Governors - Information page

What does a Governor do?

School governors are people who want to make a positive contribution to children’s education.
 
Governors are one of the largest volunteer forces in the country and have an important part to play in raising school standards. The role of the governing board is absolutely key to the effectiveness of a school. Time and time again Ofsted (the national inspection body for schools) has noted that the most effective schools demonstrate effective leadership and management – including by the governing board.

Strategic Leadership

School governors provide strategic leadership and accountability in schools. Governors appoint the head teacher and deputy headteacher. In some schools the site is owned by the governing board. It is governors who hold the main responsibility for finance in schools, and it is governors who work with the headteacher to make the tough decisions about balancing resources.
 
Each individual governor is a member of a governing board, which is established in law as a corporate body. Individual governors may not act independently of the rest of the governing board; decisions are the joint responsibility of the governing board.
 
The role of the governing board is a strategic one, its key functions are to:
 
1. set the aims and objectives for the school
 
2. set the policies for achieving those aims and objectives
 
3. set the targets for achieving those aims and objectives
 
4. monitor and evaluate the progress the school is making towards achievement of its aims and objectives
 
5. be a source of challenge and support to the headteacher (a critical friend)
 
6. The headteacher is responsible for the internal organisation, management and control of the school and the implementation of the strategic framework established by the governing board.
 

Who can become a Governor?

Almost anyone over 18 years of age can become a governor. There are no particular qualifications or requirements, other than a willingness to give time to the role and a capacity for working with other people. There are different types of school with different categories of governor.
 

Membership

There are 4 types of 'governor' at Crawford Village Primary School:

• Parent Governor. Parent governors are elected by other parents. A parent governor is a representative, and not a delegate of parents.
• Co-opted Governor. Co-opted governors are appointed by the governing body. They are people who in the opinion of the governing body have the skills required to contribute to the effective governance and success of the school.
• Local Authority (LA) Governor. The local authority can nominate individuals with specific skills and knowledge to become LA governors on school Governing Body.
• Staff Governor. Staff governors are members of school staff who are elected by other staff members to be a part of the Governing Body.

All governors have equal status, however they are appointed.
 
The Governing Board meet once a term. Each Governor is also appointed to a committee that also meet at least once per term.

How do I become a School Governor?

Please follow the link below to find out more about becoming a school governor.  If you would like to express an interest in becoming a governor at Crawford, please contact Dr Chris Lomas (Chair of Governors) or Mrs. Debra Eaton (Headteacher) via the school office for further information and to find out about forthcoming vacancies.

http://www.lancashire.gov.uk/children-education-families/schools/become-a-school-governor.aspx

Governance Structure

The role of the governing body is strategic. The Department for Education’s Governance Handbook identifies three core functions for governing bodies:
•    ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction
•    holding the head teacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils, and the performance management of staff
•    overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent
Members of the governing body are appointed, based on their skills, in order to contribute to effective governance and the success of the school.
 

Contact
To contact any member of your Governing Body, please contact the school on the main school number in the first instance.
Parent/Staff Governors
Parent Governors are elected from within the parent body of the school when there is a vacancy. Any vacancies will be advertised on the school website.

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