School Governors

Requirements for being a School Governor

Following a successful appointment there are a number of requirements that will be expected of a new school governor. This could be due to government legislation or as a result of a governing body resolution that has been made.

DBS Disclosure

All Pembrokeshire governing bodies have resolved to have their governors checked by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), previously known as the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB), as a means to safeguarding the children and young people of Pembrokeshire. The Government of Maintained Schools (Wales) Regulations (opens in a new tab) make it clear that if a governing body requests a governor to undergo such a check and the governor refuses, they would be disqualified from serving as a governor. 

If you are uncertain of whether you would be willing to undergo a DBS check, please consider carefully whether or not to apply for the position of school governor. For more information on the process please contact a member of the Governors' Support Services team.

Governor Training

All new governors are required to complete two mandatory training sessions, Induction for New Governors and Using Data for School Improvement, within 1 year of their appointment/election. These courses are run by the GSS team regularly, but are also available online. Failure to complete these courses within the prescribed time period will result in suspension from being a governor for up to six months, pending completion of the training. Failure to complete the training by the end of the suspension period will result in disqualification.

If you are uncertain of whether you would be willing to attend these training sessions, please consider carefully whether or not to apply for the position of school governor. For more information on the process please contact a member of the Governors' Support Services team.

Welsh Government Regulations require that a governor must also:

• Be aged 18 or over at the time of his/her election or appointment.  Pupils may be governors but few are likely to be eligible
• Not be a governor at more than two schools (unless as an ex-officio or temporary governor or an additional governor at a school causing concern)
• Not be an ex-officio governor specified in the instrument of government of more than two schools
• Not be bankrupt or disqualified under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986 or an order made under section 429(2)(b) of the Insolvency Act 1986
• Not have been removed from the office of Charity Trustee or trustee for a charity by the Charity Commissioners of High Court on grounds of any misconduct or mismanagement, or under section 7 of the Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Scotland) Act 1990 from being concerned in the management or control of any body
• Not be included in the list of teachers or workers prohibited or restricted from working with children or young people (currently called List 99)
• Not be liable to be detained under the Mental Health Act 1983
• Not be disqualified from being a teacher, other school employee or an independent school proprietor
• Not have been sentenced to 3 months or more in prison (without the option of a fine) in the 5 years before becoming a governor or since becoming a governor
• Not have received a prison sentence of 2½ years or more in the 20 years before becoming a governor
• Not at any time have received a prison sentence of 5 years or more
• Not have been fined for causing a nuisance or disturbance on school premises during the 5 years prior to or since appointment or election as a governor.

If, having read all the information provided, you are interested in becoming a school governor, please apply using the online Application to serve as a School Governor.

You will get an automatic acknowledgement when you submit this form. If you do not get a follow-up, personalised email from GSS admin within 24 hours of submitting the email, please contact the office at gssadmin@pembrokeshire.gov.uk

Thanks again for your interest.