Being a school governor

School governors are one of the largest volunteer forces in the UK. They provide schools with strategic leadership and accountability for educational and financial performance.

The three core functions of a school governing board are to:

Ensure clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction

This means that you need to make sure your school has a clear idea of what it wants to achieve, and a plan for how to achieve it.
Your role is to help set and embed your school’s vision, ethos and strategy, and use these to monitor how the school is doing.

Hold executive leaders to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils, and the effective and efficient performance management of staff

This means you need to make sure that school leaders are using their professional judgement properly and managing the performance of staff and pupils effectively.
You also need to make sure that the information you get from your school leaders is accurate.

Oversee the financial performance of the school and make sure money is well spent

Your role here is to monitor your school’s finances and make sure the school is achieving value for money.
Ultimately, you need to be sure that public money is spent correctly in the best interests of your pupils.

Responsibilities

Develop the school’s vision and strategy
Set a culture of high educational standards, which promotes staff and pupil wellbeing
Set the school’s strategic aims and objectives
Ensure the school follows the National Curriculum, and that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), can access the curriculum
Monitor provision for pupils with SEND
Monitor the school’s educational performance, using a range of data sources
Make sure stakeholders (parents, pupils, staff, the local community) are informed and consulted as appropriate
Approve the school budget
Monitor and evaluate the school’s financial performance
Approve and review school policies, and hold staff to account for their implementation
Make sure the school is compliant with legal requirements, including that all statutory policies and documents are in place
Carry out the appointment and performance management of the headteacher
Be a source of challenge and support to the headteacher
Monitor and evaluate the school’s staffing structure(s)
Monitor health and safety in the school
Work in cooperation with the local authority, having regard to any guidance it issues

Skills and experience

Essential:

Critical listening and ability to ask effective questions
Strategic thinking
Excellent communication
Problem-solving and analysis

Desirable:

Understanding of data
Finance and/or accounting knowledge
HR experience
Knowledge of education
Leadership and management skills
Risk management skills
Legal expertise
Marketing and communications skills

Benefits to you

New skills you’ll gain:

Strategic planning
Experience on a board
Holding senior leaders to account and ability to provide challenge
Finance, and maintaining oversight of potentially multi-million pound budgets
Analysing data
Human resources and performance management
Project management
Marketing
Communication and teamwork
Decision making
Problem solving

Time commitment

The time commitment for school governors will vary depending on roles. However, all governors should attend at least 3 meetings of the full board per year. Usually governors sit on a committee focused on an area they have knowledge of, or are particularly interested in, for example the finance committee. Committees generally meet up to 3 times a year.

Preparation for meetings includes reading papers and preparing questions for senior leaders.

You will also be expected to undertake any training required to enable you to discharge your role effectively.

Governors are also expected to visit the school while it is open to students throughout the year.

Find out more

If you would like to know more about becoming a school governor, you can get in touch with the Headteacher’s PA: HeadteachersPA@oakspark.redbridge.sch.uk