Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council

Governors

Governors are drawn from all walks of life and represent the community served by the school. There are parent, staff, local authority, community and sponsor governors. Depending upon whether the school has a religious character, foundation governors will also be appointed by the local Diocesan Authority.

The Education (No 2) Act 1986 established a new partnership between parents, local authorities, the local community and teachers through establishing a new structure for school governing bodies and increasing governors powers. The Education Reform Act of 1988, the 1998 School Standards and Framework Act and subsequent Education & Inspections Act 2006 have increased governors' responsibilities further.

The statutory responsibilities placed on governors are extensive but there is help and advice available to them through the activities of the School and Governor Support Service.

For the Department to achieve its goal of raising standards in schools it must ensure that its front line services match the needs of schools in the most effective and efficient manner. The School and Governor Support Service is seen as one of the key services in achieving this goal.

The service Mission Statement prepared at its inception in April 1996 is as follows:

'By the provision of high quality materials and activities we endeavour to fully support governors and governing bodies to carry out their statutory roles and responsibilities to improve standards of achievement in the schools of Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council.'

What is being a governor all about?

Governors work closely with the Headteacher, school staff and representatives from the Local Authority. They are responsible for:

• raising standards of academic achievement;
• recruitment of staff;
• representing the views of hte local community;
• managing the budget;
• promoting the values and ethos of the school.

Governors ask questions, gather information and help make decisions about the future operation of the school.