Clifton Street, Worsley, Mesnes, Wigan, Greater Manchester WN3 5HN

enquiries@admin.worsleymesnes.wigan.sch.uk

01942 776457

Worsley Mesnes Community Primary School

We Learn Like Champions

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Governors Questions And Answers

Parents (including carers) of pupils are eligible to stand for election as governors. Parent governors are elected by other parents at the school.

You can apply to the school to become a parent governor.  

The governing body may also seek to "co-opt" people where we feel that the individual has a particular skill set that would be beneficial to us.

Each individual governor is a member of a governing board, which is established in law as a corporate body. Individual governors may not act independently of the rest of the governing board; decisions are the joint responsibility of the governing board.

The role of the governing board is a strategic one, its key functions are to:

set the aims and objectives for the school
set the policies for achieving those aims and objectives
set the targets for achieving those aims and objectives
monitor and evaluate the progress the school is making towards achievement of its aims and objectives
be a source of challenge and support to the headteacher (a critical friend)

Almost anyone over 18 years of age can become a governor. There are no particular qualifications or requirements, other than a willingness to give time to the role and a capacity for working with other people.  

You don’t need to have a family member attending a school or college to become a governor.

School governors work on a voluntary basis – they do not get paid. However, you may be paid for any expenses incurred while carrying out your duties, for example for travel or childcare.

In a word - yes!  

Under the Employment Rights Act 1996, section 50; an employer is obliged to permit employees who are members of certain bodies to take time off during their working hours to perform their duties. The bodies include a managing or governing body of an educational establishment maintained by a local education authority; a governing body of a further or higher education corporation; the General Teaching Council for England or Wales; and, in Scotland, a school council or school board, the governing body of a designated or central institution, or the board of management of a college of further education.

Parent Governors

Parents, including carers, of pupils are eligible to stand for election as governors. Parent governors are elected by other parents at the school. If insufficient parents stand for election, the governing body may appoint parents.

Staff Governors

The headteacher is a staff governor by virtue of their office. Other staff, both teaching and support, may become governors as long as they are paid (volunteers do not qualify). Staff governors are elected by the school staff. Any election that is contested must be held by ballot.

Local Authority Governors

Local Authorities are encouraged to appoint high-calibre governors to schools that need the most support and to appoint candidates irrespective of any political affiliation or preference. Authorities may appoint minor authority representatives, e.g. district and parish councillors, as authority governors.

Co-opted Governors

A co-opted Governor is a person appointed by the governing body who, in the opinion of the governing body, has the skills required to contribute to the effective governance and success of the school.

 

If you have any questions about the role of governor that haven't been covered here, please email enquiries@admin.worsleymesnes.wigan.sch.uk for the attention of the Chair of Governors, and we will answer them for you.