What Do Governors Do?
Governors are expected to lend their support in ensuring that the school is doing its best for all students.
Some of the ways they offer support are as by working as a team and by the following:
- Offering their skills
- Supporting the headteacher and school staff.
- Giving time to the school
- Making purposeful visits
- Delegating tasks sensibly
- Preparing to volunteer
The Governing Body stay informed by the following:
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- Reading school, LEA and DfES documents as identified
- Attending Governor training
- Visiting the school
- Listening to others
- Observing how things are done
The Governing Body Develop Relationships by the following:
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- Talking to teachers, parents and pupils
- Maintaining contacts with their community
- Talking about the school and its success
- Attending school events and bring others along
- Being a good ambassador for the school
- Being a critical friend to the school
All governors are also expected to be involved in more specific tasks such as:
- Attend and play an active part in meetings of the Full Governing Body (5-6 per annum)
- Be a member of one of the standing sub-committees (3-4 meetings per annum for each committee)
- Be a member of staff interview panels if necessary
- Attend school events such parents’ evenings, school plays, concerts, sporting events, open days
- Undertake training as appropriate
- Be a Link Governor with a specific department
- Keep up to date with national policy and changes in the education sector, the regulatory framework including OfSTED and the law for governors
In addition individual governors may be asked to take a role in a number of other activities. In considering which of these governors participate in, the particular expertise, experience and interests of individual governors will be important: Examples of these are Chair one of the sub committees; be a member of a sub-committee other than a standing committee; organise induction for new governors, work with a member of the SLT on a particular area of responsibility such as health and safety, safe guarding, etc, participate in disciplinary procedures as appropriate.