Ribbleton Avenue Methodist Junior School

We have 2 spaces for Parent Governors and we welcome any interested party to contact us at school to discuss this opportunity further.

What is a parent governor?

Parent governors are a core part of a school’s Board of Governors. The role is voluntary , and will appeal to parents who want to make a positive impact on their child’s education and school life. The outcome is indirect, since the governor role has little interaction with the pupils or with daily school life, but is much more “behind the scenes”.

As well as parent governors, a school’s Board of Governors consists of:

• Staff governors
• Local authority governors
• Foundation governors
• Partnership governors
• Co-opted governors
• Associate members

The exact make-up of the Board of Governors depends upon individual schools, within certain parameters, and this includes a minimum requirement of two parent governors on the board at all times.

What do parent governors do?

Parent governors bring their wealth of experience and knowledge, contributing to the successful running of their child’s school. Being a governor is a "hands off" role – decisions made by the board influence the whole school, but governors are not responsible for, or involved in, the day-to-day running of the school. The role is a necessary part of ensuring the good functioning of school leadership. Governors set the ethos of the school and drive for continuous improvement, and they also oversee financial performance and ensure money is well-spent. Governors commission the head teacher and other school leaders to act on their behalf in putting their ideas into practice, and they ensure that the school leadership is held to account in doing so.

As you can see, school governors have both a creative and managerial remit. They develop ideas and strategies for putting those ideas in to practice, but also hold leaders to account and offer them constructive feedback on their performance.

Responsibility does not rest with any one individual. Decisions are made by the board as a whole, and individual governors are not held to account for collective decisions.

How big a commitment is being a parent governor?

The term of office is usually four years, though it can be decided when parents are elected to the board, and it may extend beyond their child’s time at the school if their child graduates or changes school during the four-year period. During this time, you would be expected to attend and contribute thoughts and ideas to the governing board’s meetings.

There will be 2 meetings per term (1 Committee Meeting and 1 full Governing Body Meeting)

 Additionally, you will be expected to visit the school as part of your duties in order to monitor and evaluate as you gain understanding for your role, and take on training for the role through the Local Authority (LA).

You may also be invited to school events such as sports days to increase the visibility of the governing board to parents and represent your school to the community. Under current employment law, employers must allow employees to undertake their duties at school, but this may be paid or unpaid, so speak to your employer and find out what their policy is.

What skills do parent governors need?

There is no set skillset that marks out an ideal parent governor. So long as you are over 18 years of age and have a child at the school you can express an interest in becoming a parent governor for the school. It falls to the judgement of the board that any parent wishing to act as a governor has the relevant skills and experience to govern effectively and contribute to the success of the school. Prospective candidates should be given as much information about the responsibilities and expectations of the role before putting themselves forward for election. There’s also a legal requirement for parents to be DBS checked before starting their post as a governor.

What's in it for parents?

There's plenty of opportunity to learn new skills, working with others to help to develop useful policies that will benefit the education of children. The role may sound formal, but governors play a vital role in the running of the school and most people enjoy their time as a governor, as well as appreciating the sense of duty and opportunity to show loyalty to their school. You may also progress to being a chair, which brings added responsibility. The experiences of school governorship look great on any CV, and can even create career opportunities.

Not only that, but you will also get to know your child’s school, especially in terms of its strengths and weaknesses. You will gain a great understanding of how the school is run, and this will have a positive knock-on effect on your child’s education, academic outcomes and school life.

How do you become a parent governor?

If you are interested in becoming a parent governor, speak to the Headteacher who will arrange a meeting with the Chair of Governors.

How are parent governors appointed?

Schools fill parent governor roles through elections. Parent governors are elected by other parents, who can vote for candidates. Any parent with a child at the school is eligible to apply for the position of governor, but there is no guarantee of being elected to the board.

What about conflicts of interest?

Objectivity is essential to the role. Parent governors must promote the best interests of all children at the school, and have a duty to maintain good relations with and be available to the other parents. Parent governors should not use committee meetings to raise issues affecting their own child at the expense of others. They can withdraw from meetings where they are concerned that they could not be impartial, or would stand to gain by the outcome of a resolution.

It is not possible to stand as a parent governor if you are an elected member of your Local Authority (LA) or if you are employed by the school.

Closing Date for applications is 30th November 2022.