Our School » Governors
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| Gail Pollard Chair of Governors |
Ian Blackburn Headteacher |
Jean Basson Governor |
Christine Knight Governor |
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| Sue Tuck Governor |
Jennifer Green Deputy Head |
Jane Price Inclusion Manager |
Louise Law Teacher |
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| Chris Bridges Governor |
Suzanne Rounce Governor |
Waseem Khan Governor |
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Governors are regularly informed of our Investors in Pupils work in school through meetings and visits to school. Governors have classes that they are assigned to for the academic year so that they are able to get involved in school life and so that pupils have the chance to learn about the role of a governor. Governors are invited to attend School Council meetings and do so regularly.
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The Governing Body at Ireland Wood is committed to making certain that all children are given the opportunity to fulfil their individual potential whilst at the same time learning to respect the needs of others. It works to ensure that, through the Head teacher and all the staff, the school is able to maintain high standards of quality and performance in the context of a caring, happy and safe environment. It considers that it has a duty of care for all within the school. It views partnership with parents, carers and others in the local community as vital and is keen to take account of the views of all concerned with the school including, of course, the children themselves. For more information, please see the attached document.
Information for prospective governors
Across the city there are thousands of members of our community helping to support school leadership teams by volunteering their time and expertise as school governors - but what is it about the role which encourages so many committed volunteers to apply?
- The purpose of governance
All schools have a Board that provides strategic leadership. Boards have three core functions:
- Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction;
- Holding executive leaders to account for the educational performance of the organisation and its pupils, and the performance management of staff; and
- Overseeing the financial performance of the organisation and making sure its money is well spent.
In a local authority maintained school the board is the Governing Board, who are usually supported by a number of committees.
Some schools are part of a multi academy trust where each school has a Local Governing Body which in turns reports to a Board of Trustees.
There are some differences in decision making authority between maintained schools and academies, largely around matters of finance, but otherwise governor roles are very similar.
Ensuring the school provides the best education for all its pupils should be at the heart of all governor business.
- The types of governor
You do not need to be a parent of a child to be a school governor. The composition of a Governing Board or Local Governing Body includes several different categories of governor. These could include:
- Co-opted – appointed by the governors and the most common category of governor
- Parent – elected by the parents
- Staff – elected by the staff at school
- Foundation/Trust – appointed by the Diocese/Trust where appropriate
- Local Authority - often an elected member of the local political party
Regardless of category all governors share responsibilities and work as a team. Governors will be expected to work within an ethos of professionalism and high expectations which will be documented in a code of conduct which you will typically be asked to sign.
- What does a governor do?
Individual governors alone do not carry responsibilities and have no power unless the Governing Board or Local Governing Body delegates a specific matter to them. Decisions are made in formal meetings by a consensus.
You should expect to be involved in:
- Developing the strategic plan for school
- Oversight of the curriculum being taught, monitoring pupil outcomes and agreeing priorities for improvement
- Agreeing school policies and practice which allow school leaders to carry out their responsibilities, and monitoring the implementation of these including those concerned with the health and safety of pupils and staff, discipline and attendance
- Ensuring school is taking account of stakeholder views through engagement with parents, pupils and staff
- Oversight of the school budget and how funds are being allocated
You will not be involved in:
- Dealing with personal issues in relation to a particular child
- Discussing the performance of individual children (data should be anonymised)
- Matters of day to day school management
- What makes a good governor?
There are no formal qualifications required and, as a new school governor, you are not expected to come with a working knowledge of the education sector. These are some of the qualities and general requirements schools look for in a governor:
- a strong commitment to the role and to improving outcomes for children
- the inquisitiveness to question and analyse
- the willingness to learn
- good inter-personal skills
- appropriate levels of literacy in English
- sufficient numeracy skills to understand basic data
- willingness to attend appropriate training
Skills and knowledge
No one governor is expected to know everything. The strength of a Governing Board or Local Governing Body relies in its ability to attract members from a wide variety of backgrounds. Some governors may have qualifications or professional skills that are particularly useful.
The Department for Education’s Competency Framework for Governance lists the skills required for effectiveness in setting the strategic direction of the organisation, planning and prioritising, monitoring progress and managing change and is a useful reference point for a Governing Board or Local Governing Body at the point of governor recruitment.
- The time commitment
There are different operating models in different schools but being a governor involves far more than simply attending meetings. Schools operate over three terms, autumn, spring and summer, and the time commitment needed is between 15 and 50 hours per term depending on your role. This would typically include:
- Preparation for and attendance at meetings – usually one meeting of the Governing Board or Local Governing Body and one committee meeting. You will receive reports and analyse data from school leaders and, based on these, be expected to ask questions and provide support to improve educational provision. Meetings are most commonly held in the evening.
- School visits – one visit to school, under the direction of the board, to monitor the progress of a strategic priority or statutory duty and the production of a brief report to be shared with other governors.
Governors are also expected to take an interest in the life of the school including attending some of its events during the academic year.
Being a governor is a public duty and governors have a right to reasonable time off work, although this may be without pay. You should ask your company what entitlement you have.
- The training and support you should expect to receive
Governance regulations set clear expectations including that governors undertake whatever training or development activity is needed to fill any gaps in their skills to contribute to effective governance. All governors will be invited, by their school, to undertake induction training and should complete this as soon as possible to gain an understanding of the role. Further, and more specific training, is also available and should be accessed where necessary to complement other sources of development, such as speaking to staff leads in school to increase your knowledge.
- What’s in it for you?
The governor role will allow you to gain a fascinating insight into how schools work and how the education sector is changing and continues to change. You are guaranteed to gain an appreciation of the work of teachers and school leaders as well as the challenges schools face.
Being a school governor is a fantastic opportunity to make a difference, have an impact on education and positively influence children’s lives. There’s no denying that being a school governor is a challenge, but that’s a good thing - because it’s important. It may be that you are putting your professional skills to use in a new context or getting to grips with a whole new sector, but most people find being a governor is a very rewarding role.
- Are you suitable and eligible to be a governor?
It is usual for prospective governors to arrange a meeting with the Headteacher and Chair of Governors to understand more about the school and its priorities, and to have a short tour. During this visit, which might operate as an informal interview, you might be asked questions such as:
- Why do you want to be a governor?
- What skills and experience can you bring to the board?
- Why do you think these would make you an effective governor?
- Why have you chosen this school?
- How much time can you dedicate to the role?
- How would you deal with a situation where you really disagree with others on the board?
- What do you understand about confidentiality on the board?