How to become a school governor

Can anyone be a governor?

You do not have to be an education expert and anyone over the age of 18 can be a governor, with certain exceptions.

The exceptions are if you have had certain criminal convictions or disqualifications, are disqualified from working with children or become bankrupt.

It is also now a requirement that governors should be checked by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

Once you become a governor you can be removed from the governing body if you fail to attend governing body meetings, without the consent of the governing body for a period of six months.

You can speak to Tower Hamlets governor services in confidence for advice on disqualifications.

You do not have to be an education expert and anyone over the age of 18 can be a governor, with certain exceptions.

Who is disqualified from being a governor?

Governors or prospective governors must notify the clerk to the governing body if any of the grounds for disqualification apply.

General

Registered pupils cannot be governors.
A governor must be aged 18 or over at the time of election or appointment.
A person cannot hold more than one governor post at the same school at the same time.

Particular categories of governor

A person cannot be a parent governor if they are an elected member of the local authority or paid to work at the school for more than 500 hours in any consecutive twelve-month period (at the time of election or appointment).

A person cannot be a local authority governor if they are eligible to be a staff governor.

A person cannot be a partnership governor if they are:

a parent of a registered pupil at the school
eligible to be a staff governor at the school
an elected member of the local authority or
employed by the local authority in connection with its education functions.

Failure to attend meetings

A person is disqualified from being a governor of a particular school if they have failed to attend the meetings of the governing body of that school for a continuous period of six months, beginning with the date of the first meeting they failed to attend, without the consent of the governing body.

This does not apply to the headteacher or to foundation governors appointed by virtue of their office.

A foundation, local authority, co-opted or partnership governor at the school who is disqualified for failing to attend meetings is only disqualified from being a governor of any category at the school during the twelve month period starting on the date on which they were disqualified.

Bankruptcy

A person is disqualified from holding or continuing to hold office as a governor of a school if:

their estate has been sequestrated and the sequestration has not been discharged, annulled or reduced; or
they are the subject of a bankruptcy restrictions order, an interim bankruptcy restrictions order, a debt relief restrictions order or an interim debt relief restrictions order.

Disqualification of charity trustees

A person is disqualified from holding, or from continuing to hold, office as a governor of a school if they have:

Been removed from the office of trustee for a charity by an order made by the Charity Commission or Commissioners or the High Court on the grounds of misconduct or mismanagement
Been removed, under section 34 of the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005, from being concerned in the management or control of any body.

Persons whose employment is prohibited or restricted

A person is disqualified from holding or from continuing to hold office as a governor of a school at any time when they are:

Included in the list of teachers or workers considered by the Secretary of State as unsuitable to work with children or young people
Barred from any regulated activity relating to children
Disqualified from working with children or from registering for childminding or providing day care
Disqualified from being an independent school proprietor, teacher or employee by the Secretary of State.

Criminal convictions

A person is disqualified from holding or continuing to hold office as a governor if they have:

Been sentenced to three months or more in prison (without the option of a fine) in the five years before becoming a governor or since becoming a governor
Received a prison sentence of two years or more in the 20 years before becoming a governor
At any time received a prison sentence of five years or more
Been fined for causing a nuisance or disturbance on school premises during the five years prior to or since appointment or election as a governor.

Refusal to make an application for a Disclosure and Barring Service check

A person is disqualified from holding or continuing to hold office as a governor if they refuse a request by the clerk to the governing body to make an application to the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) for a DBS certificate.

You can speak to Tower Hamlets governor services in confidence for advice on disqualifications.

Types of governor

The number of people on a governing body varies depending on the needs of the school and can be between 7 and 23 people. Normally governors are appointed for four years, but can be reappointed or be put forward for re-election after that time.

A school governing body can made up of:

parent governors - selected by election and drawn from parents and carers of children at the school
staff governors - selected by election from teaching and support staff paid to work at the school
co-opted governors - appointed by the governing body to represent community interests
local authority governors – nominated to the governing body by Tower Hamlets
foundation governors - appointed by the school's founding body, church or other organisation named in the school's instrument of government
sponsor governors – a discretionary category appointed by the governing body from individuals who have made significant contributions to the school
associate members (not governors) - appointed by the governing body to attend committee meetings and/or full governing body meetings due to their particular skills or experience.

Read more about the types of governors for academy schools.

Parent governors

Parent governors are elected by the parents of pupils at the school and they must be the parent of a child at the school at the time they are elected.

Parent governors in particular are likely to be asked by other parents about matters which may be confidential. It is important that the governing body decides which issues are confidential and which are not and can therefore be shared with parents.

Parents are not restricted to serving only as elected parent governors, they can be appointed as local authority governors, co-opted governors or foundation governors.

Special rules apply to parents who are also employed to work at the school. Tower Hamlets governor services can advise on these.

More information on types of governors can be on GOV.UK website.

How do I apply to be a governor?

Contact Governor services on 020 7364 3141, email governor.servicessection@towerhamlets.gov.uk or complete the application form.

You can also directly contact the headteacher or chair of governors of the school you are interested in. If you are interested in being a governor of a church school, you can contact the Diocese or your parish priest and/or Vicar.