Anyone here who volunteers as a School Governor ?
Primary School in particular. Keen to hear views etc. Keen to get involved in my lads School but worried about what it might entail.
Cheers.

Mrs PP is.

It's a lot of work, I can tell you that…..

And there's a lot of bitching goes on too. A lot of the other governers where she is simply won't listen to her if she has an idea, they simply have no common sense. She's jacking it in as soon as her term is up.

…are you a fully signed up member of the Labour Party – if not none of your views will even be considered.

I'm a Parent Governor at my children's primary school.

It's not too onerous, Community governors have more workload.

Email me if you'd like more info…address in profile.

Yep,

minimum it'll entail is three meetings a year, plus maybe an induction. Once you get to know the ropes, or depending how quickly you are comfortable to get stuck in, you might up that to two or three committees too. Easiest way of finding out is to talk to an existing governor or the head of your school, to see how it is done there. We only have full governing body meetings in the evenings so working parents have the best chance of getting involved, but most other stuff happens in school hours. There are usually link governors either by class/year or subject so if you took that on you would visit now and again to meet mid management level. When I started, a lot of the educationspeak was very hard to pick up, but google helped with that, and it only took a couple of meetings to learn the ropes. Have been chair now for two and a bit years, so the time commitment is greater, but the schools really need the parent point of view on policymaking and the like, as there is a tendency in many areas to allow local authorities to make all the running, and that often stifles creativity and innovation. Go for it, or at least go and ask/sit in on the next meeting.

The STW of school governors:
UK Governors

The British Cycling of school governors:
Governornet

if you just want to be more involved in things join the PTA far less hassle and you still get the inside word on stuff.

I'm a Chair of Governors for local primary.

It's a workload, dunno how I'd do it if I didn't dictate my own hours (run my own business) I do it because I enjoy the challenge of something totally separate intellectually from my normal world. It can be stressful, and there's quite a bit on at the minute, but it's rewarding, I get to mess about with kids, and put something back into my community.

Go along to a meeting, meet the other governors, then decide.

I get to mess about with kids,

PARDON?? 😉

I was a Parent Governor, now I'm a Community Governor at the local Primary. Workload is what you're prepared to take on – in my case not much due to other commitments – although we only have 74 on role so it's a pretty small school.

I took it on originally because the school was struggling to get Governors. I'll jack it in when my youngest leaves if there are others who want to stand.

You need to be good on acronyms…

the school was struggling to get Governors

and yet, somehow, kids went on going to school and getting educated?

School governors are like candles on a birthday cake. They look great, and everyone thinks they are an important part of the process, but blow them out, take them off and the cake tastes exactly the same

I'm parent gov at sons primary, and a secondary teacher.
It will all depend on the school/gov team. Ours is great – not too much work and in such a small school, I think we do a lot to support staff and Head teacher in our case eldridge up there is talking rubbish, as is muffin man.
Try it – after a few months, if you think it's not for you, you can resign.

Well done eldridge.

Schools can operate without a reduced number of governors, but a good team supports staff and drives development, leaving teaching staff more time to teach.

I was a Governor at our kids primary school … mixed experience. Reckon it's good to try, but I ended up feeling very very disillusioned. Does open your eyes to what teachers have to cope with from an LEA/Government point of view.

I volunteered as a PE assistant at a school for disabled and find that so much more rewarding as feel my effort is making a smidgeon of difference, whereas not sure our Governing Body achieved much (altho I'm sure some do).

I am. In the main I like it. it is becoming more difficult to keep up with training etc.

I thought it was going to be more like a PTA to be honest!

Still, its good to be involved with the local community and your kids education.

Just been elected as parent gov. Went into it with my eyes open though – the two sites midlifecrashes links go are a good start. I also got some good tips through @schoolgoverning on Twitter.

a good team supports staff and drives development

I've been a teacher for 34 years.

During that time no school governor has ever even spoken to me

having spoken to nickc about his work as a governor Im confident that there are governors out there that commit huge amounts of time and emotional effort with a sense of social conscience that some of us might never muster.

Just because you cant report on forces in action, eldridge, doesnt mean they arent there.

I am a Parent Governor at my sons special needs school, apart from full Governors meetings I am also on Buildings Sub Committee, Curriculum & Vocational subject which involves sitting in and observing lessons just to see how classes are run, its great seeing how lessons are delivered especially in a challenging environment of a special needs school. I find it very rewarding seeing how the school is run also very frustrating with all the politics and budget wrangling s that go on.

Just because you cant see forces in action, eldridge, doesnt mean they arent there

I've seen governors in action – parking in their specially reserved spaces, supping their specially-provided tea and biscuits, producing reams of documents, swanning around school on guided tours, getting their children into the oversubscribed school of which they happen to be governor, putting their school governorship on election material for parish council, district council, county council, parliament

Oh I've seen them in action. I kmnow they are there. Just like I've seen candles on a birthday cake

My wife tried to be a governor at my sons (church run) primary school. She'd already been doing volunteer work for the school every week (she still runs the toddlers club there despite him leaving the school many years ago) and so was clearly committed to the school. We always contributed plenty of time, effort and money to the school events. I spent a lot of my own time sorting out their computer system when one of the other fathers cocked it up big time because when they asked for help they gave it to a bloke who 'knows loads of stuff about computers' over 'someone who knows about computers for a living'.

Anyway, as I say, my wife heard about the governor opening and applied. Knocked back, without any formal process, just 'no'. When she asked why and kept asking why they eventually answered, (and this is the same answer as to why they gave a **** the original computer job), 'you don't go to church'.

Religion is a choice you know, just like facism.

I've seen governors in action – parking in their specially reserved spaces, supping their specially-provided tea and biscuits, producing reams of documents, swanning around school on guided tours

And in 34 years none of the bastards has ever bothered to talk to you ? …………..no wonder you're angry 😐

Eldridge, since youre the guy that writes:

Sorry if this is unacceptably realistic, but

for most of you on here with ordinary kids in ordinary state schools, the description of that classroom is an accurate portrayal of what your kids get up to every day

using phones to film teachers = normal
texting your mates during lessons = normal
roaming around classroom assaulting other kids with bits of equipment = normal
telling teachers to **ck off = normal
conspiring with other kids to wind up teachers = normal

most of you don't know what your kids are like in school

if you did, you'd be bl@@dy horrified

and then you'd blame the teachers

I'm guessing you either work in a pretty tough school or are a crybaby.
But do you genuinely think you're point of view applies to all of the 25,000 schools in the UK?

[quoteeldridge – Member
a good team supports staff and drives development
I've been a teacher for 34 years.

During that time no school governor has ever even spoken to me[/quote]

Does that include the Teachers on the Governing body & the head 😯

And in 34 years none of the bastards has ever bothered to talk to you ?

At the school where I took up my most recent teaching job 5 years ago, all new staff had to undergo an induction programme. One of these induction sessions was an evening to meet the governors. All of us nervous new staff were in a group on one side of the room talking to each other. On the other side of the room, a group of governors all taking to each other.

And that was it – no governor crossed the divide!

Does that include the Teachers on the Governing body & the head

Yes of course I've talked to the teacher governors and the head

the teacher governors say things like "nice and warm today?"

and the head says things like "good morning"

But they've never said things like "what prevents you from doing a good job as a teacher?"

or

"if you could make a few simple changes to this school, what would they be?"

But do you genuinely think you're point of view applies to all of the 25,000 schools in the UK?

Do you have (or have you had) kids in the state system in the UK?

All of us nervous new staff were in a group on one side of the room talking to each other. On the other side of the room, a group of governors all taking to each other.

And that was it – no governor crossed the divide!

😯 Tell me that you at least got a cup of their specially-provided tea, and a few of their specially-provided biscuits ?

you either work in a pretty tough school or are a crybaby

Read the reports of what was happening in the classroom of the teacher who attacked a pupil with a barbell.

That was a mainstream sectarian (Catholic) school which had been praised by OFSTED for its development of moral and spiritual values in its pupils.

What sort of morally and spiritually developed pupils deliberately persecute a mentally vulnerable teacher until he cracks? And then film the process?

I'll tell you – ordinary kids in ordinary schools

And if you've got ordinary kids in ordinary schools, that's what your kids are trying to do every day in every class

If you could follow your kids into their classrooms, you'd be appalled at what they get up to

I hope

Tell me that you at least got a cup of their specially-provided tea, and a few of their specially-provided biscuits ?

Of course we did!

But they were specially-provided for them, not for us!

What were the biscuits like…….any chocolate ones ?

any chocolate ones

FFS this is a state school

Think Rich Tea

There might have been a few Nice biscuits there too

Lidl's do a packet of chocolate chip cookies for £0.79p. Mention it at your next staff meeting – I think the governors will be well impressed.

Mention it at your next staff meeting

LOL! You think schools have meetings at which staff can express their views?

😕 Well yes, I did.

Have you got a staff suggestion box ? If so, pop the Lidl's chocolate chip cookie idea in there.

a staff suggestion box

It's called the Headteacher's waste-paper basket