School governors

What school governors do

A school governor's responsibilities include:

promoting high standards of educational achievement
setting targets for pupil attainment and attendance
taking general responsibility for the conduct of the school
managing the school's budget including decisions on staff numbers and pay
ensuring that the curriculum is balanced and broadly based in particular, that the National Curriculum and religious education are taught
reporting on pupil achievement in National Curriculum assessments and examinations
participating in the appointment of senior staff, including the head teacher, and regulating staff conduct and discipline
helping to set out the school's vision and strategic aims and agreeing plans and policies to realise these
monitoring and evaluating performance and acting as a critical friend to the head teacher to support and challenge them in managing the school
ensuring that the school is accountable to the children and parents it serves, to its local community, to those who fund and maintain it as well as to the staff it employs.

Why schools need governors

Every school has a governing body that represents the public in the running of the school. School governors bring perspectives from ordinary life and work with the staff and the local authority (LA) to help secure the best possible education for the children in the school. They have important responsibilities such as managing the school budget, overseeing the curriculum and appointing staff.

Becoming a governor

To be eligible to become a school governor, applicants must be 18 years or older and formally declare that the following are true:

I am not a registered pupil at the school
I do not already hold a governorship at the same school
I am not detained under the Mental Health Act 1983
I am not subject to a bankruptcy order or interim order
I have not had my estate sequestrated and the sequestrated order has not been discharge, annulled or reduced
I am not subject to:
- a disqualification order or disqualification undertaking under the Company Directors Act 1986
- a disqualification order under Part 2 of the Companies (Northern Ireland) Order 1989
- a disqualification undertaking accepted under the Company Directors Disqualification (Northern Ireland) Order 2002
- an order made under Section 492(2)(b) of the Insolvency Act 1986 (failure to pay under county court administration order)
I have not been removed from the office of a charity trustee or trustee for a charity by an order made by the Charity Commissioners or the High Court on the grounds of any misconduct or mismanagement or been excluded from participating in the management or control of any body under Section 34 of the Charities and Trustees Investment (Scotland) Act 2005
I am not included in the list of people considered by the Secretary of State as unsuitable to work with children
I am not disqualified from working with children or subject to a direction under Section 142 of the Education Act 2002
I am not disqualified from registration for childminding or providing day care
I am not disqualified from registration under Part 3 of the Childcare Act 2006
I have not received a sentence of imprisonment (whether suspended or not) for a period of not less than three months (without the option of a fine) in the five years before becoming a governor or since becoming a governor
I have not received a prison sentence of two-and-a-half years or more in the twenty years prior to becoming a governor
I have not, at any time, had passed on me a sentence of imprisonment for a period of not less than five years
I have not been fined, in the five years prior to becoming a governor, for causing a nuisance or disturbance on education premises
I have not refused to allow an application to the Criminal Records Bureau for a criminal records certificate.

If you require further information or advice regarding becoming a governor, please contact us using the details below.

Selection criteria for governors

Candidates for LA governorship must have:

a commitment to, and an interest in, education
a desire to support the school concerned
a willingness to serve the local community
skills and experience that support the work of the school
the ability to work as a member of a team
the abliity to arrange their commitments to fit in with membership of a governing body
respect for the council's views on education matters at governing body meetings.

The local authority is keen to recruit members of the local community who would like to become a school governor in Croydon. If you are interested or would like to know more about the role please contact a member of the governor services team.

An application form can be downloaded below. Completed forms should be sent to the governor services team.