Governors Role 

GOVERNORS’ JOB DESCRIPTION

Background

All employees of the school are required to discharge their duties within agreed standards and parameters. It seems reasonable therefore to have similar expectations of a Governor, even though this is a voluntary position.

Purpose of Position

The purpose of a Governor is to contribute to the work of the GB in raising standards of achievement for all pupils, whilst working within an allocated budget. This involves providing a strategic view for the school, acting as a challenging friend and ensuring accountability.

The individual Governor has a responsibility, working alongside other members of the GB, to the staff and pupils of the school, the school’s wider community and where they are representatives, to their particular constituency (parents; staff; teachers; community; etc).

Although some Governors may represent particular constituencies they are not delegates of

that group

A Governor has many responsibilities and they include to:

• Develop the strategic plan for the school
• Determine aims, policies and priorities of the school
• Set statutory and non-statutory targets
• Monitor and evaluate the work of the school
• Appoint staff and ensure the implementation of a range of personnel procedures
• Manage the budget
• Secure high levels of attendance and good standards of pupil behaviour
• Ensure that all children in the school have access to a broad and balanced curriculum that is  suitable to age, aptitude and ability, and which nurtures the whole child and encourages respect for others.
• Ensure the health and safety of pupils and staff.

There are several tasks for Governors to undertake and they include to:

• Get to know the school: its needs, strengths and areas for development
• Attend meetings (full GB, committees and working groups)
• Work as a member of a team
• Commit to training and development opportunities.
• Act within the framework of the policies of the GB and legal requirements
• Speak, act and vote in the best interests of the school
• Represent the perspectives of constituencies, where appropriate and
•  Respect all GB decisions and support them in public

Personal Specification

• Governors have a variety of skills and knowledge but there are a number of essential qualities
• required of any Governor and they include:
• An interest in the education of all children
• Sound communication skills in listening, speaking and writing.
• Assimilation skills to help absorb and make use of wide ranges of information and data
• The capacity to develop specific knowledge and understanding of the school and its community.
• A sense of fairness.
• A commitment to equal opportunities.
• A commitment to securing the best educational outcomes for all young people.
• Tact and diplomacy.
• An ability to work as a member of a team.
• An ability to respect confidentiality.
• A willing, constructive work ethic with a team of Governors who have some or all of these qualities.
• A commitment to participate in training and self-evaluation.

The points below summarise what is expected of each Governor as a minimum requirement.

• Attend the full GB meetings, usually 3 each term, and read agendas, papers and minutes
• Become members of committees which meet at least once a term, or as necessary, and attend meetings
• Attend training sessions as appropriate and remain aware of their own training needs
• Be a “challenging friend” ready to offer constructive criticism and support the school community
• Be prepared to be available on occasions to visit the school to carry out Governor responsibilities

 i.e Link Governor Visits, interviews, meeting staff or pupils

• Be able to have some flexibility around own commitments

 Code of Conduct, by which we expect our Governors to abide during their term of office:

I agree to abide by the following key principles:

• To act with integrity, objectivity and honesty, in the best interests of the school
• To work as a member of a team - the Governing Body (GB) - at all times and be loyal

to collective decisions made by the GB

• To recognise that all Governors have the same rights and responsibilities unless

particular responsibilities are conferred on them by the full GB

I know I am expected to:

• Attend meetings promptly, regularly, and for the full time
• Prepare for meetings by reading papers beforehand
• Listen to and respect the views of others
• Express my own views clearly and succinctly
• Take my fair share of work/positions of responsibility
• Attend training and take responsibility for my own learning and development as a Governor
• Know, understand and work within legal requirements.

I will:

• Respect confidentiality
• Support decisions of the GB in public
• Report any evidence of fraud, corruption or misconduct to an appropriate person or authority
• Consent to a confidential criminal record check to ensure I am not disqualified to be a Governor and to meet child protection requirements.