Have you ever considered becoming a school Governor?

24 Jan 2022 • From the Vicar

There are Foundation Governor vacancies on some of our Uttoxeter Area schools’ Governing Boards and it might be just right for you. Our schools would love to attract the skills and experience of people from our church communities. At a time when people feel relatively unable to control what’s happening around them and in society in general, one way you really can make a difference in your local community is by joining a governing board. 

School Governors are volunteers who with the Headteacher strive to deliver the best education for the pupils at their school. Generally, school Governors are not specialists in education. Instead, much of the role is about exercising common sense – and of course working together in the best interests of the children and the school community. The Governors work with the Headteacher on a diverse range of matters – from deciding what kind of school we want to be and thinking about how we want it to get there, to setting school policies and ensuring money is spent on the right things.

Most important of all, the Governors are there to question and challenge the school’s leaders on the standards of educational performance. Ultimately, they work with the school to ensure that pupils receive the best opportunities to learn in an environment in which they feel happy and secure. And the statutory external inspection values this role highly, be it OFSTED, SIAMS (for Christian schools) or FMIS (finance).

There are a variety of ways that the local Governing Boards work. Some full governing boards meet every half term, while others meet termly. Separate committees (made up of smaller groups of Governors) meet four or five times a year, again depending on the school, with a specific brief e.g. finance or curriculum. Some of our current Governors work full time and manage to fit in their role around their other commitments. We’re all listed on the school’s website, if you want to know who’s who locally.

We are looking for local Christians from any denomination and local church to bring their work skills and life skills onto the governing board. There is good training to support you through the Diocese of Lichfield Board of Education, local academy trusts or ENTRUST, who support many of Staffordshire’s schools. If you would be interested in having an informal chat about how you can contribute to governance at one of our schools, please email me and I will contact you to arrange a time for a conversation.

Thank you.

Revd Margaret J Sherwin
Area Rector of Uttoxeter
mjsherwin@btinternet.com
01889 560234