Being a school governor

Interviews by Debbie Warren

My daughter started reception in September and this set me thinking. As a bit of a serial volunteer, I wondered what being a governor was all about. The following is a minor foray into what is involved, put together with the kind help of Janet Brewer, Catherine Smith and Alison Vaughan, who are all governors at local schools, and Norman Hamilton.

Every school has a governing body. It is made up of parents, staff and members of the community as well as people appointed by the local authority and possibly members appointed by the church, depending on the school. The range of responsibilities of the governing board is broad; in recent months the governors of my daughter’s school have appointed a new head, organised the building of a new school kitchen and decided how to run the kitchen (and no doubt other things as well). But that makes it sound awfully intimidating, doesn’t it?

What makes people want to be governors?

CS: Speaking personally I became a governor because I wanted to be involved in my children’s school. I had already ‘done’ the fundraising thing by being treasurer on the school PSA (Parents & Staff Association). My youngest started at Nursery in the school this year, so I felt the time was right to increase my commitment. I think this basic altruism seems to be behind most people’s desire to become a school governor – there is no status as such attached to the position and obviously no money – most people seem to feel they have something to offer and are willing to give up their time for their children’s school, or in some cases, the wider community as they may not have children at that school.

AV: Being a parent governor is an excellent way to find out more about how your child is being educated, and to get involved in the school. Everyone brings their own skills to a governing body – in my instance, my background was in writing and communication skills.

JB: I’m very committed to my children’s school (the third has just started and the fourth is approaching from a distance), but I was beginning to have a few concerns. Rather than become a moaning Minnie, and now that the ‘baby days’ are behind me I decided to join the Board and see if I could help improve things.

What makes a good governor?

CS I have not as yet formed an opinion as to what makes a good governor (or not!) but you certainly need to bring some skills or experience to the board – whether that be personnel, communications, finance – not specifically education – and a questioning yet positive approach.
Personally, I have 3 children at the school, but I think it is important that there are governors who have no children there, who remain objective at all times as this gives a balance to the board.

AV: Someone who understands that the role is a strategic one – governors are not there to change the day-to-day running of the school. Governors are advised by the LEA and DfES to be a ‘critical friend’ ie be supportive of the headteacher and management team but also feel able to question current practices and strategies when appropriate. A good governor is willing to get properly involved – to do as much as they can rather than the bare minimum.

JB: Having just attended the induction course I think it’s anyone with a voice. Someone who will ask ‘why’ without being worried about looking foolish. But also someone who is quick to praise when they see something good happening.

What are the good and bad points about being a governor?

AV: Good points include: making a contribution, being more involved in your child’s education, getting to know people from a wide range of professions, learning about current educational practices, re-engaging your brain if you’re not a working parent and helping to make a positive difference.

Personally, I wouldn’t say there are any bad points, as such. Sometimes, the responsibility can feel a bit weighty depending on your level of involvement. Some governors feel rather unappreciated – we contribute time and commitment which goes largely unacknowledged, but perhaps that’s just the nature of voluntary work.

CS: To date I would have to say that the main bad point about being a governor can be the length of the meetings, but the upside is that you feel as though you are really making a contribution. I should imagine there are occasions when you may be unpopular due to certain decisions, and when the workload can be onerous, but I have yet to experience that.

JB: The good points for me so far are gaining a real insight into school life. I wouldn’t say I’ve yet had the feeling of contribution or effecting change but it’s early days. The bad points are … lots of reading but maybe again that’s just at the beginning and occasional split loyalty issues with parent friends.

Perhaps this doesn’t sound like you, or perhaps there are no vacancies at your school. Well, there are other ways to volunteer…

NH: There are prison visitors, who visit and befriend a small number of prisoners, or write letters to them. These are arranged by groups and I think you start by approaching the prison concerned, who will put you in touch with the group running the scheme. There is also a scheme to make unannounced visits to police stations and inspect cells, talk to detained persons and check that the Police and Criminal Evidence Act is being properly observed in custody suites. You also get called out sometimes to observe if there is a young person or vulnerable person in custody who has been arrested. These schemes run everywhere, but are called different things in different boroughs. When I did it in Camden it was called the appropriate adult scheme. Some are calling it Independent Custody Visitors. There is also of course being a magistrate which is what I do. They are always looking for a pool of new magistrates and wanting to recruit from a wide range of backgrounds. You can find information on the Dept for Constitutional Affairs website.

You can find further information about being a governor on the Haringey council website at www.haringey.gov.uk