Becoming a School Governor
No special qualifications are needed before
someone can become a School Governor. However, anyone who
takes on this work will need to have an interest in the work of
schools, their teachers and pupils, as well as having a general
enthusiasm for the processes of education. The number and
type of governors that make up a school's governing body will
depend on the nature of the school. Governors can be:
- Parents who are elected by parents with children on the school
roll
- Members of staff elected by and from the staff of the
school
- Appointees of Lincolnshire and Rutland County
Councils
- Appointees of an organisation or foundation, such as the
Church
- Community governors appointed by the governing body to
represent community interests
- Partnership governors (in foundation schools only) nominated by
parents and members of the community.
The way in which governors are appointed or elected varies with
each category. However, once appointed, all governors have
the same rights, powers and responsibilities.
What do School Governors do?
There are three main reasons why governors are necessary:
- To ensure the school is run in a way which reflects the needs
and wishes of the local community
- To support, promote and protect the interests of the school,
its pupils and staff
- To provide a visible form of accountability.
School governors come from a wide range of backgrounds.
They are not expected to be experts in educational matters, that is
the responsibility of the headteacher and the teaching staff of the
school. The role of the school governor and the governing
body is to take a strategic overview of the issues relating to the
school and to set a broad framework within which the headteacher
can operate. The work of the governor is concerned with the
general oversight of the conduct of the school, with the
headteacher responsible for the internal organisation and
management control of the school.
The school governor is expected to:
- Work as a member of the governing body for the best interests
of the school;
- Attend the regular meetings and special meetings of the
governing body;
- Serve on committees which deal with the governing body's legal
obligations;
- Become familiar with general educational issues and
developments;
- Take an interest in school activities;
- Promote the school within the local community;
- Commit time to the duties and responsibilities of a
governor;
- Become involved in areas such as :
Staff appointments/discipline
Pupil discipline
The school curriculum
The financial management of the school
School improvement plan
Health and safety matters
Governor training