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Website URL : http://www.bexley.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=4435

School Governors

Autumn Term Training Programme now available please use the link on the right hand side to pre-book a course

Schools need governors - people like you!

School governors are the largest volunteer force in the country and are there to ensure that schools are well run.  They have an important part to play in raising school standards by working with the head teacher and senior management to ensure pupils receive a good education.

Governors represent people from many walks of life; school staff, parents, local businesses, voluntary organisations, the community, or the church.  This means that decisions affecting the school and pupils are made by people with a wide range of experience and views.  All over the country school governors - people like you - are making a difference by ensuring the next generation gets the very best from their school.

Schools are keen to attract people who can bring an energy, experience and fresh ideas but in Bexley the quality we value above all is the desire to make a difference to the lives of our children.

Who can become a governor?

Anyone can become a school governor and no special qualifications are required.  Qualities like enthusiasm, interest and commitment are more important than qualifications.  You must be aged 18 or over and there is no upper age limit.

What skills would I need to become a governor?

Governors bring a range of experience, skills and interests from many walks of life.  They need to work closely with others as part of a team and it helps to be a good listener.  Other qualities which make a good school governor are a willingness to ask questions and an ability to bring an external perspective to a discussion.  For example, an understanding of financial planning, legal knowledge, marketing or health and safety.  Schools also need people who have a particularly good understanding of the community served by the school so we are keen to hear from potential governors from ethnic minority communities.

What benefits do I get from being a governor?

Becoming a governor is a serious commitment and can be extremely rewarding.

  • You will achieve a real sense of satisfaction seeing the children in your community benefiting from your efforts
  • You will gain an idea of how schools are run and how the education systems works as a whole
  • You will develop new skills and strengthen existing ones and this can be enhanced even further through the training provided by the Governor Support and Training Unit which offers development courses during the day and repeated again in the evenings 
  • The role of the governor has gained national recognition recently and will enhance your CV or job applications.  Many employers encourage staff to become school governors as they realise that the skills gained from being a governor are transferable to the workplace
  • You will get to work with a wide range of people from a variety of social, cultural and religious backgrounds

Some of the governor activities are during the working day.  What happens about my normal day job?

Under employment law, employers must give employees who are school governors 'reasonable time off' to carry out their duties, however they do not have to give time off with pay.  The employee has to agree with the employer what is considered to be 'reasonable time off' and issues to be considered when arranging time off would include

  • how much time is needed to carry out governor duties
  • does the employee also have time off work for other activities
  • the circumstances of the employer's business, and
  • the impact the employee's absence may have on the business

Some employers do give time off with pay in recognition of the personal development benefits to the employee and ultimately to the employer's business. 

Are you interested or want more information?

If you think you are ready to apply you can do so by completing the form from the menu on the right hand side, or;
contact the head or chairman of governors at your local school, or;
if you would like to talk to someone in the Governance Team please follow the link on the right hand side.

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