Governors
Are you interested in the education, welfare and opportunities provided for children and young people? Have you got enthusiasm and time to spare? If so, why don't you volunteer as a school governor.
Governors give their service voluntarily and no formal qualifications are necessary, although there are eligibility criteria. They are ordinary people, aged over 18, with a special commitment to the education and wellbeing of children. Terms of office will be a minimum of one to a maximum of four years.
What do school governors do?
School governors
- promote high standards of educational attainment and ensure continued school improvement
- set targets for pupil achievement
- take general responsibility for the conduct of the school
- manage the school's budget, including deciding how many staff will work there and their pay
- make sure that the curriculum is balanced and broadly based, in particular that the national curriculum and religious education are taught, and report on pupils; achievement in national curriculum assessments and examination results
- participate in the appointment of staff (including appointing the headteacher) and regulate staff conduct and discipline
- approve an action plan after an inspection by the Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED)
- ensure provision for pupils with statements of special educational needs
- set standards of behaviour
- assist with the preparation of a school profile for parents
- deal with complaints
- hear appeals against pupil exclusions
- fulfil duties placed on governing bodies by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF)
How much time does being a governor take up?
The full governing body must meet at least once a term and there are also committees, covering such issues as staff, finance, premises and curriculum, which also need to meet at least once a term.
Additional full meetings are also held if there is a particularly important issue to discuss and there are statutory committees which must meet if the need arises, for example regarding the exclusion of a pupil.
On average a commitment of six to eight hours a month during school term time is required to attend the full governing body meetings, participate in one or two committees and do the necessary preparatory reading. You need to be able to make this time available in order to play a full part in the work of the governing body.
Governors also support the school by going to school functions such as open evenings, plays, exhibitions etc.
By prior arrangement with the headteacher governors are encouraged to visit the school during the day to see it in action, and to get to know the staff and pupils
Governors code of practice
Brief outline of responsiblities (word) expected by a member of governing body.How do people become school governors?
The categories of governors on a governing body are listed below. The total number of people on a governing body (the constitution) ranges from a minimum of 9 to a maximum of 20. Regulations set out which categories of governor are represented on a governing body and the numbers in each category.
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Local authority governors
Appointed by the political parties represented on the council, proportionate to the level of representation by each political party. -
Parent governors
Parents with children at the school elected by other parents; contact the headteacher of your child's school to find out if there are vacancies. -
Staff governors
Elected by teaching and support staff paid to work at the school. This category also includes a reserved place for the headteacher. -
Community governors
People from the local community co-opted by the other non co-opted governors. This category of governor is not on voluntary aided school governing bodies. If you wish to put your name forward as a community governor please complete the attached form. Any person employed to work at the school in question, or who is an elected member of the Local Authority is not eligible to be a community governor. -
Foundation governors
Sit on voluntary aided or foundation school governing bodies; appointed by the diocese or trust named in the schools instrument of government. -
Partnership governors
If a foundation school does not have a founding body the category foundation governor is replaced by partnership governor. The governing body appoints partnership governors after a nominations process. The governing body requests parents of registered pupils at the school, staff, community organisation and other local bodies, as the governing body thinks is appropriate, to put forward names of suitable persons to serve as partnership governors, who are then elected at a meeting of the full governing body. Those not eligible to be partnership governors are parents of registered pupils at the school, persons paid to work at the school, elected members of the Local Authority and those employed by the LA in connection with education functions.
Application and appointment process
If you wish to be considered for co-option to a school governing body, please complete the school governor application form (word) and return it to the School Governance Unit.
Your details will be added to a central register maintained by the School Governance Unit team. Governing bodies with community governor vacancies are contacted to find out what additional skills are required on the governing body to enhance its effectiveness. The central register is then searched by skills and experience and a number of potential governors details are sent to the chair of governors for consideration. The chair of governors or headteacher will contact directly any applicants they would like to meet at the school, with a view to putting that person;s name forward, for election as a community governor, by the governing body. This is a two-way process, as the applicant also needs to visit the school and meet the headteacher and chair of governors before confirming that they would like to stand for election as a community governor.
Training and support is offered to all governors and the Local Authority issues an annual training bulletin. Governors also receive each term a Director's Report to Governors bringing them up to date with current educational developments within Ealing and nationally. This includes an item on the training courses on offer for that term. New governors should enrol on one of the Governors Essentials: A guide for new and nearly new governors courses as soon as possible after they are elected or appointed to a governing body.
To find out more about being a school governor, contact the school governance unit on (020) 8825 6338/7908/6483 or email governors@ealing.gov.uk.
Criminal Record Bureau (CRB) Disclosure
Please note that until there is a statutory requirement for governors to have a Criminal Record Bureau (CRB) check, all governors will need to have had a satisfactory List 99 check (word) to be able to continue to hold office as a governor. CRB checks for governors are due to be implemented from October 2009.
Eligibility
Please see below list of qualification and disqualification criteria taken from the School Governance (England) Regulations 2007.
Qualifications and disqualifications (regulation 21 and Schedule 6 of the Constitution Regulations)
A governor must be aged 18 or over at the time of their election or appointment. A person can hold more than one governorship at the same school.
A person is disqualified from being a governor or associate member if he/she:
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is a person who is detained under the Mental Health Act 1983
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is the subject of a bankruptcy restrictions order or an interim order
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has had his/her estate sequestrated and the sequestration has not been discharged, annulled or reduced
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is subject to a disqualification order or disqualification undertaking under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986
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is subject to a disqualification order under Part 2 of the Companies (Northern Ireland) Order 1989, or a disqualification undertaking accepted under the Company Directors Disqualification (Northern Ireland) Order 2002
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Is subject to an order made under section 429(2)(b) of the Insolvency Act 1986 (failure to pay under county court administration order)
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has been removed from the office of a charity trustee or trustee for a charity by an order made by the Charity Commissioners or the High Court on the grounds of any misconduct or mismanagement or, under section 34 of the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005, from being concerned in the management or control of any body
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is included in the list (List 99) of teachers and workers with children or young persons whose employment is prohibited or restricted
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is disqualified from registration for child minding or providing day care
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is disqualified from working with children
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is disqualified from registration under Part 3 of the Childcare Act 2006
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has, in the five years prior to becoming a governor, received a sentence of imprisonment, suspended or otherwise, for a period of less than three months without the option of a fine
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has, in the twenty years prior to becoming a governor, been convicted as aforesaid of any offence and has had passed on me a sentence of imprisonment for a period of less than two and a half years
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has, at any time, had passed on me a sentence of imprisonment for a period of less than five years
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has been fined, in the five years prior to becoming a governor, for causing a nuisance or disturbance on school or education premises
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is subject to a disqualification order under the Criminal Justice and Court Services Act 2000