Developing School Governors, 1987-1997: Change or inertia?

A new ERA for schools and a corresponding new era for governors-so ran the rubric of the changes in the English education system for the 1980s. To achieve this 'new look' governors required new training and this article commences with an evaluation of what constituted training in the mid-1980s, using evidence from a shire county that was just establishing its training. Ten years on, the context moves to that of a new, unitary authority, just establishing its governor services in the late 1990s. A comparative analysis of the training provision is presented. The article concludes with discussion of the changes since 1987 and reflections on the extent to which governor training is producing expected outcomes.