Interested in becoming a Governor?
Why do it?
Being a school governor is extremely rewarding.
It's an excellent way of becoming part of the school community and making a difference to how the school is run.
No special qualifications are required. We don’t need education experts, just enthusiasm. Lots of training is available, making it a great way to gain new skills. We give every new governor a mentor to help them get to grips with their new role.
What's required of governors?
The role of governor is voluntary.
Any time a governor spends carrying out their duties is appreciated and makes a difference to the school.
As a minimum we would like Earlsfield governors to do the following:
Attend twice termly full governing Board meetings
These are usually on Wednesdays and take place each half term. They start at 6pm and tend to go on until at least 8.30pm. Minutes and other papers are circulated a week before the meeting and Governors are encouraged to review papers and raise questions prior to the meeting.
Attend additional Governor training and strategy meetings
All Governors are encouraged to undertake regular training. As a minimum we require Governors to attend induction training at the Local Authority and complete online safeguarding training when they start. In addition we have a Strategy meeting towards the beginning of the academic year and arrange full governor training sessions from time to time throughout the year which all Governors are expected to attend.
Have link roles and areas of responsibility
All Governors are expected to take on a "link" responsibility. This will be a specific focus area - usually connected to the School's strategic priorities and Governors' areas of responsibility. Link Governors are expected to visit school at least once a term to meet with school staff/pupils as appropriate to oversee their specific areas. These focus areas and plans are set within the Governing Board's Annual Plan.
In addition, there are additional sub-committees of the Board and working groups in some of the specialist areas which meet on a less regular basis as required throughout the school year. These include the Head’s Performance Committee; Appeals and Exclusions Committee and Pay Committee. In addition, depending on their focus area, Governors may need to attend working groups covering areas such as data/curriculum and budget oversight to prepare for the Full Governing Meetings.
Keep abreast of current local and national developments in relation to their specific role as a Governor. Governors will be provided with updates via our shared communications portal and will have access to governor information sites. Governors have a duty to keep abreast of those areas that are relevant to their roles. Every governor is given a link area, which they are asked to monitor via termly visits to school. Most of the link areas align to the School priorities and will be allocated through the Committee workplans and at Committee meetings.
Attend at least one school event and one PTA event per year
Each year there are a range of events like assemblies, fairs or concerts that are organised by the school and PTA (Parent Teacher Association) which is a great opportunity to come and celebrate the school’s events.
To help, you will be given a job description, which outlines the role.
The role is unpaid but governors can claim for certain costs or expenses they incur.
If you’re interested, contact Debbie Mayers (Chair of Govs) at governors@earlsfield.wandsworth.sch.uk to find out more.
