The role of a School Governor

From Camlink

The following explanation of the role of a School Governor is extracted from the BBC Action Network website.

What school governors do

School governors lead schools, they don’t manage them. They are there to give a long-term strategic direction to how the school is run; to be critical friends to the school; and to ensure the school is accountable for its actions. Governors discuss and have input on:

• School policies, such as discipline, dress, sport, bullying and homework

• Long term plans and the future of the school

• How the school budget will be spent

• How the school will try to reach performance targets

• Drafting the annual report to parents

• Appointment and dismissal of staff

• Complaints from pupils, staff and parents

• Repair and maintenance of school buildings

• Use of school premises outside school hours

The governing body often appoints sub-committees of governors to look at specific issues such as the school’s finance, staffing, curriculum and premises.

How much time do governors give?

Normally governors serve for four years, but as volunteers they can leave at any time. Previous governors can normally apply to be re-appointed or re-elected if they wish to return.

A governor’s main task is to attend meetings of the school governing body. These normally take place once a term in the evening. Each sub-committee (on issues such as finance, personnel, curriculum and premises) normally meets once a term in the evening.

Time off work

Under employment law, employers must give employees who are school governors ‘reasonable time off’ to carry out their duties. The employee and employer have to agree on what is ‘reasonable time off’. Issues to be considered when arranging time off from your employer include:

• How much time is needed to carry out governor’s duties

• Whether the employee also has time off work for other activities

• The circumstances of the employer’s business and the impact the employee’s absence may have on it

• It is worth noting that employers do not have to give time off with pay.

• The Department for Trade and Industry has an online guide about the law relating to time off for public duties.

Next page: How to become a School Governor.