Being a parent governor at your child’s school comes with a lot of responsibility, but for the right kind of parent, the rewards of seeing the school and the students flourish make it all worthwhile.
- What is a parent governor?
Parent governors are a core part of a school’s Board of Governors. The role is voluntary and unpaid, though you may occasionally be able to claim back expenses for things like travel and child care. It will appeal to parents who want to make a positive impact on their child’s education and school life. The outcome is indirect, since the governor role has limited interaction with pupils or with daily school life, but is much more “behind the scenes”. As well as parent governors, a school’s Board of Governors consists of:
- Staff governors
- Local authority governors
- Foundation governors
- Partnership governors
- Co-opted governors
- Associate members
The exact make-up of the Board of Governors depends upon individual schools, and includes a minimum requirement of two parent governors on the board at all times.
- What do parent governors do?
Parent governors make a vital contribution 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. Governors help to set the ethos of the school, and they also oversee financial performance and ensure money is well-spent. Governors support the head teacher and other school leaders, and ensure that the school leadership is held to account.
- What responsibility and influence do parent governors have?
Quite a lot. It is the Board of Governors’ role to:
- Appoint the head teacher.
- Appoint the deputy head teacher.
- Hold the school leadership to account.
- Ensure school staff have training, support and resources to be effective.
- Maintain oversight of the school’s budget spending, including pupil premium allocation.
- Decide on the aims, strategy, vision and ethos of the school.
- Determine ways to put all of the above into practice as part of the school development plan.
- Hear the later stages of staff grievances or pupil exclusion appeals.
Responsibility does not rest with any one individual. Decisions are made by the board as a whole, and individual governors are not held to account for collective decisions.
Boards of Governors can also work with PTAs in building a ‘whole school’ community, connecting with the wider community and engaging prospective parents.
- How big a commitment is being a parent governor?
The term of office is usually four years, and it may extend beyond your child’s time at the school if they leave or change school during the four-year period. During this time, you would be expected to attend and contribute thoughts and ideas to the governing board’s meetings.
The chair of governors at your child’s school can tell you how regularly the Governing Board meets. Additionally, you will be expected to visit the school regularly in order to monitor and evaluate as you gain understanding of your role, and take on training provided by the Local Authority and other organisations.
You may also be invited to school events such as sports days to increase the visibility of the governing board to parents and represent your school to the community. Under current employment law, employers must allow employees to undertake their duties at school, but this may be paid or unpaid, so speak to your employer and find out what their policy is.
You may resign at any time by giving written notice to the clerk on your board of governors.
- What skills do parent governors need?
There is no set skillset that marks out an ideal parent governor. So long as you are over 18 years of age and have a child at the school you can express an interest in becoming a parent governor for the school. It falls to the judgement of the board that any parent wishing to act as a governor has the relevant skills and experience to govern effectively and contribute to the success of the school. Prospective candidates should be given as much information about the responsibilities and expectations of the role before putting themselves forward for election. There’s also a legal requirement for parents to be DBS checked before starting their post as a governor.
- What’s in it for parents?
There’s plenty of opportunity to learn new skills, working with others to help to develop useful policies that will benefit the education of children. The role may sound formal, but governors play a vital role in the running of the school and most people enjoy their time as a governor, as well as appreciating the sense of duty and opportunity to show loyalty to their school. You may also progress to being a chair, which brings added responsibility. The experiences of school governorship look great on any CV, and can even create career opportunities.
Not only that, but you will also get to know your child’s school, especially in terms of its strengths and weaknesses. You will gain a great understanding of how the school is run, and this will have a positive knock-on effect on your child’s education, academic outcomes and school life.
- How do you become a parent governor?
If you are interested in becoming a parent governor, speak to your school’s chair of governors. In the first instance please email dave.piggott@stgeorges.iow.sch.uk and he will be pleased to arrange a meeting to see if the role is for you.
- How are parent governors appointed?
Schools fill parent governor roles through elections. Parent governors are elected by other parents, who can vote for candidates. Any parent with a child at the school is eligible to apply for the position of governor, but there is no guarantee of being elected to the board.
Jackie Gallop
Clerk to the Governors
St Georges School
jacqueline.gallop@stgeorges.iow.sch.uk
