Introduction

Anybody over 18, with a few exceptions, can become a school governor. Being on the governing body means governors have the opportunity to help youngsters achieve their goals and ambitions.

The governing body can be made up of parents elected by other parents with children at the school, the headteacher (if the headteacher chooses to be a governor), teachers elected by other teachers, non-teaching staff elected by other non-teaching staff, people appointed by the LA, and people chosen from the local community by those already on the governing body.

The role of governors is to make sure staff have the right tools to widen the children's knowledge and broaden their horizons.

What do school governors do?

School governors help schools provide the best possible education for their pupils:

  • thinking and working strategically to help raise standards
  • monitoring and evaluating progress towards the school's priorities and targets
  • supporting the head and staff as well as challenging their expectations
  • accounting to all stakeholders for the school's overall performance and for the decisions they have made.

How does a governing body work?

A governing body

  • works closely with the headteacher
  • makes decisions collectively as a team
  • often delegates decision making to committees or to individuals, for example, to the head teacher
  • conducts most of its business through meetings, making use of relevant papers and guidance, and advice from the head teacher.

How to become a school governor

You can become a school governor by

  • being elected by parents as a parent governor, if your child attends the school
  • being elected by the teaching or non-teaching staff, if you are a member of the teaching or non-teaching staff
  • being appointed by the LA
  • being appointed by the church or a charitable trust
  • being co-opted (that is, appointed) by the other governors. To become a governor, you will need to ensure those who have a vote, or who appoint people, know about your interest.

Schools organise elections and tell parents and staff about them. But you can always ask a school whether there are vacancies now that need to be filled.

You can approach a current governor to see whether they might co-opt you.