Categories of governors

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All governing bodies have a core group of governors consisting of:

  • parent governors;
  • teacher governors;
  • staff governors;
  • LA governors;
  • the headteacher (acting in the capacity of a governor where this is his/her choice).

In addition, governing bodies will also consist of some of the following governors, depending on the type of school:

  • community governors; All Maintained schools, except Voluntary-Aided schools, include community governors in their membership
  • additional community governors;
  • representative governors;
  • foundation governors;
  • partnership governors;
  • sponsor governors;
  • associate pupil governors (secondary schools only).

The core responsibilities of the governing body are:

  • promoting high standards of educational achievement and behaviour;
  • setting targets for pupil achievement;
  • ensuring that all learners have access to a broad and balanced curriculum;
  • determining the aims, policies and priorities of the school;
  • determining and monitoring the school’s budget;
  • staffing – e.g. staff appointments, performance management;
  • providing parents with information regarding the school;
  • producing an action plan and monitoring progress following an inspection by Estyn;
  • the wellbeing and safeguarding of learners.

All governors:

  • are elected / appointed to serve a term of office of 4 years; Parent governors at nursery schools serve a term of two years. The community council who appoints the additional community governor determines the term of office, up to a maximum of 4 years. Foundation governors are appointed for a maximum term of office of 4 years.
  • are entitled to exercise the same powers, duties and responsibilities as other governors and have the same rights as other governors;
  • are required, like other governors, to exercise their own best judgement when contributing to the decisions of the governing body;
  • are not mandated to represent the views of the persons that elected or appointed them with which the governor does not agree;
  • are eligible to be disqualified from completing their term of office if they fail to attend governing body meetings for more than 6 months, without the governing body’s consent;
  • can be suspended by the governing body by resolution, for all or any meetings of the governing body for up to six months for reasons as noted in Regulation 49 of The Government of Maintained Schools (Wales) Regulations 2005
  • cannot disclose details of discussions which are unlikely to be recorded in the minutes, even if their report concerns matters that have not been deemed by the governing body to be confidential;
  • cannot act individually unless a specific task has been formally allocated to them by the governing body, giving power to the individual governor to act on its behalf;
  • cannot play a part in the governing body’s decision making when they have a personal and / or pecuniary interest in the outcome of the decision.

Parent governors

Parent governors play an important role on governing bodies, as parents have first-hand experience of the school day and what’s happening within the class from their child(ren) at the school. This brings a different perspective to the strategic management of the school.

Parent governors are elected as representatives of the interests of parents of pupils currently attending the school. In other words, they are representative parents rather than representative of parents. Parent governors can express their personal views at governing body meetings and cannot be mandated by the parents they represent to support a particular position with which the parent governor does not agree.

It can sometimes be difficult balancing your role as an impartial parent governor, and being a parent at the school at the same time. Here is some advice on how to undertake your role effectively:

  • Make yourself known to parents, as agreed by the governing body.
  • Be aware of parental views and any concerns.
  • Listen impartially to any concerns raised by parents, and advise parents on appropriate courses of action e.g. follow the correct school procedure to resolve their concerns.
  • Do not personally become involved in individual parental concerns and don’t promise to ‘solve a problem’ on your own.
  • Remember, just because you are a governor at the school, you are also a parent, and if you have any of your own concerns, you would need to follow the same procedure as other parents to resolve these.
  • If there is some aspect of school life which is worrying a large number of parents, ask the chair/head if this is an appropriate topic to discuss at the next governing body meeting.
  • Do not bring an individual parent issue to governing body meetings, or your own.
  • Help to raise the profile of the important work that school governors do – you are a great recruiting tool for the next round of prospective parent governors!

A parent governor can continue to serve as a governor until the end of their four year term of office, even if their child leaves the school during their period of office, however they cannot nominate themselves for re-election if they no longer have children registered to attend the school.

Parent governors cannot be removed from office before they have served their term of office.

This is just a snapshot of practical tips to assist you.

Teacher and staff governors

Teacher and staff governors are elected as representatives of the interests of teaching staff or support staff of their school respectively. All staff employed at the school other than in a teaching capacity – they may be staff employed either under a contract of employment or a contract for services at the school).

This is a distinctive category of governor, since they have professional knowledge of the school’s activities, and its strengths and weaknesses. This helps to enhance the governing body’s understanding of, its role and of the school.

Teacher and staff governors can express their own views at governing body meetings and cannot be mandated by the teachers and staff they represent to support a particular position with which the teacher or staff governor does not agree. Sometimes the views of a teacher or staff governor will not be those of their headteacher. If this is the case, it is wise for the governor to pay the headteacher the courtesy of informing him or her before the particular issue is discussed in a governors’ meeting.

It can sometimes be difficult balancing your role as an impartial governor, and being a member of staff at the school at the same time. Here is some advice on how to undertake your role effectively:

  • Make yourself known to the staff, if not already.
  • Be aware of staff views and any concerns.
  • Listen impartially to any concerns raised by staff, and advise on appropriate courses of action e.g. follow the correct school procedure to resolve their concerns.
  • Do not personally become involved in individual staff member’s concerns and don’t promise to ‘solve a problem’ on your own.
  • Remember, just because you are a governor at the school, you are also a member of staff, and if you have any of your own concerns, you would need to follow the same procedure as other staff members to resolve these.
  • If there is some aspect of school life which is worrying a large number of the staff, ask the chair/head if this is an appropriate topic to discuss at the next governing body meeting.
  • Do not bring an individual staff member issue to governing body meetings, or your own.
  • Help to raise the profile of the important work that school governors do – you are a great recruiting tool for the next round of prospective teacher / staff governors!
  • If reporting back to staff about relevant decisions made at governing body meetings, it is wise to wait for the draft minutes to be produced to ensure that what you are reporting is accurate and be mindful of matters deemed confidential. Reporting on the decision and perhaps the main argument is enough. Do not indicate how individual governors voted or what each governor said.
  • Help staff to understand the importance of link governor visits / governors learning walks etc – they are not inspectors but are learning more about what happens in the class to help their strategic role.
  • Encourage the governing body to invite teachers to meetings to give presentations on their work in the school, as this also helps governors understand more about school life.

Teacher and staff governors are not able to be elected as chair or vice-chair of the governing body or chair of a committee, nor can they be involved in any part of a meeting where the pay or performance review of any person employed at the school is discussed. There may also be other circumstances where teacher and staff governors may need to withdraw from a meeting due to their role within the school, this is of course dependent on the topic and level of detail to be discussed.

Teacher and staff governors cannot be removed from office before they have served their term of office, however, their term of office ends if they are no longer employed to work at the school.

This is just a snapshot of practical tips to assist you.

Local Authority governors

Local Authority (LA) governors are appointed by the LA which maintains the school. LA Governors should be chosen on the basis of the contribution that they can bring to a governing body in terms of their skills and experience. LAs should publish the process and criteria for identifying candidates for appointment as LA governors, and should ensure that appointments are made promptly, not allowing for any vacancies to remain unfilled for a long period of time.

LA governors do not have to be elected members of the Local Authority to be appointed into this role. If a person is eligible to be a teacher or staff governor at the school, they are unable to be appointed as a LA governor.

LA governors may present the LAs views but they are not delegates of the LA and they cannot be mandated by the LA to take a particular view. Their first loyalty should be to the school and the community it serves. LA governors should be aware and understand the LAs priorities and policies, as this will enable them to be appropriately informed when discussing priorities at governing body meetings.

LA governors bring a wider perspective about how the school fits into the provision of education. They also play a key role in ‘linking’ the governing body to information about educational developments and LA priorities.

It can sometimes be difficult balancing your role as an impartial governor, and being an elected member of the LA (if this is applicable). You may be approached by a parent at the school, who is one of your constituents, about an issue with the school where you are a governor. Listen impartially to the problem, and direct the parent to the relevant procedure to follow at the school.

LA governors can be removed by the LA, however, the LA should implement an agreed, transparent and fair procedure should the removal of an LA governor be considered necessary. The LA must provide written notice of removal both to the Clerk of the governing body and to the LA governor concerned.

Community governors

Community governors are appointed by the governing body. Governing bodies need governors that have the knowledge, skills and expertise to provide challenge and support and who will play a full part within the governing body team. The community governor category is a way of enabling the governing body to add specific areas of expertise to the governing body, reflecting a balance of interests amongst the stakeholder group. Carrying out a skills audit will highlight any skills gaps on the governing body, which could be filled with the appointment of community governors.

Community governors usually live or work in the community of the school area. However, first and foremost, they must be committed to the good government and success of the school, acting as a link with the community. It is also good practice that community governors should reflect the widest possible spectrum and demographics of the community.

If a person is eligible to be a teacher or staff governor at the school, is a registered pupil at the school, or is an elected member of the LA, they cannot be appointed as a community governor.

Community governors can be removed by the governing body following a set procedure as set out in Regulation 28 of The Government of Maintained Schools (Wales) Regulations 2005

Additional community governors

Where primary schools and nursery schools serve an area where there is a local community council, the community council will nominate an additional community governor as their representative to sit on the on the governing body of the school . The community council can also remove this category of governor. If a school serves an area where there are 2 or more community councils, the governing body may request nominations from one or more of the community councils.

Additional community governors enable the governing body to add specific areas of expertise to the governing body, reflecting a balance of interests amongst the stakeholder group.

The Instrument of Government must provide for the governing body to include an additional community governor in addition to the other categories of governors

Headteacher governor

A headteacher will be a full member of the governing body of their school unless they choose not to be a governor. If a headteacher decides not to be a governor they are still entitled to attend all meetings of the governing body.

The special position of the headteacher governor is important if a good relationship is to be maintained between the head and the governing body. The headteacher will:

  • report to governors but also involve governors closely in the running of the school (without, of course, avoiding their own responsibilities);
  • be honest, direct and open with governors;
  • establish a good rapport with the chair of the governing body;
  • use simple and direct language rather than technical educational jargon;
  • create a climate where governors feel welcome in the school and not just when governors meetings are held.

Please refer to the Governor Guide on The Role of the Chair for further information

Foundation governors

The inclusion of Foundation Governors on the governing bodies of both Aided and Controlled schools is one of the distinguishing characteristics of a faith school. The Foundation Governors represent the historic link with the original establishment of the school and its distinctive religious ethos.

They are also represented on the governing bodies of foundation schools. At Foundation Schools, as at Voluntary Aided but not Voluntary Controlled Schools, the governing body employs the school’s staff and has primary responsibility for admission arrangements. The school’s land and buildings are owned by the governing body or by a charitable foundation.

Foundation governors are appointed to ensure that the particular religious character of the school is preserved and developed (if it has a religious character) and to secure compliance with the trust deed, if there is one. Foundation governors also have some additional legal responsibilities to ensure that:

  1. the particular religious character of the school is preserved and developed;
  2. the school is conducted in accordance with its trust deed;
  3. the religious education curriculum is in accordance with diocesan policy and;
  4. collective worship is in accordance with the tenets and practices of the particular religion;
  5. where a school has foundation governors, the foundation governors must approve the draft Instrument of Government before the governing body can submit it to the Trustees/Diocesan Authorities and in turn the LA, in order for it to be amended or changed.

A minority of foundation governors are in place ex-officio (by right of office). These are usually the local incumbent i.e. local vicar or priest and, occasionally, representatives of trusts or other bodies. Where the Instrument of Government provides for a foundation governor to act ex- officio, provision should be made for a substitute foundation governor to act in the place of an ex-officio foundation governor, if:
– (i) the ex-officio foundation governor is unable or unwilling to act as a governor or has been removed as a governor; or
– (ii) where there is vacancy in the post of ex-officio governor.

In voluntary controlled schools, the foundation governors may determine the use of school premises on Sundays.

In voluntary aided schools, the number of foundation governors must outnumber the other governors by at least two. The foundation governors must also include at least two governors who, when appointed, are parents of pupils at the school.

Foundation governors can be removed by the person who appointed him or her. An ex-officio foundation governor may be removed by the person named in the Instrument of Government who is entitled to remove him or her. In both cases, written notice must be given to the governing body clerk and to the governor in question

Sponsor governors

This is a person who has given or is giving substantial financial assistance to the school or who has provided or is providing substantial services to the school or represents the interests of an organisation or business that has provided the same sponsorship. The governing body must seek nominations for such appointments from the sponsor or (as the case may be) from any one or more of the sponsors.

Representative governors

Representative governors are members of the governing body in community special schools, and represent the interests of the local health board(s), NHS trusts or voluntary organisations associated with the school. They take the place of one of the community governors.

Partnership governors

Partnership governors apply only to foundation schools which do not have a foundation. They are appointed by the governing body from nominations by parents of registered pupils at the school and by other members of the community served by the school. A person is not able to be nominated or appointed as a partnership governor if he or she is:
  • a parent of a registered pupil at the school;
  • a registered pupil at the school;
  • eligible to be a teacher or staff governor of the school;
  • an elected member of the local authority; or
  • employed by the local authority in connection with its functions as a local authority.

Associate pupil governors

Associate pupil governors (APGs) are nominated from members of the school council from Years 11, 12 or 13 in secondary schools. The aim of APGs is to provide the voice of the school council at governing body meetings and vice versa. They can also be members of the governing body non statutory committees and may vote at committee meetings (not governing body meetings) if voting rights are granted by the governing body.

For further information refer to Pupil participation, Associate Pupil Governors and School Councils

Training

For governors to carry out their responsibilities effectively and to a high standard they need to be trained appropriately. A commitment to governor development is an important aspect of being an effective governing body but training does not just stop at the induction stage. As well as the mandatory training for new governors, chairs and understanding performance data, there are a number of additional training courses available, provided by Local Authorities, to assist all governors to gain the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively govern their school.

Further advice and information can always be sought from your governor support office within the LA,
the Diocesan Authority and from the Governors Cymru Services support line 01443 844532.

Essential reference material:

A Handbook for School Governors in Wales
Principles of Conduct for Governors of Schools in Wales
The Government of Maintained Schools (Wales) Regulations 2005
Welsh Government – School Governors Guide to the Law


© Governors Cymru Services – September 2019

Published: 29/08/2018

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