What are the duties of a school governor?

What do school governors do?

• ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction.
• holding the headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils, and the performance management of staff.
• overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent.

What power do school governors have?

In state schools, they have three main functions: Giving the school a clear vision, ethos and strategic direction. Holding the headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils. Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent.

What is the role of school governors and school boards?

What do governors and trustees do? The governing board provides strategic leadership and accountability in schools. It has three key functions: Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent.

What is a community school governor?

Co-opted (sometimes known as community governors) These volunteers don’t have to have a connection to the school, religion, or the local authority. Co-opted governors, in the opinion of the governing board, have the skills required to contribute to the effective governance and success of the school.

What is a parent governors role?

Parent governors play a vital role on governing bodies, holding the unique position of having a parental viewpoint of the school. Through the children, they have a first hand experience of the delivery of the curriculum, and how the school is perceived from the ‘consumers’ point of view.

Are school governors personally liable?

The law states that governors in maintained schools will not be personally liable if they act in “good faith” – honestly, sincerely and with good intentions. “The board is legally responsible for the conduct of its school(s). However, individuals are generally protected from personal liability.

Is it worth being a school governor?

Being a governor allows you to gain a variety of new skills, and develop the ones you already have. It doesn’t matter if you don’t think your career experience – or lack of – is relevant to education; governing bodies need people from all backgrounds who can bring their professional knowledge to the school.

What skills do school governors need?

Not every individual governor is expected to have the skills listed below, but they should be covered across the governing body:

• Understanding of current education policy.
• Ability to analyse data.
• Performance management/appraisal of someone else.
• Financial planning/management.
• Understanding of special educational needs.

What skills do you need to be a parent governor?

To do this as a governor you would need: • a strong commitment to the role and to improving outcomes for children; • the inquisitiveness to question and analyse, and the willingness to learn; • good inter-personal skills; • appropriate levels of literacy in English • sufficient numeracy skills to understand basic data; …

Is it good to be a parent governor?

Parent governors bring their wealth of experience and knowledge, contributing to the successful running of their child’s school. Being a governor is a “hands off” role – decisions made by the board influence the whole school, but governors are not responsible for, or involved in, the day-to-day running of the school.

Do school chair of governors get paid?

No. Governors are volunteers and do not get paid.

Can anyone be a school governor?

You must be aged 18 or over to become a school governor. There’s no minimum age to be a student governor of a further education college. As a governor, you can: hold the headteacher, principal or CEO to account for a school or college’s performance.

What are the responsibilities of the Board of Governors?

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE The Board of Governors has many varied statutory functions in relation to the local management of schools. In fulfilling these functions, the Board of Governors should support the aims and objectives of the school and act in its best interests. In practical terms this will normally involve: School performance measures

Can a parent serve as a school governor?

They can complete their term of office even if their child leaves the school in the meantime. A ‘Parent’ is defined in legislation as a guardian and every person who has the actual custody of the child or young person. STRATEGIC GOVERNANCE The Board of Governors has an important strategic role to play in the management of the school.

Who is responsible for governing a public school?

The responsibility for governing the school must be shared by the whole Board of Governors. Only the Board of Governors, acting together after discussion within a strong framework of rules and good practice by consensus or majority vote, has the power to question, to challenge or to change things.

How does a remote Governor work in a school?

By becoming a remote governor you can join board meetings via video link, preparing for and contributing to meetings in the same way as other governors. Speak to your Partnerships Manager for more information. A governing board is made up of people from the school and wider community.