BECOME A PARENT GOVERNOR! Parent Governor Elections - January 2022

Dear Parents/ Carers,

 

GO FOR IT! BECOME A PARENT GOVERNOR!

 

I am writing to invite interested and committed parents to stand for election as a parent governor at Regents Park Community Primary School, or to nominate another parent to do so. In our school we have provision for two parent governors on our Governing Board and there are currently two vacancies.

 

Nominations can only be accepted from parents or carers who have children registered at the school on the day that nominations close.

 

Later today, your child will be bringing home paper copies of the information below, as well as a nomination form and information on qualifications and disqualifications to serve as a school governor. A copy of this letter to download is on the school website (https://bit.ly/3qVFZOY). I would advise any parents interested in becoming a governor to speak to myself or one of the current governors before nominating in order to get more information on what the role involves and the time commitment necessary.

 

The Governing Board (GB), with the Head Teacher, has overall responsibility for the running of the school. The role of a school governor is to contribute to the work of the Governing Board in ensuring high standards of achievement for all children and young people in the school by:

• Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction;
• Holding the Head Teacher to account for the educational performance of the school, its pupils, and the performance management of staff; and
• Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent.

 

The role of governor can be demanding but very rewarding.  Parent governors serve a four year term of office and under usual circumstances, can expect to spend between 10 and 20 days a year on governance duties.  These include:

• attending meetings of the GB, usually outside of school hours and contributing to GB business;

• reading reports and papers and keeping up to date on the progress that the school is making; and

• visiting the school from time to time during the school day.

 

You will be expected to undergo a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check and sign a governors’ Code of Conduct, and to have:

• a strong commitment to the role and improving outcomes for children

• the inquisitiveness to question and analyse;

• the willingness to learn;

• good inter-personal skills;

• appropriate levels of literacy in English (unless a GB is prepared to make special arrangements); and

• sufficient numeracy skills to understand basic data.

 

In addition to the above, we would particularly welcome nominations from parents with any of the following skills;

• chairing meetings;

• strategic planning;

• school improvement;

• data analysis;

• staff performance management;

• managing financial resources;

• health services

• awareness of safeguarding issues.

 

Training is available for all governors and the GB has an expectation that those new to school governance attend free induction training such as that provided by the Local Authority’s School & Governor Support Service.

 

There is an information sheet (https://bit.ly/3GXZdZO) that summarises the circumstances under which someone cannot serve as a governor. In addition, parents/carers who have paid employment in the school for 500 or more hours in any consecutive 12-month period or who are elected members of the Local Authority are not eligible to stand in these elections.

 

If you would like to stand for election, please complete the nomination form (https://bit.ly/3AoFLmw) and return it to the school office no later than Monday 31^st January 2022.  You may also include a personal statement to support your nomination.  There is no limit on the length of this statement, however, we encourage candidates to be succinct when setting out the skills, experience and attributes that they can bring to the GB to support their nomination. Self-nominations will be accepted, but if you are nominating another parent please seek their prior consent.

 

If there are more nominations than vacancies the election will be by secret ballot. If a ballot is necessary, voting papers will be sent to all parents together with details of the ballot procedure.

 

It would be advisable to find out more about our school’s Governing Board (i.e. frequency of meetings etc.) and the Governing Board’s code of conduct; please contact Mr Beale at school for more information.

 

Yours faithfully,

 

Mr A Beale

Head Teacher