The Governing Body

The Governing Body at
Stanton Road Primary School

Who are school governors?

Every school has its own governing body which is responsible for the overall management of the school. The actual size of the governing body depends on the size of the school; the membership is determined by law, and each is made up of different types of governors. In our school, we have a Headteacher governor (the Headteacher is automatically a school governor unless he or she chooses not to take up the position), an LA governor who is appointed by the Local Authority (LA), a staff governor who is elected by staff at the school, co-opted governors who are chosen by the governing body, and parent governors (see below).

How can I become a parent governor?

When vacancies arise for parent governors, all parents are notified by letter. To be eligible to be nominated as a parent governor, a person must have a child registered at the school. The term of office for governors is for four years and a parent governor can, if he or she so chooses, serve the full term of office even if his or her child is no longer a pupil at that school. If more parents express interest than there are positions available, all parents are invited to vote and the candidate(s) with the most votes is then elected.

What qualifications do governors need?

There are no formal qualifications needed to become a school governor. The one essential requirement is an interest in, and commitment to, the education of children. Governors have to be over 18 years of age and the term of office is four years.

Governors are ordinary people, drawn from many areas of society. They need to be able to devote time to getting to know the school well and to be active and available in their support for it. Having common sense and a desire to serve the community are also important.

Normally no one may be a governor of more than two governing bodies.

What is expected of a governor?