Please follow the links
below to find out more about becoming a school governor in South
Gloucestershire.
Governors
are people from all walks of life
If you have:
an interest in education
time, energy and enthusiasm
common sense
a desire to be involved
a willingness to accept responsibility
the ability to work in a team
you could be a school governor.
Governance can be a most rewarding and
stimulating experience and new governors join sixteen hundred people who
have also chosen to do something positive and unique to make a
difference for the young people in South Gloucestershire.
How much time
does it take?
Most governing bodies meet once or twice a
term, either in the daytime or evenings usually for a couple of hours.
In addition:
You could be expected to serve on a committee responsible for a
particular area of work such as finance or staffing (most committees
also meet once or twice a term)
You would need to get to know the school through regular visits, and
supporting events (like concerts and prize-givings)
You would need to spend some time on training Many local companies
encourage employees to become governors and allow time off with pay,
although this is not a legal requirement. In any event, school governors
are covered by the provisions of the Employee Protection Act which
grants employees reasonable unpaid time off for public duties.
You would normally serve for four years. If you were eligible, you could
seek re-appointment or re- election for a further term of office. You
can however resign at any time during that term of office.
The Role and
Function of the Governing Body
The role of governors is crucial for the
effective leadership and management of our schools. The governing body
complements the professional leadership of the Headteacher and senior
staff by bringing a range of perspectives to bear on issues facing the
school. The governing body ideally should have representation from:
Parents of the school (parent governors elected by the parents)
Staff of the school (staff governor elected by the staff)
The community which the school serves (community governors co-opted by
the governors)
The wider community of South Gloucestershire (Local Education Authority
governors appointed by the political parties and the LEA Appointment
Panel)
The church (foundation governors appointed by the church) Church Schools
Only
It is important that all governors, appointed or elected, serve in their
own right and not as a delegate of the constituents they represent and
that the Governing Body acts corporately.
The functions of the Governing Body fall in to three key areas
1. To develop, in conjunction with the headteacher, the overall
direction for the school,thus securing high standards of achievement and
value for money;
2. To ensure the school is accountable for its decisions and actions;
3. To develop a supportive and challenging relationship with the school
to promote continuous improvement
Support and
Development
There is a range of support available for
new and existing governors including:
Induction training - all new governors are invited to attend induction
training to welcome and introduce them to the role of a governor.
A further programme of training for all governors is available
throughout the year
All governors get sent a termly update from the LA to keep them up to
date with current developments
Websites - LA, national organisations and government
telephone helplines local and national
Further help is available from:
Central Government publications
National organisations such as the National Governors Association
The Diocesan Boards (for the governors of church schools).
What are
Schools looking for?
When appointing new governors the schools
and LA Appointments Panel look for candidates who can show and
demonstrate:
A keen and active interest in education and school improvement.
An understanding that being a governor requires a time commitment.
A willingness to undertake the necessary training and to keep up to
date.
An ability to work as part of a team.
Excellent communication skills, tact and diplomacy
I am
Interested! What do I do now?
If you are interested, please contact the
Governor Development Service on 01454 863182. They will be able to give
you further information and also tell you which schools have vacancies.
There are various ways in which you can become a governor:
Parent Governor
If you have a child at a South Gloucestershire school, you will receive
information about elections of parent governors at the school
Staff Governor
If you are a teacher or member of support staff at a South
Gloucestershire school you will receive information about elections of
staff governors at the school.
Local Authority Governor
An LA governor is either a political appointment as selected through the
party system or a non-political appointment, that can be nominated by
the Governing Body following three months of the position being vacant.
Community Governor
Contact your local school and let the Chair of Governors or the
Headteacher know you are interested, or contact Governor Development
Service on 01454 863182
Foundation Governor
Contact the relevant diocesan office:
Catholic Diocese of Clifton
Clifton Diocesan Department For Schools and Colleges
Alexander House
106 Pennywell Road
Bristol BS5 0TX
Tel: 0117 902 5593
Fax: 0117 902 5520
Diocese of Bristol Board of Education
All Saints Centre
1 All Saints Court
Bristol BS1 1JN
Tel: 0117 927 7454
Fax: 0117 925 0404
Diocese of Gloucestershire Board of
Education
4 College Green
Gloucester
GL1 2LR
Tel: 01452 410022
Fax: 01452 412474
Should you be interested in becoming a
school governor please contact the Governor Development Service, Bowling
Hill, Chipping Sodbury, South Gloucestershire BS37 6JX 01454 863182
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