Role of Governing Body

Firstly, they are responsible for appointing the head teacher and also supporting them in their leadership role. Although they do not manage the school, they do help to set the strategic direction the school will take, they also help to draw up policies, objectives and targets (although in practice, many of the policies are adopted by recommendation from the local authority, and the objectives and targets will be set by the staff and ratified by the governors).

The governing body also approves the school budget and then reviews the school’s progress against that budget and also the objectives and targets that have been set.

Parents are invited to join the body but it’s not something that should be entered into lightly. Full meetings can last a few hours a term, but there are also sub-committees, working groups and the large bundles of papers that arrive beforehand that need to be read and noted. Most local authorities offer excellent training and support services for governors and they are well worth making use of.

You will be asked to take responsibility for some aspect of learning or pastoral care (like child protection or European links). It will be well worth spending some time in the school as well, getting to know the staff, children and how things work day to day in the school.

Being a parent governor is also likely to mean that people will approach you on the playground to ask your help or advice. If this happens, direct all questions to the appropriate class teacher or the head, it’s also worth mentioning the encounter so that the school is aware that you are being used by the parents – this is really important for them to know.

There are NO monetary rewards to being a parent governor. The real rewards are in the training you receive and also the knowledge you gain about how a school is run. You may gain knowledge of confidential information (like how much different members of staff earn), and you may find yourself having to make decisions about staffing and how money should be spent, so you often have to remember that there are things you can’t discuss with your friends on the playground.

Make no mistake that becoming involved on the school governing body is rewarding, but hard work involving a commitment of great time and effort. Your contribution will be greatly appreciated by the school community.