Governor Role Descriptions

• Appointed Governor for the Head Teacher's Performance Management
• Member of the Executive Committee (Bexley Governor Forum)
• Parent Governor
• Staff Governor

The Role of the Appointed Governor for the Head Teacher's Performance Management

In September 2000 revised Performance Management arrangements came into effect for teachers, including Head Teachers.

Governing Bodies have two specific statutory duties within this process:

1. To formally establish the school's Performance Management Policy by the end of December 2000.

2. To review the overall quality of Performance of the Head Teacher. Governors must ensure that new objectives are agreed and recorded by 31 December each year.

The review of the Head Teacher's performance will be carried out by 2 or 3 "Appointed Performance Management Governors" who must not be teachers or members of staff at the school. They will be assisted in carrying out the review by an External Adviser.

These governors should:

• Recognise and praise the Head's/school's achievement.

• Review, discuss and confirm the Head's essential tasks, standards and objectives and the extent to which they have been met.

• Confirm action and any changes agreed in any informal in-year discussions.

• Identify areas for personal development and training.

• Agree new objectives.

The role of the External Adviser is to assist the Appointed Governors in reviewing the Head's progress towards meeting agreed objectives and to help for the next Performance Management cycle. It is not the External Adviser's role to advise on the Head Teacher's pay. However, the current school Teacher's pay and conditions document states that before any movement up the pay spine can be agreed a Performance review must have taken place and "Sustained high quality of Performance by the Head Teacher taking account of the Performance objectives agreed" must have been demonstrated.

Unsatisfactory Performance should be dealt with under Capability proceedings not Performance Management.

OFSTED inspections will include an assessment of how effectively schools are using performance management.

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The Role of the Member of the Executive Committee
(Bexley Governor Forum)

Bexley Governor Forum

The Bexley Governors' Forum is chaired by David Friend and strives to enhance communications and consultation between Governing Bodies and the LEA.

The Forum, which meets termly, also provides a network for Governors to share Good Practice, to debate issues causing concern and influence future service delivery and support from the LEA.

The Representative Governor is an active and enthusiastic Governor who also:

• Attends Executive Committee Meeting or arranges a substitute.

• Acts as a link between Governors.

• Cascades information to their Governing Body following meetings.

• Consults with their Governing Body providing feedback to the forum on issues relating to Governance.

• Ensures that the Governing Body supports the recruitment of new governors, and welcomes, inducts, and encourages their attendance at training events and conferences.

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The Role of a Parent Governor

• Parent governors are elected by other parents at the school to serve for four years. They must be a parent of a child on the school roll at the time if their election. If their children leave the school before the end of their term of office, they may continue to the end of term of office.

• Parent governors are full governors and should take part in all aspects of the work of the governing body providing they do not have a personal interest ('Guide to the Law').

• Although elected by parents, parents governors are not mandated to express any views apart from their own. They may however wish to express other parents' views to the governing body where appropriate.

• Parent governors may receive complaints about the school. These should be referred directly to the Head Teacher without the parent governor becoming involved.

• The governing body as a whole has a responsibility for communicating with parents. An annual report must still be published to help keep all parents informed about issues.

The governing body may request the Head Teacher to inform all parents of decisions.

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The Role of a Staff Governor

The role of a staff governor can be both challenging and rewarding:

• Staff governors are elected by other teachers and support staff at the school to serve for, in most cases, four years. If a staff governor leaves a school then they stop being a governor.

• All governors are equal. Staff governors are not restricted to matters of staff interest only.

• They may become members of personnel committees dealing with staffing matters, may help appoint a Head Teacher and contribute to discussions about pay policy, redundancy or discipline.

• They should not participate in discussion if they have a personal interest in the outcome, but then nor should any other governor.

• Staff governors including Head Teachers, teachers and support staff are able to represent staff opinions at governors' meetings. An informal meeting prior to the governors' meeting might be helpful to establish their respective roles.

• If staff governors wish to raise any matter with the governing body, they should follow the procedures for putting items on the agenda for their governing body. It is courteous to first discuss such matters with the Head Teacher.

• Staff governors offer their own views to the governing body. It should be recognised that this is a personal view and not necessarily the view of the majority of staff.

• Elected staff governors are not mandated to express any views apart from their own. However, they should report in good faith any widely held staff view, even if in a vote they decide to vote differently.

• Staff governors should visit the school as a governor and may support the preparation and planning of visits by other governors.

• All Staff governors should be aware of the confidentially of discussion in governors' meetings and it is advisable to clarify after, or during, a meeting those items the governing body is happy to have reported. The Governing Body may request the Head Teacher to inform all staff of decisions.

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