The School Governing Body
School governors make up the largest voluntary workforce in the country, with over 300,000 people supporting schools in this capacity. The following aims to give you a little more information about what governors do. Further information is available on the Bexley Council website and on the National Governors’ Association website.
What does the Governing Body do?
Governors work closely with their Head Teachers and Senior Leadership Teams to support their schools’ ongoing development and improvement. The governing body does not have responsibility for the day to day running of the school – that falls to the Head Teacher. The governing body is held responsible for raising standards, setting the school’s strategic direction, and ensuring accountability. In doing so, governors act as a ‘critical friend’ to the school, offering advice and challenge where necessary.
In reality, this translates to governors attending termly meetings of the full governing body and their relevant committees, and getting involved in detailed work including the analysis of pupil performance data, reviewing school policies on issues such as Health and Safety, and undertaking visits to the school to see teaching and learning in action.
Who can become a Governor?
Anyone over 18 can become a school governor.
What benefits are there to being a Governor?
Becoming a governor is a serious commitment, but it can also be extremely rewarding. You get a real sense of satisfaction seeing the children in your community benefit from your efforts, you get to work with a wide range of people, and you gain an insight into how schools and the education system as a whole operates. You also have the opportunity to develop new skills and strengthen existing ones, both through governor meetings and through the range of training that all governors are encouraged to participate in.
