Make a difference as a school governor
St Michael's Easthampstead has a number of vacancies for foundation governors and would like to attract the skills and experience of people from the local community who want to help the school flourish.
No previous or specific governor experience needed. We are looking for people who have:
- enthusiasm
- a willingness to learn
- the confidence to challenge and actively contribute during discussions
- an ability to work closely and collaboratively with others
Unfortunately, we are sorry to note that due the high ratio of parents already appointed to the governing body we are unable to accept nominations from members of the community who are or will be future parents.
The role
School governors are volunteers who work together to provide support and challenge to the school’s leaders.
Much of the role of a governor is about exercising common sense and working together in the best interests of the children.
Governors play a very important role in the following ways:
- decide the school’s vision
- make sure that money is spent on the right things
- make sure that the school delivers the best education it can for the children
The governing board’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.
In return, governors gain skills that they may not otherwise get elsewhere, as well as gaining a wider view about a key part of their community. Most importantly, these volunteers get the satisfaction of knowing they are helping to make a difference in the education of the children who attend St Michael’s Easthampstead.
Training for governors is provided free of charge by the local authority or through the National Governance Association. More specific training for governance in church schools is available through the Oxford Diocese.
The full governing body meets every half term, with separate committees (made up of smaller groups of governors) meeting 3 or 4 times a year.
Meetings last around 2 hours and are very interactive. Most of our current governors work full time and manage to fit in their role around their other commitments. Their motivation is invariably to make a positive contribution to something of fundamental importance – educating our children.
Being a governor at St Michael's Easthampstead CE Primary School can give a volunteer a deep level of personal satisfaction in helping others in their community. It also helps develop practical skills useful in all workplaces.
About the foundation governor role
St Michael’s is looking to recruit foundation governors who, as well as carrying out the usual activities of a governor, also have an interest in and responsibility for supporting and encouraging the spiritual life of the school.
Foundation governors make sure that the Christian character, values and ethos of the school are preserved and developed - that the school is recognisably Christian. They are usually committed Christians, though not necessarily from the Anglican tradition. To fulfil the role of foundation governor, a person should generally be an active member of a Christian worshipping community.
How to apply
If you would be interested in having an informal chat about the role or to find out more about how you can contribute to governance at the school, please email the Chair of Governors, Louise Hodkinson at louise.hodkinson@stmicheast.co.uk.
You can also apply to become a school governor by filling in the governor registration form.