How to become a governor in the Vale

If you are interested in becoming a governor and playing a part with improving and developing school governance in the Vale, please contact the Governor Support Unit (GSU) on 01446 709106/108 providing an indication of where in the Vale you would like to be a governor.

Composition of Governing Bodies

The exact size and composition of a governing body is determined by its Instrument of Government (IoG) which is the legal statement of the membership of the governing body.

Categories of Schools

The categories of schools, with a very brief explanation of what they mean for the school, are:

• Community School
  The school including land is owned, maintained and staffed by the Local Authority (LA) (subject to responsibilities delegated to governing bodies);
• Foundation School
  The governing body owns the premises, employs the staff and has primary responsibility for admission arrangements. It will receive revenue and capital funding from the LA;
• Voluntary Aided School
  The school holds its own premises, employs the staff and deals with admission arrangements. The LA via the school budget share provides revenue funding. The governing body will include foundation governors. These will hold a majority of the places on the governing body;
• Voluntary Controlled School
  The land and buildings of the school are often owned by a voluntary organisation. However, the LA will employ the staff and have primary responsibility for admission arrangements. In practice many voluntary controlled schools will have a connection to a promoter, in the main a religious body for the purposes of providing a faith education. The governing body will include foundation governors but they will not be in the majority; and
• Community Special School
  A school provided for children with Additional Educational Needs. The school including land is owned, maintained and staffed by the LA.

Types of Governors

It is helpful to know the different categories of governors on a governing body and how they are elected/appointed:

• Parent Governors
  These are elected by and from the parents of all registered pupils at the school.  When a vacancy occurs at a school all parents are given the opportunity to nominate themselves for election.  If more nominations are received than the existing current number of vacancies a secret ballot will be held.  The Governor Support Unit has an established process for the conduct of parent governor elections.
• LEA Governors
  Vacancies are advertised in the local press in accordance with the Council’s procedures and anyone wishing to become an LEA governor must apply via the Governor Support Unit.  All LEA governor vacancies are considered by Council Members on the LEA Governor Appointments Panel and their recommendations for appointments are referred to Cabinet for ratification.  Not all LEA governors are Councillors, they may include any person who is interested in supporting schools and whose appointment has the support of the Council.
• Teacher Governors
  These are elected by and from all the teachers at the school.
• Staff Governors (support/non teaching)
  These are elected by and from all non-teaching staff at the school. 
• Community Governors (formerly known as Co-opted Governors)
  These are appointed by the governing body and should be a person who lives or works in the community served by the school or should be committed to the good governance and success of the school.
• Minor Authority Representative (MAR) Governors (Primary Schools only)
  MAR governors are appointed by town and community councils and the Governor Support Unit liaises with them as and when vacancies occur and schools will be notified of appointments accordingly.
• Foundation Governors (Aided and Controlled (Church) Schools only)
  These are appointed by the people or organisation named in the school’s instrument of government. They must preserve the religious character of the school and secure compliance with the trust deed (if applicable).
• Non Governor Members
  A governing body can appoint non governor members to attend full governing body meetings or to serve on one or more governing body committees. The definition of a non governor member is wide and pupils, school staff and people who want to contribute specifically on issues related to their area of expertise (for instance, finance) can be appointed as a non governor member. Non governor members are not governors and they are not recorded in the instrument of government. Non governor members may not vote at governing body meetings but can be given a vote at committee meetings, where the governing body has agreed this when establishing the terms of reference of the committee in question.
• Associate Pupil Governors 
  All maintained secondary schools must allow for appointment of Associate Pupil Governors to the governing body. The Headteacher of a school must ensure that the school council has the opportunity to nominate up to two pupils from years 11 to 13 (inclusive) from its membership.
• Independent Members of Staff Disciplinary Committees
  Where a staff disciplinary committee or the staff disciplinary appeal committee is required to meet to hear allegations against a member of staff that involve issues of child protection, the committee must include at least two governors plus an independent person who is not a governor.
• Headteacher on the Governing Body 
  In addition to the above, the Headteacher (or acting Headteacher) is a member of the governing body unless he or she chooses not to be. There are no provisions for a substitute governor to take the place of a Headteacher who decides not to be a governor. A Headteacher must stand down from the governing body on leaving the school.

Term of office

The term of office of most governors is four years from their date of appointment. The exceptions being:

• governors who are appointed as ex-officio governors i.e. the head teacher or a governor appointed by virtue of their office;
• parent governors of a community nursery school, where the term of office is two years.
• associate pupil governors, where the term of office is one year; and
• foundation governors, additional governors and additional foundation governors where the term of office is determined by the appointing body/person, up to a maximum of four years.

Governor of more than one school

In most cases a person may not be a governor of more than two schools at any given time.