What do they do?

Governors work together as a 'corporate body' or governing body in partnership with the headteacher that operates within a framework. Together with the headteacher who provides advice and guidance to the governing body, they set the future direction for the school. Here are some of the tasks that a governing body would be responsible for:-

• Set and manage the overall budget for the school;
• Decide on the number of staff;
• Interview and appoint teaching and support staff;
• Decide on the level of pay for staff;
• Help decide the priorities for improving the school when the School Development Plan is being drawn up;
• Ensure the National Curriculum is taught to all pupils;
• Set targets for pupil achievement;
• Compare the performance of their school to similar schools;
• Receive information about the quality of teaching in the school;
• Have a published procedure for dealing with parental complaints and concerns;
• Ensure the balanced treatment of political issues;
• Ensure health and safety issues are addressed;
• Set the times of school sessions;

You would be involved in actively participating in the work of the governing body by:-

• attending governing body meetings (at least three a year);
• contributing to discussions;
• taking part in agreed actions after meetings;
• reading relevant papers;
• increasing your ability to contribute to the work of the governing body by taking part in training and other opportunities to develop knowledge, skills and understanding;
• seeking at all times to promote the best interests of the school and the education of its pupils;

School governance is a team effort and decisions are made corporately. You are not on your own, and you must not act on your own. Effective governance is about team work with headteachers, staff, governors and the community.

You might find the leaflets 'Being a School Governor' and 'The Role and Responsibilities of School Governors' useful. To access these leaflets, follow the link on this page.

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