Proposals for school governors to sign a commitment to promote British values could be looked at, the Education Secretary has said.

But Nicky Morgan warned MPs that the act of signing a piece of paper does not necessarily mean governors have taken on board the responsibilities required of them.

She insisted the investigations into an alleged plot by hardline Muslims to take over a number of Birmingham schools had shown the need for a cultural change.

Mrs Morgan was replying to Tory backbencher Philip Hollobone (Kettering), who said: "Teachers, governors, pupils and parents should be focused on promoting rigorous academic standards and not pursuing particular agendas, whether it be with extremism or anything else.

"With regards to the role of school governors, is there no commitment or undertaking that they have to make, something they have to sign, to say they will be committed individually to the promotion of British values so that we can hold errant governors and teachers to account?"

Mrs Morgan said governors were not asked to sign something in that way although explained they are all subject to the governors' handbook, which was updated with changes and clarifications in September 2014.

She said: "One of those paragraphs particularly talks about the need for every effort being made by governors to ensure the school's ethos promotes the fundamental British values which so far I have mentioned in the statement.

"It's certainly something we could of course always look at, in terms of signing, but as you will know just because people sign a piece of paper, it doesn't necessarily mean that actually they have taken all that that piece of paper requires on board.

"I think one of the things that this whole issue has taught us is the need for cultural change as well."