What does a school governor do?

Governors are responsible for overseeing the management of a school including strategy, budgeting, policy and staffing. They support school to run as effectively as possible, working with senior leaders and teachers to provide excellent education for the children. They are not responsible for the day to day running of the school which is the role of the Headteacher and Senior Leadership Team.

Being a school governor requires a commitment to attending governing body meetings to consider issues such as setting the vision of the school, agreeing and monitoring the school budget and scrutinising educational outcomes.

Governors can bring a wide range of skills and expertise to the governing body and school can benefit greatly from this.

Core governor responsibilities

• Along with the Headteacher, it is the role of the Local Governing Body (LGB) to set the school’s aims and objectives to ensure development and improvement. They set policies, create plans and agree targets to enable school to meet their aims and objectives. They regularly monitor the progress towards the targets set.
• The LGB is there to both support and challenge the Senior Leadership Team. They play a crucial role in holding the Headteacher to account for achieving the highest outcomes possible for the children. Governors challenge key decisions and ask relevant questions about the school’s data aiming to guarantee high standards.

How does the LGB work?

Governors work together to provide an independent oversight of the management and operation of the school.

• Full LGB meetings are held once a term.
• Throughout the year, the governors attend other meetings to look at school priorities.
• Governors are responsible for monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of a school and its curriculum. School visits help governors to understand more about the school and school life. Governor visits to classrooms are not an inspection but a form of monitoring the progress of the school. 
• Prior to all meetings governors receive an agenda, a copy of the minutes from the previous meeting and any other relevant papers to be discussed. Governors are encouraged to read these papers and formulate any questions they may wish to ask.

If you would like further information about becoming a school governor please do not hesitate to contact the school to discuss this.