School governors
School governors are people who want to make a positive contribution to children’s education. They support and challenge the school to ensure all pupils achieve well. School governing bodies are vital as they work strategically with the headteacher, to hold him/her to account and ensure money is well spent.
Governors are one of the largest volunteer forces in the country and have an important part to play in raising school standards. Previously governance was a hidden element of school leadership. Today the governing body is an integral part of school leadership and with the increased responsibilities and freedoms now being placed on all schools.
Governor services are provided by BDSIP on behalf of the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. The School Improvement Service Governor Services Team will support all governors and governing bodies to fulfil their changing roles and responsibilities as effectively possible so as to meet the needs of their pupils.
What governors do
Governors work as a team. They are responsible for making sure the school provides a good quality education. Raising educational standards in school is a key priority. This has the best chance of happening when there are high expectations of what pupils can achieve.
Governors promote effective ways of teaching and learning when setting the school aims and policies with the headteacher. Every school has a governing body. It will include:
- parents elected by other parents at the school
- staff governors elected by the teaching and non-teaching staff
- local authority governors
- community governors appointed by other members of the governing body, and usually, the headteacher
They may also include representatives from the local authority, church, charitable trust or business interests.
Special schools may have health authority or voluntary organisation representatives.
Governing bodies are responsible to parents and the community. Numbers of governors vary depending on the school’s type or size. Appointments are for up to 4 years.
Responsibilities of a school governor
The governing body’s main role is to help raise standards of achievement.
It:
- is accountable for the performance of the school
- plans the school’s future direction
- selects the headteacher
- makes decisions on the school’s budget and staffing
- makes sure the national curriculum is taught
- decides how the school can encourage pupils’ spiritual, moral and cultural development
- makes sure the school provides for all its pupils, including those with special needs
Governor Net is a Department for Education dedicated site providing information and guidance for school governors.
Statutory policies for schools from the Department for Education provides advice on the policies and documents that governing bodies and proprietors of schools are required to have by law.
Become a school governor Toggle accordion
All over the country, school governors – people like you – are helping staff and head teachers ensure the next generation gets the best from school. The government is committed to raising educational standards in the class room and increasing the role of parents and the local community.
Volunteer
Volunteers are needed to help all our children reach their full potential. Schools are keen to attract people in the community who can bring energy, experience and fresh ideas.
Governors bring a range of experience and interests from many walks of life. They need to work closely with others to make good decisions and make sure their decisions are followed up. It helps to be a good listener as you will stand a much better chance of understanding how the school ticks. You certainly don’t need to be a parent to have the makings of a good governor.
Find out more
Help and advice is available from a number of sources. In addition to the training and advice offered by the governor support unit at the local authority, governors receive guidance from central government via the Department for Education.
Other organisations with their own help lines for governors include the National Governors’ Association and Governor Line.
If you are interested
Contact your local school and ask for the headteacher or chair of governors or ask to see the school’s annual report for information about the school. Or you can apply to Governor Services at Barking and Dagenham Children’s Services.
Application form:
School governor application form (DOC, 43.50 KB)
Becoming a governor offers challenges and rewards. You could be joining the largest volunteer group in the country and helping make sure our children are getting the best their schools can give.
School governor training Toggle accordion
Governor Training is provided by the Barking and Dagenham School Improvement Partnership.
Governor training
Governor training Autumn term 2020
Governor Conference season 2020 flyer (PDF, 268KB)
Child protection / Safeguarding children
Safeguarding - child protection presentation (PDF, 184.52 KB)
Health and safety
School governor occupational health, safety and wellbeing (PDF, 1.06 MB)
The pupil premium and the new primary PE and sport funding
The Pupil Premium - how schools are spending the funding (PDF, 39.11 KB)
Main handout (PDF, 237.58 KB)
Pupil Premium - analysis and challenge tools (PDF, 259.48 KB)
What does Ofsted say about governors and the PP (PDF, 71.75 KB)
Safer recruitment training
The NSPCC now has the responsibility for this area of governor training.
Training is no longer face-to-face but can be accessed online:
School finance training session
Finance and what to look for (PDF, 830.01 KB)
Training and liaison governor briefings
January 2015
Training and liaison governors briefing - January 2015 (PDF, 279.58 KB)
Traded service training (PDF, 170.25 KB)
April 2015
Training and liaison governors briefing - April 2015 (PDF, 1.17 MB)
Chairs’ network briefings
February 2015
Good practice - HT report 2 (committee) 2014 (DOC, 150.50 KB)
Performance review of the chair of governors (PDF, 86.95 KB)
School governor resources Toggle accordion
School Improvement Partnership
Headteachers and school governors were invited to a presentation on 25 January 2017 “Shaping a new School Improvement Partnership for the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham”.
The presentation slides:
School Improvement Partnership briefing (PDF, 444.63 KB)
Governor documentation
Checklist for visiting schools (PDF, 58.94 KB)
Getting to know the education system (DOC, 67.50 KB)
Governing body wheel (PDF, 52.51 KB)
Governors role in monitoring and evaluation (PDF, 53.02 KB)
High hopes primary school - case study (PDF, 37.35 KB)
How to respond to Ofsted inspectors (PDF, 76.91 KB)
School development plan (DOC, 41.50 KB)
Types of governors (PDF, 58.97 KB)
What governing bodies do (PDF, 45.81 KB)
What should governors monitor? (PDF, 40.39 KB)
Working strategically (PDF, 35.11 KB)
Preparing for Ofsted
Preparing for the visit from Ofsted (PDF, 50.66 KB)
How to respond to Ofsted inspector's questions (PDF, 76.91 KB)
Named governors job descriptions
School governors - pupil-sports premium governor - job description (PDF, 42.44 KB)
School governors - pupil attainment data governor - job description (PDF, 37.65 KB)
Role of the governing body in relation to looked after children (PDF, 73.22 KB)
School governors - subject aspect link governor - job description (PDF, 53.29 KB)
School governors - SEN and inclusion governor - job description (PDF, 59.14 KB)
School governors - training and liaison governor - job description (PDF, 84.25 KB)
School governors - link governor - job description (PDF, 45.12 KB)
School governors - health and safety governor- job description (PDF, 56.45 KB)
School governors - child protection governor - job description (PDF, 52.72 KB)
Barking and Dagenham Safeguarding Children’s Board
School visits
Classroom visits policy (DOC, 37.00 KB)
School visit record (DOC, 50.00 KB)
Checklist for visits to your school
Link governor job description (PDF, 51.10 KB)
School governor visits - numeracy (PDF, 55.55 KB)
School governor visits - literacy (PDF, 53.76 KB)
School governors - NGA skills audit (PDF, 105.71 KB)
Examples of committee terms of reference
School governors - curriculum committee (DOC, 33.00 KB)
School governors - finance committee (DOC, 36.00 KB)
School governors - personnel committee (DOC, 33.50 KB)
School governors - premises committee (DOC, 33.00 KB)
School governors - terms of reference - general template (DOC, 29.50 KB)
Children and Families Bill
Children and Families Act - governor briefing May 2014 (PDF, 261.99 KB)
Children and Families Act - governor briefing appendix 1 (PDF, 370.20 KB)
Code of conduct
Code of conduct.4.12 (DOC, 31.00 KB)
NGA skills audit
NGA skills audit (DOC, 139.00 KB)
Governance statement
Governance statement summer 2014 (DOC, 74.50 KB)
DFE governance handbook
Director’s reports
A director’s report is produced every term to draw governors’ attention to local and national issues. Governing bodies are encouraged to discuss these reports at their termly meetings.
Recent reports
Innovative e-Learning in LBBD (PDF, 695KB)
Supporting recovery for SEND provision September 2020 (PDF, 2.4MB)
School Improvement Partnership presentation - governing bodies - summer term 2017 (PDF, 1.5MB)
Cultural Education Partnership development plan draft 2015 (PDF, 417KB)
Director’s reports 2020 Toggle accordion
Autumn term 2020
Director’s report Autumn term 2020 (PDF, 250KB)
LCOGS Newsletter Autumn term 2020 (PDF, 311KB)
Summer term 2020
Director’s report Summer term 2020 (PDF, 256KB)
Appendix A - advice on contracts (PDF, 108KB)
LCOGS Newsletter Summer term 2020 (PDF, 299KB)
LCOGS Newsletter Summer 2020 half term update (PDF, 220KB)
Spring term 2020
Director’s report Spring term 2020 (PDF, 218KB)
School Improvement arrangements document (PDF, 461KB)
LCOGS Newsletter Spring term 2020 (PDF, 263KB)
LCOGS Newsletter Spring 2020 half term update (PDF, 283KB)
Director’s reports 2019 Toggle accordion
Autumn term 2019
Director’s report Autumn term 2019 - All schools (PDF, 318KB)
LCOGS Newsletter Autumn term 2019 (PDF, 245KB)
LCOGS Autumn half term update 2019 (PDF, 295KB)
Summer term 2019
Director’s report Summer term 2019 (PDF, 214KB)
LCOGS Newsletter Summer term 2019 (PDF, 318KB)
LCOGS Newsletter Summer half term update 2019 (PDF, 301KB)
Spring term 2019
Director’s report Spring term 2019 (PDF, 232KB)
LCOGS Newsletter Spring term 2019 (PDF, 603KB)
LCOGS Newsletter Spring half term update 2019 (PDF, 326KB)
Director’s reports 2018 Toggle accordion
Autumn term 2018
Autumn term 2018 Director’s report (PDF, 327KB)
Draft Education Participation Strategy (PDF, 1.3MB)
Outdoor Education Policy 2018 (PDF, 285KB)
LCOGS newsletter Autumn term 2018 (PDF, 385KB)
LCOGS newsletter Autumn 2018 half term update (PDF, 381KB)
Summer term 2018
Summer term 2018 Director’s report (PDF, 235KB)
LCOGS newsletter Summer term 2018 (PDF, 369KB)
LCOGS Summer 2018 half term update (PDF, 420KB)
Spring term 2018
Spring term 2018 Director's report (PDF, 338.84KB)
Young people's conference report 6 Oct 2017 (PDF, 1.06MB)
LCOGS half term Autumn update 2017 (PDF, 720.30KB)
LCOGS newsletter Spring term 2018 (PDF, 621.23KB)
Director’s reports 2017 Toggle accordion
Autumn term 2017
Autumn term 2017 - all through schools (PDF, 608.75KB)
Autumn term 2017 - primary schools (PDF, 584.02KB)
Autumn term 2017 - secondary schools (PDF, 572.27KB)
Educational visits revised policy 2017 (PDF, 608.05KB)
GAP training dates 2017-18 (PDF, 211.31KB)
LCOGS end of term summer update 2017 (PDF, 591.75KB)
LCOGS newsletter autumn term 2017 (PDF, 685.93KB)
Summer term 2017
Summer term 2017 - all schools (PDF, 628.25KB)
LCOGS newsletter April 17 (PDF, 139.22KB)
Spring term 2017
Spring term 2017 - primary schools (PDF, 267.30KB)
Spring term 2017 - secondary schools (PDF, 542.78KB)
LBBD draft governance strategy January 2017 (PDF, 548.11KB)
GCSEs are changing (PDF, 648.14KB)
London governors newsletter Jan 17 (PDF, 594.59KB)
Director’s reports 2016 Toggle accordion
Autumn term 2016
Autumn term 2016 - primary schools (PDF, 472.02KB)
Autumn term 2016 - secondary schools (PDF, 467.98KB)
Appendix 1 diagram - new school improvement model (PDF, 199.32KB)
Cultural education summary 2016 (PDF, 304.31KB)
2015-16 overall infant junior primary schools H&S report (PDF, 235.85KB)
LBBD year planner 2016 (PDF, 149.04KB)
London governors newsletter Sept 16 (PDF, 189.28KB)
GAP training dates 2016-17 (PDF, 175.45KB)
Summer term 2016
Director's report summer term 2016 (PDF, 255.84KB)
Domestic violence employee policy 0.6 (PDF, 90.54KB)
London governors newsletter April 2016 (PDF, 135.49KB)
Spring term 2016
Director's report spring term 2016 (PDF, 254.99KB)
SEND strategy (PDF, 714.36KB)
Governor training programme spring term 2016 (PDF, 129.05KB)
London governors newsletter January 2016 (PDF, 130.80KB)