School Governors

What does a governor do?

What does a governor do?

All governors have the same powers, duties and responsibilities, irrespective of what category of governor they are. As a governor, you are acting in the interests of all children at the school. You should not see it as an opportunity to gain any advantages for a particular child.

A key aspect of being a governor is asking questions. As a governor you bring to the governing body your own particular perspective and, perhaps, that of the part of the community you represent and can share these views with other members of the governing body.  You may receive information that other members of the community are not aware of and this may influence how you vote; how individuals on the governing body vote should remain confidential. The decisions made are recorded in the minutes, which are a public record, but details of discussions, and who said what, are not reported.

The role of a Parent Governor

Parent governors have the same powers, duties and responsibilities as all other governors. As a governor, they are expected to act in the interests of all children at the school. Parent governors should not see it as an opportunity to gain any advantages for their own child.

Parent governors bring to the governing body the particular perspective of a parent, ensuring that all governors are aware of the views of parents. They are a representative of parents, but are not a delegate. This means that while parent governors should represent the views of parents, they may also express their own views and vote according to their own beliefs on any issue. 

The same applies to governors representing school staff or their local council.