Governing Body – what are governors for?

The role of the governing body is wide-ranging, but most of its functions can be described under three broad headings:

• Strategic planning: setting up a strategic framework for the school, its aims, and objectives, and putting in place policies and targets for achieving the objectives.
• Acting as a critical friend, supporting, monitoring, and evaluating school effectiveness, and by asking questions, providing advice, and offering help and assistance to the Head.
• Accountability: holding the school to account for the standards achieved, and explaining the school’s policies and actions to parents and the wider school community.

Each year, for example, the Governing Body publishes an annual report to parents recording the school’s achievements over the year, and describing the work of the governing body over the same period. The Governing Body must also approve the School Improvement Plan and the post-OfSTED Action Plan which provide the strategic framework for the school.

A clear distinction is drawn between the overarching strategic role of Governors, and the responsibility of the Headteacher for internal organisation, management, and control of the school on a day to day basis. In practice, the Head and the Governing Body work closely together, with the Head proposing aims, policies, and targets for the governors to adopt. The Head, for example, prepares a policy on the curriculum which should be offered to students; but the Governing Body must consider and agree the policy before it is adopted, and review its implementation after it is adopted.

The Governing Body also has an important role in recruitment. It appoints the Head and the Deputies, and governors are also involved in the appointment of other staff. It also plays an important role in disciplinary proceedings, both for staff and students. For example, all exclusions of students have to be reviewed by the Governing Body.

At Grey Court, governors become involved in many aspects of the school life. The Governing Body and the Parents’ Association have close links, and a governor always attends PA meetings. Governors also attend the school Collegium and other events at the school; and they spend time at school, for example in supporting the school’s faculties and year teams, each of which has a named governor attached to it.

Governors must act as a corporate body (individual governors have no executive power over the school) and must act with integrity, objectivity, and honesty in the best interests of the school.

There are four distinct types of Governors:

• Parent governors: There are six parent governors elected by parents. (In addition two community governors have children at the school.)
• Staff governors: There are four staff governors, representing both teaching and non-teaching staff. The Head is always a staff governor unless (s)he opts out – which a Grey Court head has never done.
• LEA governors: These are appointed directly by the local education authority; generally, one or two LEA governors are local councillors. At present, there are seven LEA governors at Grey Court, although two of them are temporary additional appointments which will lapse when the school ceases to be in Special Measures.
• Community governors: Community governors are co-opted by the full governing body – there are currently five at Grey Court. Community governors must live or work in the community served by the school.

The composition of the current Governing Body, together with the responsibilities of individual governors can be found elsewhere on the website.

The Governing Body at Grey Court has adopted a Code of Practice setting out its working methods, including its commitment to openness and transparency. The full Governing Body meets at least once a term, but because the range of business that governors need to be involved in is very wide, Grey Court governors have established six committees which together oversee the main items of business. They are:

• Curriculum Committee: monitors student performance and attainment considers curriculum options, the timetable, and other issues to do with teaching and learning.
• Pastoral Committee: is responsible for setting policies and monitoring student welfare.
• Staffing Committee: responsible for human resources policy, including staff appraisal and pay.
• Finance Committee: vets the school’s budget and monitors expenditure.
• Premises Committee: oversees investment in buildings and grounds, and is responsible for health and safety at the school.
• Governance Committee: oversees governor recruitment and training, and generally promotes the smooth running of the Governing Body.

Terms of reference of each of the committees can be found elsewhere on the site. Copies of minutes of all meetings of the Governing Body since 2005 have also been placed on the site.

Grey Court governors are always ready to work on any problems for which the Governing Body is responsible with parents and others. Governors can be contacted at office@greycourt.richmond.sch.uk. Correspondence and emails for governors should be clearly marked “for the attention of the Chair of Governors, Grey Court School”.