Dear Parents,
It is likely we will soon have an election for a position of parent governor at Northbourne School.
This would be for someone to start from September this year and so would be open to any parent with a child currently in Year 5 or below. However, a governor’s term of office runs for four years so I would ask you to bear that in mind when deciding whether to stand.
Our governing body has two positions that are directly elected by parents; these are currently filled by Mrs Kay Alder and Mr Alan Wilson. However, as an active member of St Peter’s Church, Alan is eligible to become a church appointed governor and if he makes this change then his position as a parent governor would become vacant.
If this were to happen you will be notified in writing and invited to stand for election. If you are interested, please feel free to speak to any of the existing governors or either of the co-head teachers.
Because we are a Church school, the majority of our governing body is appointed by a combination of the St Peter’s Church Parochial Church Committee and the Diocese of Oxford. Currently Mr Hugh Collins-Rice, Dr Cath Rose, Mrs Jackie Rolstone, Mr David Dancy, Mrs Vanessa Rye, Mr Henry Leighton and myself (Jon Driscoll) hold these positions as ‘foundation’ governors.
Mrs Eleanor Hards is our local authority governor and Mrs Caroline McIntyre and Mrs Sue Reynolds are staff appointed governors. Father Edward Carter is an ex-officio member of the governing body as is the Head Teacher. With Kay and Alan this makes 14 governors.
There is also a requirement that at least one of the foundation governors is a parent of a child at the school.
What do governors do?
The first thing to make clear is that the Head Teacher runs the school on a day to day basis. The Head and the staff are trained professionals; the governors are not, nor are they expected to be. Anything concerning the ordinary running of the school should be addressed to class teachers or the co-head teachers.
But governors do have a lot of responsibility and the relationship with the Head can only work effectively if they are prepared to invest time in the role and attend regular training courses.
The governors are expected to work with the Head to promote the improvement and monitor the performance of the school.
Together with the Head Teacher, governors set the future direction for the school and decide how the budget should be spent.
Governing bodies make decisions collectively on matters such as performance targets, school policies, and the school’s development plan.
Governors monitor the impact of policies and the use of the school budget. They hear appeals from pupils and staff and consider complaints.
Governors provide the Head Teacher with support and advice, drawing on their knowledge and experience. They ask searching questions and respect the Head Teacher’s position as the professional leader of the school.
All governing bodies operate on the basis of ‘collective responsibility’. This means that once a decision has been agreed all of the governors share responsibility for it. This applies to parent governors in exactly the same way as the others; parent governors are not ‘parent representatives’ but full, active members of the governing body.
In practice, our governors are expected to attend all, or at least most, of the 6 full governing body meetings (which are held either at 4.30pm or 6.30pm) and be a member of a sub-committee (which usually meet in school hours). Other roles can be taken on when a governor has more experience. My personal view is that neither the school nor the individual is best served by someone committing to joining the governing body if they cannot spare enough time to play an active role.
The local authority and Diocese offer regular training courses which will throw invaluable light on a world where jargon and assumption can occasionally intrude. It took me months to understand why the SIP is offered a cup of tea but the SEF never is, but in time things become much clearer.
Governors are not paid although we are currently working to ensure basic travel expenses for attending training courses and the like can be claimed back because we feel it is important not to exclude potential governors who cannot afford to fund this themselves.
What the role of school governor does offer is a genuine opportunity to shape the direction of the school and decide what kind of school Northbourne will be the future. With a new Head in post from September, we will start work on a new, long-term development plan and governors will be at the heart of this project. It is a real opportunity to make a positive difference to Northbourne School.
Yours
Jon Driscoll,
Chair of Governors, Northbourne CE Primary School.
PS: The SIP is the School Improvement Partner – an experienced professional who comes into school to offer guidance and advice. The SEF is the Self-Evaluation Form that provides a snapshot of where the school stands in relation to its expressed aims.
