Information for new governors

If you are a newly appointed governor you will have received a pack of information from the Governor Support and Development Service to include a list of names and addresses of your fellow governors and a copy of 'Welcome to the Governing Body'. This document provides an overview of your roles and responsibilities as a governor and has blank sections for you to complete when you visit school. Some schools may also have their own induction booklet which will be passed on to you. There are, in addition, a few things you can do to prepare for the task ahead. Ask the chair of governors or headteacher for:

• a copy of the school prospectus
• a copy of the minutes of all governors' meetings over the past year or two
• information about training and development opportunities for new governors
• a copy of the self evaluation form (SEF) for the school.

Additional helpful information which, given time, you should read might include:

• school policy documents
• school newsletters
• the most recent Ofsted (Office for Standards in Education) report
• the School Development Plan and Raise on line (Reporting and Analysis for Improvement through School self Evaluation)
• 'A Guide to the Law for School Governors' published by the DCSF (a copy should be available for you at the school or via the link on this page).

Attached to this page you will find an induction checklist for new governors which, although intended as an aide memoir for headteachers, should be useful to you also.

The Governor Support and Development Service has produced a booklet entitled 'School Based Support for New Governors' which you may find useful and is attached as a link to this page. Avoid overkill! 'Drip feeding' is the most productive way of absorbing the necessary information and over time it will become more familiar to you.

Education is filled with jargon and acronyms so to help you understand some of them there is a list attached to this page.

It is important that governors and staff not only act impartially, but are also seen to act impartially. They have a responsibility to avoid any conflict between their business interests and personal interests and affairs and the interests of the school. One important means by which a school may demonstrate that it is applying the seven principles of public life (selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership) is by maintaining a register of business interests. On becoming a governor you will be asked to complete a form which asks you to declare any business interests which you or your spouse may have. This form is kept in school and reviewed annually. A copy of the form is to be found as a link on this page.

Sometimes governors ask about insurance and whether they are covered by any policies which the Council has. The general answer to this question is that providing they are acting on behalf of the school on Council business, with the governing body's consent and not against any advice received from the Local Authority, they are covered under the Council's public liability insurance. However a governor would not be covered if they are involved in the decision making process for a non Council organisation, such as a privately run nursery, even if it is operating on the school premises. Further information relating to insurance for governors can be found in Section 3 paragraphs 37, 38 & 39 of the Guide to the Law for School Governors to which there is a link on this page.

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