Become a School Governor
CONTENTS
3. BECOMING A GOVERNOR WHAT WILL I DO AS A GOVERNOR?
4.
5. 6. 7. TYPES OF GOVERNORS WHO CAN APPLY
HOW YOU CAN APPLY TIME COMMITMENT IS THERE ANY PAYMENT?
WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOU VOTING FOR SCHOOL GOVERNORS INVOLVEMENT IN SCHOOL ACTIVITIES
PRACTICAL IMPACTS OF SCHOOL GOVERNORS’ DBS CHECK TRAINING INFO
BECOMING A GOVERNOR
Governors are the heart of a thriving school community, profoundly impacting young people’s lives. By serving on a School Governing board, you can play a vital role in ensuring that every child receives an exceptional education. Your service will not only support our students’ academic achievements but also foster their spiritual growth and moral development.
WHAT WILL I DO AS A GOVERNOR?
The Local Governing Committee has a strategic role with three key functions
Approving the budget and overseeing the school’s financial performance to ensure money is well spent.
Appointing and holding the Headteacher accountable for the school’s and its pupils’ educational performance.
Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction
As a Governor, you will not be involved with the day-to-day running of the school. Governors normally attend meetings in the afternoon/early evening, read and comment on reports and undertake planned visits to the schools to see first-hand the impact of their work. Governors also have the opportunity to participate in and celebrate school events.
TYPES OF GOVERNORS
Essentially, all Governors have the same role. Their different titles usually indicate how they came to be on the Local Governing Committee or the type of organisation they are part of.
Foundation Governor: These are individuals whose appointment to the Local Governing Committee is approved by the Bishop. Foundation Governors are required to be practising Catholics.
Community Governor: This is an individual from the community with the skills and experience needed by the Local Governing Committee. They act in the best interests of the school and the wider community.
Parent Governor: An individual who has a child of legal school age (5–16) and is elected by the parent body to serve as a Governor. They are usually parents with a child on roll at the school, but this is not a legal requirement.
Staff Governor: As the name suggests, this is an individual who is a member of staff, usually elected by the staff, to ensure that staff views are represented by the Governing body.
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A PERSONAL AND SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE YOU ARE PART OF A MISSION TO DRIVE ON AND SUPPORT STUDENTS.
Mark Scott
(Deputy Headteacher at St. Michaels, Chair of Governors at St. Paul’s)
WHO CAN APPLY?
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Anyone over the age of 18 can become a School Governor. No specific knowledge or experience is required, and there is no requirement to be a parent (unless applying to be a Parent Governor). Foundation Governors are required to be practising Catholics.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
HOW DO I APPLY?
If you’re interested in applying to become a School Governor, contact the school about the vacancy. Then, a meeting with the Headteacher can be arranged to discuss the role.
For Foundation Governors, the Trust Governance Team will request the completion of the Diocesan Application Form and assist you through the process. For further information on your role within the Diocese, please click here.
For Parent and Staff Governors, prospective applicants should respond to the letter sent by the school requesting nominations.
WHAT IS THE TIME COMMITMENT?
The average time commitment is 5-8 hours per month, although it will vary depending on the school’s needs and the role. This includes meetings, background reading, and school visits. Most Local Governing Committees hold their meetings in the afternoon or early evening.
All three Governing Body meeting dates are agreed upon and arranged at the beginning of the schol year. Agendas will be sent out one week before each meeting to allow School Governors to prepare adequately.
Like magistrates or members of a jury, School Governors have a right to reasonable time off work for their public duties, although this may be unpaid. Your company’s HR department can inform you about its policy.
Governors serve a term of office for four years, and many serve multiple terms. However, as a volunteer, you can resign if your circumstances change before your term is finished. When your term ends, you may have the opportunity to re-apply for another term, or you can return later for another Governance position.
IS THERE ANY PAYMENT?
Governance is a voluntary role, and therefore, it is not paid. Our Trust will reimburse expenses related to travel.
Serving as a Governor is a great way to gain experience in professional skills such as chairing, strategic planning, budgeting, and teamwork, all of which are highly valued by employers. Additionally, Governors can significantly impact the education of young people in their communities, and there’s no more incredible
feeling than knowing you’ve made a difference!
WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME?
Being part of a Local Governing Committee will give you experience working at a strategic level and the opportunity to learn and practice skills directly relevant to employers. These include:
4 Strategic leadership
4 Budget control
4 Data analysis 4 Staff recruitment
4 Building relationships and networks
4 Effective team-working 4 Communication 4 Problem-solving
4 Influencing/negotiation
Just as importantly, your involvement and commitment to a local school could make a massive difference to the future of young people and your community and/or parish. Your input will help the school improve and help its children get the best education possible.
WHO VOTES TO APPOINT ME AS A SCHOOL GOVERNOR?
Different types of school Governors are appointed in various ways:
Foundation Governors: Appointed by the Bishop.
Community Governors: Appointed through a vote by the governing body.
Parent Governors: Nominated by yourself and elected by your peers.
Staff Governors: Nominated by yourself and elected by your peers.
AS A SCHOOL GOVERNOR, WILL I BE INVOLVED IN SCHOOL ACTIVITIES?
As a School Governor, you are encouraged to attend parents’ evenings, school plays and other school events. You will also visit the school for learning walks and monitoring visits where time allows.
WHAT PRACTICAL IMPACT DOES A SCHOOL GOVERNOR HAVE?
Longer-term results would be the improvement in inspection scores. Examples of School Governor impacts: 4 Improvement in school examination performance 4 Boosts in attendance and behaviour 4 Protecting safeguarding and Well-being
School Governor reviews of previous decisions throughout the year should give a good indication of achievements.
WILL I NEED A DBS (DISCLOSURE AND BARRING SERVICE) CHECK?
Yes. When you accept a position, we will require an Enhanced DBS check. We will organise this for you. You will also be asked to supply references as part of your application.
We take safeguarding very seriously and have robust procedures to address safeguarding issues. We will follow our set procedures if we receive a complaint or concern about any volunteer’s or individual’s conduct.
WILL I NEED TRAINING?
To help induct you into your new Governance role: You will receive induction training and access to our Trust Governance training programme, together with online e-learning materials. We will
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JULIAN KENSHOLE Director of Governance kensholej@bhcet.org.uk
JORDAN BROWN Governance Manager jobrown@bhcet.org.uk
BISHOP HOGARTH CATHOLIC EDUCATION TRUST The Headlands, Darlington, Co. Durham DL3 8RW
Telephone: (01325) 254525 Email: admin@bhcet.org.uk Website: www.bhcet.org.uk
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