Have you ever thought about becoming a school governor but wondered what it involved? You can find out all the facts and meet current governors at a special event.
The information event will be held on Thursday, 4 May between 5.30-7pm at Ealing Town Hall and will be hosted by Ealing Council and the Governors for Schools organisation.
What can I do there?
You will be able to chat to current governors and council officers to talk about the training available and ask any questions you may have.
You will also be able to meet representatives from local schools who are looking for new recruits for their governing boards. It will provide an opportunity for those who are interested to see if any perfect matches can be made between you and a school.
What do governors need to do?
Governors do not need to have any relevant experience or connection to a school, unless they wish to become a parent governor – in which case they need to have a child at the school to qualify. But, either way, you do need to have a commitment to high standards for local children and a willingness to learn and contribute.
Although governors do not get involved in the day-to-day running of the school, they do help to define the school’s vision, ethos and strategic direction. They support the headteacher and senior management team but also hold them to account and make decisions about budgets and resources.
The average time commitment is around six to 10 days per year. Employers, under Section 50 of the Employment Rights Act 1996, must give employees who are school governors reasonable time off to carry out their duties.
‘Governors provide vital support’
Councillor Binda Rai, the council’s cabinet member for children and young people, said: “Governors provide vital support to the borough’s schools. They are representative of the local population and bring a range valuable and useful skills and experience with them. Having been a school governor myself I know that it can be challenging but hugely satisfying to play a part in helping a school and its children to thrive.”
‘I thought it might all be about meetings but it is much more than that’
Ava Baptiste, who recently became a governor at Stanhope Primary School, said: “I’ve been surprised about the range of things and decisions that I get involved with, from getting chickens into the playground and all the things that need to be taken into account, to assessing how parents use the many school clubs that operate outside of school hours. I thought it might all be about meetings but it is much more than that.”
More information
For more information visit www.becomeagovernor.com or www.ealing.gov.uk
