Make a difference as a school governor
The governing body of Whitegrove Primary School has one vacancy for a co-opted governor.
About us
Our governing body is made up of 13 governors:
- 2 elected parent governors
- 1 local authority governor
- 1 elected staff governor
- 1 headteacher staff governor
- 8 co-opted governors
We also have a professional clerk to the governors.
We are all volunteers who wish to make a positive contribution to the school and the education of all its children.
Governors are one of the largest volunteer forces in the country and have an important part to play in raising school standards. The role of the governing board is absolutely key to the effectiveness of a school. Time and time again Ofsted (the national inspection body for schools) has noted that the most effective schools demonstrate effective leadership and management, including by the governing board.
The role
The governing body’s overriding responsibility is to work in partnership with the headteacher, who we appoint, to promote the continuous improvement in the performance of the school. We play an important part in raising school standards through our 3 key roles of setting strategic direction, making sure we are accountable, and monitoring and evaluating school performance.
We currently meet twice a term as a full governing body and have 2 committees. The committees are Quality, Curriculum and Ethos, and People, Finance and Environment. The committees also meet twice a term. The governing body makes collective decisions. The average time commitment is 10 to 15 hours per term which includes meetings, background reading and school visits.
As a body, we elect a chair and vice chair and development governor for specific areas of work, there are also a number of other roles and responsibilities. A governor’s term of office is 4 years.
Parent governors are elected when a vacancy arises by a ballot of eligible parents. Local authority governors are nominated by the local authority and appointed by the governing body. Co-opted governors are appointed by the governing body to make sure the body has a range of skills and expertise amongst members. Staff governors (elected and co-opted) are drawn from both teaching and non-teaching staff groups and are elected by the staff.
We encourage all our governors to attend the excellent training provided by the local authority to make sure we maintain the skills necessary to fulfil our role. There is also a full induction programme for new governors. For more information on being a school governor visit about school governors.
How to apply
If you are interested in this position, please apply in writing with an outline of the skills you feel you could bring to the role.
Applications should be addressed to the clerk to governors at clerk@whitegroveprimary.co.uk.
You can also apply to become a school governor by filling in the governor registration form.