16 Types Of School Governor

To achieve a community goal, you need to have an opposition group to make sure the ruling group chose the right path to achieve goals. Here the opposition force is the school governor. This article will share what types of school governors are present.

Governors work to make sure the school gives good quality education to the students. They are responsible for raising educational standards. They make sure the school offers equal access to students, staff, and finances.

16 Types Of School Governors You Might Not Know

The key role of a school governor is working together with the Head Teacher (HT) and the wider school community to safeguard and enhance the educational experience of pupils at a school.

Governors play a crucial role in supporting and shaping the future of their schools. They are accountable to the public every bit as much as the HT, but their role is complex, time-consuming, and challenging.

Different schools require different types of school governors. The following is a short guide to the main types:

1. Foundation Governors

Foundation governors work to ensure that the school serves the community’s needs. They are appointed by the LA and there should be no more than 10% of any type of foundation governor in a governing body. Foundation governors make sure that the school responds to inequalities within society and does not adopt measures that would increase these inequalities.

Foundation governors can also be members of a religious community, however many LA’s do not allow this as they feel that it will be difficult for them to have a balanced governing body if all the foundation governors are from one religion. Foundation Governors’ role is to:

Ensure the school is meeting its objectives and catering to the needs of the community.

Help with school development plans (SDP).

Monitor progress on an ongoing basis.

Attend formal meetings regularly or as required by delegated authority.

2. Voluntary-Aided Governors

Governors play an important role in ensuring that schools provide a high-quality education for their students. Voluntary-Aided Governors are an essential part of this process. They are responsible for setting the strategic direction of the school, monitoring its performance, and making sure that it is accountable to its stakeholders. In addition, they have a duty to ensure that the school complies with all legal requirements

Related Readings to School & Education:

Voluntary-Aided Governors are usually appointed by the local authority or the governing body of the school. However, they may also be elected by parents or staff. The key thing to remember is that they are volunteers who give up their time to help improve education in their community.

– Ensure that all conditions in the funding agreement are met by both parties (LA & Foundation).
– Make sure all decisions made by the governing body are within laws set out by the Education Act 2002.
– Monitor progress on an ongoing basis.

3. Co-opted Governors

Co-opted governors are appointed because they have expertise in a certain area and bring it to the governing body. They can be experts in areas such as finance, HR, or property.

They must attend formal meetings regularly or when delegated authority. The co-opted members of a governing body should not exceed one-third of the total number of governors at any time. Co-opted governor’s role is to:

– Ensure that all conditions in the funding agreement are met by both parties (LA & Foundation).
– Make sure all decisions made by the governing body are within laws set out by the Education Act 2002.
– Monitor progress on an ongoing basis.

4. Local Authority Governor

Local Authority Governors are appointed by the Local Authority to help support, challenge and hold to account media schools. The role of a Local Authority Governor is to work with the school’s Principal, Chief Executive, and Board of Trustees to provide educational opportunities that meet the needs of all students in the catchment.

Local Authority Governors play an important oversight role, ensuring that the school is accountable to the community it serves. In addition, Local Authority Governors are responsible for appointing the school’s Principal and Chief Executive. As such, they play a vital role in ensuring that the school is run effectively and efficiently.

-Monitor progress on an ongoing basis.

-Vote annually on the school budget.

5. Staff Governor

Staff governors are individuals who are elected by and represent the staff of an organization. Their role is to act as a link between staff and the management team and to provide input on decisions that affect staff members. In many cases, staff governors also have a say in the selection of new senior managers.

Staff governors play an important role in ensuring that the needs of employees are taken into account when decisions are made. They can help to improve communication and understanding between different groups within an organization and can act as a sounding board for staff members who have concerns or suggestions. In addition, staff governors can help to create a more positive working environment by promoting cooperation and working to resolve conflict.

6. Parent Governors

Parents who have children attending a particular school can apply to become parent governors. They are appointed by LA and not themselves. Parent governors’ role is to:

-Make sure that decisions made by the governing body are in the best interest of students.

-Make sure the school’s curriculum meets all requirements.

-Vote annually on the school budget.

7. Head Teacher Governor

LA appoints a headteacher governor, this person is generally an experienced senior staff member of the school or someone who has held senior posts elsewhere. Their role is to:

-Support Head Teacher in developing a clear vision for the future direction of school improvement.

-Help make sure decisions that are being made are in the best interests of students.

-Monitor progress on an ongoing basis.

8. Sponsor Governor

Some foundation governors have also sponsored governors. Their role is to:

-Help schools become more independent of LA.

-Monitoring progress on an ongoing basis.

-Ensure conditions in the funding agreement are met by both parties (LA & Foundation).

9. Vacancy Governor

If a governing body has no parent, staff, or local authority governor then the director of children’s services will appoint someone to fill the vacancy for that term. Vacancy governors’ role is to:

-Make sure all decisions made by the governing body are within laws set out by the Education Act 2002.

-Monitor progress on an ongoing basis.

10. Allegation Governor

One party cannot make this type of governor. They are appointed by LA but on a case-by-case basis and not every time there is an allegation. This type of governor’s role is to:

-Take responsibility for monitoring compliance with governing body decisions that have been challenged in the courts.

11. Funding Governor

LA can also appoint someone to represent them in certain matters including discussion about how much money should be given to the school. Their role is to:

-Make sure that decisions about the budget are being implemented correctly by the headteacher or whoever else has responsibility for this.

12. External Governor

LA may invite external people onto their governing body which must come from another local authority, central government, or industry sector.

External governors’ appointments can be a problem because they can be appointed with a certain agenda in mind. This means that the headteacher may have problems when appointing new staff. Internal governors need to be aware of this and not try to push their agendas on the school. Their role is to:

-Support the governing body in fulfilling its purpose and help governors make sure how effective their performance is.

13. Associate Governor

Associate governors are nominated by the LA governor and will only vote on matters which the governing body has decided is necessary to involve them. Their role is to:

-Help a school perform better if they have special expertise in a particular area.

14. Community Governor

A community governor can’t be a parent, staff, local authority, or headteacher governor. They are appointed by an LA too but at their discretion rather than yours. Community governors’ role is to:

-Participate in discussions about decisions affecting all aspects of everyday school life.

-Vote annually on the school budget.

15. Internal governors

Internal governors are chosen by the Headteacher or Local Authority (LA). The LA consists of parents, teachers, members of the public, and representatives from other schools.

Governors serve a fixed term of office and can serve more than one term. When a governor is first elected or appointed they must undertake training to make sure they are qualified for the job. If a governor wants to leave during their time in office, it is very difficult but possible. Internal Governor role is:

-Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of governing body decisions.

-Help schools become more independent of LA.

-Make sure that action points from previous meetings are completed within reasonable time scales.

-Review governors’ performance as a governor.

16. Partnership Governor

Partnership governors are not chosen by LA but are nominated to represent important partners, such as the local authority, school staff, or parents. Partnership governors’ role is to:

-Provide another perspective for the governing body’s decisions.

-Help governors become aware of wider interests to do with the school.

Their tasks are very similar to both internal and external governors. But instead of being appointed by LA, they have been elected by people who work at the school or parents/pupils who attend it.
They can also be anyone from outside of this group depending on what kind of governor you want them to be. This type is the one that tends to have more power because they are chosen directly by those connected with the school.

Conclusion

Governors are elected or chosen by an LA. The LA consists of parents, teachers, members of the public, and representatives from other schools. They all serve a fixed term of office and can serve more than one term. When a governor is first elected or appointed they must undertake training to make sure they are qualified for the job.
If a governor wants to leave during their time in office it is very difficult but possible. The governor’s role is to help the school become more independent of LA, monitor progress on an ongoing basis, and ensure conditions in the funding agreement are met by both parties (LA & Foundation).

Reference

Ayesha Akhtar