Who are school governors?

Governors are people who have an interest in the role of schools in their community and want to make a positive contribution to the success of local schools, improving the educational standards and achievements of their pupils.

The main roles of governors are:

To provide a strategic view, shaping the school's aims and vision
To act as a "critical friend" to the school
Ensuring accountability

What do school governors do?

A governing body's overriding responsibility is to work in partnership with the head teacher, Tower Hamlets council and other stakeholders to promote continuous improvement in the performance of the school. Together with the head teacher, the governing body sets the school's aims and policies, plans its development, and decides how to spend the budget.

Governing bodies do:

Act as a link between the local community and the school
Set the school's policies
Deal with complaints about the school
Set the overall budget for the school
Decide the number of staff, the pay policy, and the level of pay for the school's teachers.
Appoint the head teacher, deputy head teacher, and some other staff
Ensure the National Curriculum is taught to all pupils
Help decide the priorities for the school's development plan
Set appropriate targets for pupil improvement
Ensure the balanced treatment of political issues
Receive reports on the school's progress and achievements, compare the performance of their school to similar schools, and publish their school's national test and exam results
In some schools, agree the school's policy for admitting pupils
Agree procedures for pupil discipline
Decide school uniform policy
Agree procedures for staff conduct

Governing bodies do not:

Inspect the school
Authorise all expenditure
Have the right to exclude or discipline any individual pupil. All decisions on excluding pupils are taken by the head teacher, although governors review some exclusions and can hear representations from an excluded pupil's parents/carers
Decide which pupils will be admitted to the school
Decide how pupils are taught individual subjects

Governors do not:

Have powers as individuals. The powers and legal rights are with the governing body as a group.

Governors need to:

Be enthusiastic and committed to wanting children to get the best from their school
Be discreet, open minded and fair
Be willing to raise questions constructively and participate in discussion and decision-making
Be prepared to participate in the life of the school
Have the time to attend governors meetings and training
Be open to new ideas and ready to learn
Act at all times with honesty and integrity and be ready to explain their actions and decisions to staff, pupils, parents and anyone with a legitimate interest in the school

Roles of governing bodies and head teachers - delegation

To help governing bodies perform their strategic leadership role more effectively they should delegate tasks and decision-making authority to committees or to individual governors or to the head teacher. GovernorNet gives guidance on what can be delegated, and provides a useful "Governing Body Decision Planner". Governing bodies can use this as the basis of reviewing and approving each year the powers they have delegated. View the Decision Planner.

How much time does it take?

Governors do have to do more than just take an interest in the school. You must be willing to give up your free time to come to meetings, read paperwork and to get to know your school. Typically the governing body will meet once or twice a term for 2 or 3 hours.

Much of the work of governing bodies is delegated to committees and all governors are expected to participate in the work of at least one or two committees.

Most governors find that they spend at least 50 hours a year attending meetings and reading papers.

Do governors get paid?

No. Governors are volunteers and do not get paid. However help may be available to cover out of pocket expenses. .

Governors expenses and time off from work

The government considers it good practice for governing bodies to reimburse governors for expenses they incur. Expenses could include childcare, telephone and photocopying or travel costs.

Although governing bodies have the power to pay expenses they do not have to do so. Before a governing body can pay expenses it must have in place a formal policy setting the basis on which expenses will be paid. Prior approval must be obtained from the governing body before incurring the expense, and receipts must be obtained for all expenses you claim.

For more advice visit GovernorNet.

Time off from work for governors duties

Employers must give you reasonable time off from work to carry out your duties as a school governor, but they do not have to pay you when you take time off. Governors should agree with their employer what is reasonable time off taking into account:

How much time is required overall to perform the duties
Whether you are also being given time off from work for other activities
The particular circumstances of your employer's business
The likely effect that your absence may have on your employer's business

If you are interested in being a governor in a Tower Hamlets school go to the section How to become a school governor in Tower Hamlets

For further information contact:

Governor services
Mulberry Place
5 Clove Crescent
London, E14 2BG
Tel: 020 7364 5000
Email: governors@towerhamlets.gov.uk