16 Jan Parent Governor
The importance of being a parent governor
By Juliette Doggett
Fourteen years ago Juliette Doggett was successfully elected as parent governor at her children’s then primary school – St Michaels CE School and for the past 10 years has been Chair of the governing body. We asked Juliette (pictured above with her family) to explain what a parent governor does and how to become one. Parent governors have an important role in the school, they can offer a wealth of skills and experience that contribute to a balanced and well-run school. As a parent, you are concerned about the quality and learning provision the school has to offer and as a parent governor you can help influence that. Having your children’s best interests at heart means you have the school’s best interests at heart too. Parents and carers naturally have a great enthusiasm and interest in education and it is that passion that contributes to becoming a strong, supportive and effective governor. It is an opportunity to ‘give something’ back to the people who teach and look after our children during the most important time of their lives. You will also have regular opportunities to challenge the school’s performance ensuring that every child gets the best educational experience possible. Governors are responsible for the financial oversight of the school and the challenges that it brings, especially in light of budget cuts in education. Governors are instrumental in setting the ethos, vision and strategic direction of the school including those children with special educational needs and ensuring every child receives a broad and balanced curriculum. Governors also have responsibility for overseeing the safeguarding in the school and have a voice in helping make decisions on matters such as homework, uniform and bullying, this in turn will help direct the school into making decisions. Having a parent’s perspective means you will be empowered to challenge decisions and have your point of view heard. You will get an overview of the school you may not otherwise see. It is a unique opportunity to see how hard the teaching and support staff work and the challenges they face on a daily basis from constant change and high expectations. It is an opportunity to learn new skills and develop those you already have. Being a governor is being part of a team who work together to ensure the school is working efficiently, effectively and in the best interest of staff, children and local community. You also have the opportunity to meet governors from other schools. I feel privileged to have met some wonderful people over the years, some of whom mentored me in my early days as a governor and I will always be grateful to them for taking the time to help and advise me. However, it is important to know that a governor’s role is strategic and not operational. This can be challenging as a parent governor but it is vital that you remain objective at all times ensuring that you do not promote your own children’s interests or that of their friends. The skill of ‘wearing different hats’ can be difficult but is nonetheless an important one. My children thoroughly enjoyed the involvement and contribution I made at their school. Despite all four of them having now left, they are incredibly proud of the work I continue to do. For me, I enjoy the interaction I have with the staff, children and parents. I love attending assemblies, listening to the children sing and hearing about their achievements. As a regular visitor into school many children recognise me and say “hello” and tell me what they have done that morning. I love being a school governor and am very proud of the work I do and the contribution I and the other governors make. Being a school governor isn’t just a title, we’re expected to constantly challenge the school as well as be supportive and accountable. Ofsted guidelines change regularly and for a governor it is essential to keep up to date with these changes. A strong governing body is the foundation of a strong school and a parent governor can make a massive contribution to this.
How do you become a parent governor?
The process is initially quite simple. A parent or carer first needs to find out if their school has any vacancies, this can often be discovered on the school website or a quick phone call to the school office. Once they’ve expressed their interest they’ll be asked to provide a brief synopsis of why they would like to become a parent governor, what skills they can bring to the governing body and a little about their background. A parent governor election is arranged where parents are asked to vote for prospective candidates. There are other ways a parent can become a governor, either at their own child’s school or a different school altogether. Each school has different types and numbers of governors and many schools have vacancies, sadly because fewer people want to become a school governor. They can apply to be, for example, co-opted governors, foundation governors or even associate members. In each of these