The proceedings of a Board of GovernorsF1 of a grant‐aided school shall not be invalidated by any vacancy among its members or by any defect in the appointment, election or nomination of any member.

Without prejudice to the generality of paragraph (1), whereF1 members of the Board of Governors of a grant‐aided school are required to be elected or nominated by other persons then if, for whatever reason, such members have not yetF1 been, or cannot be, so elected or nominated the Board of Governors shall notwithstanding such vacancies be regarded as fully constituted.

Nothing in paragraph (1) or (2) affects the operation of any provision relating to the quorum for meetings of a Board of Governors.

F5Where, in relation to a school established in a hospital, the Authority is of the opinion that it is likely to be impracticable for there to be elections of parent members at the school, the required number of parent members may be made up by persons appointed by the voting members of the Board of Governors of the school.

Where it is reasonably practicable to do so, it shall be the duty of the voting members of the Board of Governors in appointing any person under paragraph (3A)F2 or (3AA) to appoint a person who is the parent of a registered pupil at the school.

In paragraph (3A)F2 or (3AA) “parent member” means a member of the Board of Governors of a grant‐aided school who but for that paragraph would be required to be elected by parents of F3registered pupils at the school from amongst the parents of such pupils.

A person appointed under paragraph (3A)F2 or (3AA) shall for all purposes of the Education Orders except Schedule 8 to the 1989 Order be treated as if he had been duly elected as a member of the Board of Governors by parents of F3registered pupils at the school.

In paragraphs (3A)F2, (3AA) and (3B) “voting members” has the meaning assigned to it by Article 122(3) of the 1989 Order.

An assistant teacher elected as a member of the Board of Governors of one or more than oneF1 grant‐aided school shall, on ceasing to be an assistant teacher at the school or one of the schools, cease to hold office as a member of the Board of Governors.

A parent elected as a member of the Board of Governors of one or more than oneF1 grant‐aided school shall not by reason only of ceasing to be a parent of a F4registered pupil at the school or one of the schools cease to hold office as a member of the Board of Governors.

Where the principal of aF1 grant‐aided school is absent or otherwise unavailable, the Board of Governors of the school may invite the vice-principal or other person for the time being performing the duties of the principal to attend a meeting of the Board of Governors; and any person so invited shall be entitled to attend and take part in the meeting but not to vote on any question.

Any question as to the right of any person to be, or to appoint or nominate, a member of the Board of Governors of a grant‐aided school shall be decided by the Department whose decision shall be final.