AoC Strategic Governance Masterclass Series 2026

Through a series of online interactive 90-minute sessions led by expert facilitators, participants will explore key themes such as moving from operational to influential governance, building effective Chair–Principal–Governance relationships, and planning for succession. Each masterclass is designed to foster discussion, reflection, and practical takeaways that can be applied directly to college boards—helping participants enhance accountability, leadership, and long-term strategic resilience.

Strategic governance: From operational to influential
Thursday 26 February - 4:30 – 6:00pm
Facilitator: Lisa Farnhill, Director of Governance and Compliance

The journey of governance is a shared mission. As governors, you are the ones setting the strategic course and steering the ship. The governance professional's role is to ensure that journey is compliant, well-documented, and guided by a robust understanding of risk. This session is designed to explore how we can utilise this partnership to remain routed in strategic impact. The aim is to collectively explore practical strategies to transform our roles and maximise our impact on the board for the benefit of our students, staff and local communities. The 90-minute session will be an interactive opportunity to share the best practices we've developed from our own unique experiences.

The session will be highly interactive with polls, breakout sessions, and practical tasks. We will focus on tangible actions and behaviours that empower us to be more strategic and, crucially, to understand the inseparable link between strategy and risk. Every strategic opportunity comes with inherent risks, and every operational risk has strategic implications. The goal is to co-create a toolkit that empowers each of us to confidently and effectively influence our college's future.

By the end of this session, you will be able to:

• Move beyond the data: Shift your focus from "what is the data?" to "what does the data mean for our college's strategy?"

• Link risk and strategy: Understand how to proactively identify and manage risks as part of your strategic oversight, rather than as a separate compliance activity.

• Ask better questions: Formulate strategic questions that challenge assumptions and hold executive leadership to account in a constructive way.

• Influence agenda setting: Understand how to proactively contribute to the agenda to ensure meetings focus on key strategic priorities, not operational details.

• Maximise your impact between meetings: Learn how to use your link governor role and other activities to gather insight and build effective relationships, resulting in more effective strategic oversight.

Building effective Chair, Principal and Director of Governance relationships
Wednesday 4 March – 4:30 – 6:00pm
Facilitator: Paul Butler, Governance Consultant and Chair, Waltham Forest College

This masterclass will provide a comprehensive overview of effective corporate governance, focusing on establishing clear structures for accountability and upholding corporate responsibility. We will explore how active board engagement fosters performance, dissect the critical relationship between the Principal/CEO, Chair and Director of Governance/Clerk. The session emphasises building strong relationships at all levels, to create resilient and trusted organisations and we will explore a number of case studies.

Key learning areas:

• Accountability and corporate responsibility: Understanding how corporate responsibility extends beyond legal compliance to a voluntary commitment to societal well-being and learners.

• Board engagement and performance: Learn how to create an engaged board that actively contributes to strategic direction and monitors organisation performance.

• Leadership dynamics: Analyse the dynamics of the Principal-Chair relationship and the unique function of a governance director in ensuring robust oversight and effective decision making.

• Relationship building: Develop strategies for fostering strong relationships among board members, management, and internal stakeholders.

Succession planning: Because brilliant leaders aren’t immortal
Thursday 12 March – 4:30 – 6:00pm
Facilitator: Shirley Collier MBE, FE Consultant

Along with death and taxes, the end of a governor’s term of office is a certainty – all good things do come to an end!  Deep down, few of us really wants perpetual responsibility.  Yet some governors seem reluctant to let go when the time comes, and others depart in a hurry. There are risks in both situations.  Long term relationships can breed complacency, and a culture of “indispensability” skews objectivity.  On the other hand, when a key board member leaves without a succession plan in place, boards and executive teams are exposed by the loss of continuity.  Board recruitment starts on the back foot and time pressure puts the squeeze on making the optimal appointment.

This interactive masterclass will explore the risks of not planning for the inevitable, including some recent case studies.  More importantly, we will explore how you – whether you’re a governance professional, governor, committee chair, Vice Chair or Chair – can prepare the ground for healthy succession planning and manage that risk.  The session will focus on a practical, pragmatic approach which takes into account the constitutional framework in which FE college boards operate as well as human nature.  We’ll help you comply with the former at the same time as getting the best out of your governors.  Come prepared to share and also to learn.

Key learning areas:

• Grounded understanding of the risks of not planning for succession

• Clarity about the framework for planning

• Understanding of the responsibilities involved

• Creating a whole board culture which supports succession planning