The Role of The Governors
Purpose of Post
The Governing Body plays an essential part in raising school standards. Ofsted (the governments
monitoring body for schools) notes that the most effective schools demonstrate excellent leadership
and management and that includes the governing body.
The role of our governing body is a strategic one. We operate and make decisions as a group, no one
governor has the power to make decisions. We have three important roles to play:
- Setting the strategic direction - we are involved in setting the aims and objectives for the school and the policies and procedures needed to achieve them.
- Ensuring accountability - we monitor and evaluate the progress the school is making against its objectives. We also monitor the budget.
- Acting as a critical friend - we provide support and challenge to the head teacher and teaching staff.
How do we do this?
We currently hold eleven full governors’ meetings per year (once a month) which every governor attends.
Reporting Arrangements
There are no formal reporting arrangements, however, the individual governor has a responsibility,
working alongside other members of the governing body, to the staff and pupils of the school, the
school’s wider community and where they are representatives, to their particular constituency (parents;
staff; teachers; etc.)
Responsibilities include:
- appointment of staff and ensuring the implementation of a range of personnel procedures;
- management of the budget;
- determining aims, policies and priorities of the school;
- monitoring and evaluating the work of the school;
- setting statutory and non statutory targets;
- securing high levels of attendance and good standards of pupil behaviour;
- ensuring that all children in the school have access to a broad and balanced curriculum, suitable to age, aptitude and ability, which prepares them for their onward education and adult life;
- ensuring the health and safety of pupils and staff.
Tasks include:
- to work as a member of a team;
- to attend meetings (full governing body, committees and working groups);
- to speak, act and vote in the best interests of the school as one perceives them;
- to represent the perspectives of constituents, where appropriate;
- to respect all governing body decisions and to support them in public;
- to act within the framework of the policies of the governing body and legal requirements;
- to commit to training and development opportunities;
- to get to know the school: its needs, strengths and weaknesses.
Who can be a school governor?
You don't have to have children at the school to be a governor. However, you do have to be over 18, and
pass a formal check for your suitability to be within a school. No specific qualifications are required but
here are certain expectations. What's really important is that you have energy, enthusiasm, time and a
real desire to help provide children with the best education.
Governors come from all sections of the community, and all walks of life. They can be parents, staff at
the school, residents in the locality or representatives of local churches or businesses. It is important
that you can work as part of a team, and can give commitment to the school.
There are usually, depending on the size of the school, between 9 - 20 people who make up the
governing body. Advice, support and training for the role is given by the local authority. Some governors
are elected by parents, some are appointed by the governing body itself, the local authority or local
churches. This ensures governing bodies reflect the communities they serve.
Would you like to be a Governor at our school?
