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Can I be a Governor?

Who can become a Governor?

 

Governors come from all aspects of the local community and will include:

• Parents
• Persons appointed by the Local Education Authority (LEA)
• Teachers
• School Support Staff
• Head teacher
• Members of the local business and faith communities

You do not need any formal qualifications, just a dedication to raising the standards of education for pupils in Torfaen.

 

It is a corporate body and so no individual has the power to act alone, but there are opportunities to make your own contribution in areas of particular interest. For example, being linked to a specific area of the curriculum or being a member of the Finance Committee.

 

What Qualities do you have to be a School Governor?

• A wish to improve children’s education
• A willingness to learn and ask questions
• The ability to work as part of a team and appreciate the views and contribution of others
• Commitment, a sense of humour, the ability to respect confidentiality
• The ability to be a critical friend: Monitoring and evaluating schools effectiveness and asking challenging questions, being a friend to promote and support the school and its pupils

Legal requirements …. Who is eligible to be a governor?

 

Anybody over 18, with a few exceptions:

• You are not already a governor at two schools
• You are not the Governing Body Clerk at the school for which you are applying
• You are not bankrupt or disqualified under the Company Directors Disqualification Act
• You are not prohibited or restricted from working with children or young people under the List99
• In the last five years, you have not received a criminal conviction which carried a prison sentence of 3 months or more
• In the last twenty years, you have note received a criminal conviction which carried a prison sentence of two and a half years or more
• You have been fined for causing a nuisance/disturbance on school premises during the last 5 years
• You have not bee disqualified from being an independent school proprietor, teacher or employee of the Secretary of State