The main role and aim of the governing body is to maintain and improve the quality of education and the standards of achievement and attainment at the school.
A key role of the governors is to challenge and support the school leaders, holding them to account for their actions in ensuring pupil progress.
Governors:
Know the school and its strengths and weaknesses
Know the pupils, their strengths and vulnerabilities
Know the finances and approve the budget.
Are strategic,making use of targets, budgets, appraisal, the school improvement plan and other success criteria.
Have a vision with explicit high expectations for pupil attainment and achievement
Act as business partner to the senior leadership team [SLT], making use of data and numerical targets , SMART objectives, appraisal and other mechanisms to hold theSLT to account
Know the quality of teaching and all staffing
Be completely sure that all health and safety and safeguarding requirements are in place and ideally exceeded
Understand performance management systems, appraisal process and performance related pay.
Validate their knowledge, making use of external verification and external data
Ensure accountability
What does the Governing body do?
What are Governing bodies in schools are accountable for?
The use of public funds
The quality of education provided- raising standards
The wider contribution of the school to the community
How long can you be a Governor for?
Are you paid to be a Governor?
How can I become a school Governor?
There are over 300,000 school governors in England and they form the largest voluntary force in the country. To be a governor, you do not need any specific skills or qualifications but you do need time, energy and a commitment to the education of children. In addition to this, attributes that make a good school governor include:
The ability to work as part of a team
A desire to help the local community
An external perspective
A willingness to change assumptions
The time to get involved.
You are disqualified from election or appointment as a parent governor if you are
An elected member of the Local Authority
Paid to work at the school for more than 500 hours in any consecutive 12 month period.