The Governing Body consists of:

• members representing the owners or former owners of the school
• parents and teachers who are elected by the parents and teachers associated with the school
• members of the general public with an interest in education who are appointed by the Department of Education or the Education Authority (EA) in your region.

You have to complete an application form if you are a member of the public with an interest in a governor appointment. No special qualifications are required however you must be a legal resident in the UK and over 18 years of age.

THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF GOVERNORS

LEA Governor - A person appointed as a governor by the Local Authority, known since May 2010 as an Authority Governor, or if the Governing Body was reconstitututed after September 2012, as an Local Authority Governor.

Community Governor - A person appointed as a governor whom the Governing Body considers to be committed to the good government and success of the school. This person may or may not live or work in the community served by the school.

Parent Governor - A parent elected by other parents of children at a school to serve on the Governing Body.

Staff Governor - A teacher and/or people working at the school who are elected as a governor by people who are paid to work at the school.

Clerk to the Governing Body - A person appointed to carry out administrative duties for the Governing Body such as preparing an agenda, minuting meetings and dealing with correspondence. The clerk advises the governing body on legal and procedural matters.

WHO CAN BE A PARENT GOVERNOR?

Anyone who is a legal resident in the UK and is over 18 can become a governor - you don’t have to be a parent with a child at the school. However, every Governing Body includes parent governors, and it can be a rewarding way to be involved in your child’s school.

The Governing Body is made up of members with different skills, knowledge and experience. The most important qualities for being a parent governor are to be enthusiastic, committed and have an interest in education. You do not need to have teaching experience, but it's useful to bring skills from other areas of your life; for example, experience of data analysis or understanding financial accounts. As a key role of the Governing Body is holding the school management team to account robustly and effectively, it is also important that governors have a questioning mind and are diplomatic. 

WHAT DOES THE ROLE INVOLVE?

A governor is appointed in a voluntary unpaid capacity for a four year term of office and can resign at any time. The Governing Body meets termly or as often as its business requires. Governors are also expected to join one or two sub-committees - these cover different areas like the curriculum, finance or buildings. You will need to be able to work well in a team, as you will be making joint decisions on policy, working together in the best interests of the pupils.

A governor can expect to volunteer for the equivalent of about six to ten days per year, but this is likely to increase if the governor takes on the responsibility of Chair of the Governing Body, or Chair of a Governing Body committee. Most of this time will probably be in the evenings though some will also be during the school day. This includes time for meetings, background reading and visits to the school.  However, being a governor will be a busier role if the school’s results are getting worse or it’s going through a big change like appointing a new headteacher, or joining with another school.

WHAT SUPPORT WILL I RECEIVE?

Our Governing Body will  help you learn and develop in your role as a governor. We have access to induction and training programmes - please contact us for more details.

In addition, the Governing Body has a clerk who has considerable experience of governance and who can help guide governors through both legislative and procedural issues.

HOW DO I BECOME A SCHOOL GOVERNOR?

If you’re interested in becoming a governor, please arrange to speak to our current Chair of Governors, Simon Buckberry, who can be contacted via the Contact Form on the main Governor page.  When there’s a vacancy for a parent governor all parents will be informed, and you’ll have a chance to stand for election.

Before you put yourself forward, talk to your employer. Many employers recognise the role of school governor as useful work experience and may offer paid leave for governor duties.