Guidance on Election and Appointment of School Governors
This guidance is to help schools recruit governors as easily as possible. It includes specific guidelines for each category of governor, which can be referred to as and when required:
Even if you do not currently have any governor vacancies, please take time to consider the following good-practice guidance. These are preparatory steps which can be taken which may make it easier to fill vacancies when they arise. We hope that you will find it helpful.
Be ready to fill governor vacancies before a vacancy arises :
The Clerk to keep an accurate record of all governors including their period of office, i.e. appointment and finishing dates.
The Clerk to remind the Chair and governors 6-8 weeks in advance of a governor completing his/her term of office. This will enable elected governor elections to be completed before the end of the governor’s term of office and for appointed governors to be asked if they wish to be reappointed and the appropriate appointing body consulted; for example, the LA for LA governors, the appropriate diocese or archdiocese for foundation governors.
Head and Chair to regularly display literature at parents’ evenings, school concerts, fetes etc to increase and maintain the awareness of parents and the local community of the important work of school governors.
The LA has display banners for schools to borrow. Leaflets are also available from the LA. (Please contact Mary Aitken 01926 742255, maryaitken@warwickshire.gov.uk)
School Governance and You leaflet
Existing governors may be willing to talk to parents at open evenings and school fetes. Remembering to reassure parents that governors do not need education qualifications – just enthusiasm and some time to give, but to be realistic about the expected commitment.
Governors to be reminded to consider ways to increase the diversity of the governing body particularly when there is a community governor vacancy to be filled. Governors to then consider contacting local community associations or organisations.
Further guidance on recruiting school governors