaded by admins.
For more details on available reports, refer to this article.
3. Permissions Subtab:
Purpose:
Displays all areas of the website.
Shows who has permission to access or modify each area.
The About tab on GovernorHub provides centralized tools for customizing board settings, downloading critical member data, and managing permissions. It is an essential feature for effective board administration.
Managing Your Profile on GovernorHub
Updating personal information, tracking compliance, managing training records, and customizing settings on GovernorHub is done via your Profile section. Accessible by clicking your name at the top-right of the page and selecting Profile, it contains five main tabs: About You, Compliance, Training, Settings, and Admin.
1. About You Tab
Profile Picture and Name:
Edit by selecting Edit Basic Details.
Contact Details:
Update using Edit Contact Details.
Governor Information:
Includes governor experience, date of birth, and DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) status.
Update via Edit Governor Information.
Personal Information:
Fill out sensitive details like gender, ethnic group, religion, sexual orientation, education, and long-term conditions.
Use the Who can see this? button to check access permissions for each section.
2. Compliance Tab
Declarations of Interest and Confirmations:
Confirm your compliance records here (not in the school board’s compliance subtab).
Status Indicators:
Green: Confirmed after September 1.
Orange: Made before September 1 (out of date).
Red: Not confirmed or overdue.
3. Training Tab
Training Bookings and Records:
Track ongoing or completed training.
Automatic Updates for GovernorHub Knowledge Courses:
Completed courses are added to Training Records with the provider’s name and a generated certificate.
Manual Updates for External Courses:
Courses by other providers must be manually added with certificates uploaded by the provider.
4. Settings Tab
Contains three subtabs for managing notifications, privacy, and sidebar customization:
Email & Notifications:
Manage notifications for:
Noticeboard posts
GovernorHub updates
Messages from Governor Services and MAT central teams
Notifications for individual boards.
Privacy & Security:
Adjust privacy settings for personal details.
Update account security, including password and sign-in settings.
Sidebar:
Customize which school boards appear on your sidebar for easier access.
5. Admin Tab
Designed for admin users to manage:
Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) setup.
Enforcement of MFA for board members.
The Profile section on GovernorHub provides robust tools for personalizing your account, managing compliance, tracking training, and enhancing security. Use the tabs and subtabs to efficiently maintain your information and board-related activities.
For more details, please feel free to watch the video below.
If you have any problems, any ideas for what you'd like to see on the site, or just want to chat then you can click on this little blue circle which is in the bottom right hand corner throughout the site.