What does a school governor do?
School governors are drawn from different parts of the community and can be parents and staff or from the local authority (Lancashire), the community and other groups. This helps ensure the governing body has sufficient diversity of skills, views and experience but does not mean governors of a particular category represent that group on the governing body. For example, parent governors do not represent the parents at the school and do not report back to them.
Governors are the strategic leaders of our schools and have a vital role to play in making sure every child gets the best possible education.
In all types of schools, governing bodies should have a strong focus on three core strategic functions:
1. Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction;
- Holding the headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils;
- Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent.
When a school is inspected by Ofsted, its governing body will be required to show evidence that governors conform to their three core functions
In the work that they do, a governors’ essential focus is on:
Setting vision, ethos and strategic direction
Holding the headteacher and school management to account
Asking the right questions
Being aware of the importance of objective data and their sources
Overseeing financial performance
Setting policies, targets and priorities for achieving those objectives
Monitoring performance and progress towards those objectives
Reviewing achievements against the set aims and objectives
Enabling better governance through training, review and planning
Another aspect of the governors role has traditionally been referred to as being a ‘critical friend’ of the school whereby in addition to the duties laid out above, governors can and should also:
Offer support
Provide constructive advice
Act as a sounding board for the headteacher’s ideas
Give a second opinion on proposals - which includes asking questions and challenging assumptions
Help in arriving at the best solution - to further the best interests of the school