The Role of a School Governor
There are approximately 22,200 school governors in Wales. They give their time, skills and expertise in a voluntary capacity, to help their schools provide children with the best possible education. Governing bodies are accountable for the strategic direction of their school and for the quality of education provided. You will discover that many kinds of people become governors of schools. Like you, they will have a particular reason for serving on the governing body. Because of these different reasons all governing bodies have a core group of governors, consisting of:
- Parent governors
- Teacher governors
- Staff governors
- Local Authority governors
A Governor is a volunteer who:
- has an interest in education
- represents those with a key interest in the school
- is part of a team which accepts responsibility for everything a school does
- has time to commit to meetings and other occasions
- is willing to learn
- is able to act as a critical friend who supports the school but also challenges and asks questions about how the school works and the standards it achieves
- acts as a link between parents, the local community, the Local Authority and the school.
Three Key Roles of the Governing Body
- To provide a strategic view.
- To act as a critical friend.
- To ensure accountability.