What do school Governors do?

St. Michael's Primary School governors are part of the school's leadership team. Governors have responsibility for overseeing school standards through their three key roles of setting strategic direction, ensuring accountability and acting as a critical friend

At St.Michael's we currently have four types of Governors, representing different sections of our community:

• Parent Governors: parents of children at the school
• Staff Governors: members of the school staff
• Local Authority Governors: nominated by the Local Authority                    
• Foundation Governors: Representatives of the Diocese of Oxford and St. Michael's and All Angels Parish Council

Our headteacher is responsible for day-to-day management of the school and the strategic development of the school. The role of the Governing Body is to provide oversight of the strategic management, and to act as a "critical friend", supporting the work of the headteacher and other staff.

The school has a delegated budget to cover salaries, running costs, maintenance and equipment; the Governing Body have a role in ensuring the school budget is well managed and work closely with the Head Teacher and the School Business Manager to do this. In consultation with the Head Teacher and the Senior Leadership team, they oversee how many and what types of staff to employ, which equipment to upgrade or replace and what the priorities are for implementing new strategies and initiatives.

Governors must appoint the Head Teacher (in conjunction with the Local Authority and the Diocese of Oxford) and may be involved in the appointment of other staff.

Governors also have a role in monitoring the school's progress and in having knowledge of setting annual targets for the school's performance and for the headteacher (and ensuring that the headteacher sets targets for other staff).

Foundation schools, such as St. Michael's, act as their own admissions authorities. In such schools the governing body, in consultation with the Head Teacher, sets the admissions policy, makes admissions decisions and defends admissions appeals.

All of the Governors are volunteers who give freely of their time, skills and energy by attending regular Full Governors and specialist Committee meetings. They also attend school events and visiting various classes, joining in with lessons and the life of the school and undertaking the necessary training to fulfil their role.

If you are interested in becoming a School Governor, please do not hesitate to approach any of our Governors for further information.

School Governor - Job Description

Purpose of the Post

The purpose of the post is to contribute to the work of the governing body in raising standards of achievement for all pupils. This involves providing a strategic view for the school, acting as a critical friend and ensuring accountability. Governors do not need to have formal qualifications and need to be aged 18 years and above.

The individual governor has a responsibility, working alongside other members of the governing body, to the staff and pupils of the school, the school’s wider community and where they are representatives, to their particular constituency (parents; staff; teachers; church; etc).

Reporting Arrangements

There are no formal reporting arrangements, however, the individual governor has a responsibility, working alongside other members of the governing body, to the stakeholders of the school and the school’s wider community.

Responsibilities include:
•developing the strategic plan for the school
•determining aims, policies and priorities of the school
•setting statutory and non statutory targets
•monitoring and evaluating the work of the school
•appointment of staff and ensuring the implementation of a range of personnel procedures
•strategic management of the budget
•securing high levels of attendance and good standards of pupil behaviour
•ensuring that all children in the schools have access to a broad and balanced curriculum which is suitable to age, aptitude and ability, which prepares them for adult life.
•ensuring the health and safety of pupils and staff
•Monitor and challenge pupil progress
•Ensure a high standard of the quality of teaching within the school

Tasks include:
•to get to know the school: its needs, strengths and areas for development.
•to attend meetings (full governing body, committees and working groups).
•to work as a member of a team
•to speak, act and vote in the best interests of the school as one perceives them.
•to respect all governing body decisions and to support them in public.
•to act within the framework of the policies of the governing body and legal requirements.
•to commit to training and development opportunities

School governor code of conduct:
•Governor conduct is underpinned by the following key principles:
•to act in the best interests of the school - this may require balancing short and long term issues, school and community issues etc.
•to work as a member of a team at all times and be loyal to collective decisions made by the governing body.
•to recognise that all governors have the same rights and responsibilities unless particular responsibilities are conferred on them by the full governing body.
•to understand that no governor can act alone except in exceptional circumstances prescribed in the regulations - the power of the governing body rests in it acting as a single body.

Governors must:
•respect confidentiality.
•listen to and respect the views of others.
•express their own views clearly and succinctly.
•take their fair share of work/positions of responsibility.
•know, understand and work within the prescribed regulatory framework.
•report any evidence of fraud, corruption or misconduct to an appropriate person or Authority.

 In addition, governors should:

• prepare for meetings by reading papers beforehand.
• take responsibility for their own learning and development as a governor including attending training
• attend meetings promptly, regularly, and for the full time.