to think School Board of Governors are not fit for purpose?

[dazedandconfused18]

I had a serious complaint about the Head of my school which went through the School's Complaints process ending in a Board of Governors panel hearing. Whilst I have no doubt most Governors are well intentioned, community spirited people, the process did make me question it they are qualified to be the only and final port of call a parent can go to with a complaint for the following reasons:-

1. Experience. They do not necessarily have any experience in education whatsoever or the complex matters involved.

1. Impartiality. In the case of my school the BoG's were responsible for appointing the Head - who likes to admit they may have made a mistake?

1. Objectivity. Many Governors are parents themselves which has both pros and cons. At the school in question, the Chair alone has five children and many years to go at the school. On one hand this is good as they have a vested interest in the success of the school, but on the otherhand it would be a brave parent to take on a Head who has power over their childrens' education and well-being.

1. Unbiased. The Board have to work closely with the Head, a person in a position of power, it is human nature to side with a known entity who you have an on-going relationship with.

1. Involved. In my case the Governors were implicated to a small degree, so to an extent they were handling their own complaint.

Basically I find it frightening that a bunch of volunteers can make judgments affecting childrens' education and their say is final - I was shocked to find there is no independent, impartial body you can take a school compliant to.

I'd love to hear any other experiences with BoG's - good or bad!

I with school governors and like in all jobs there are the ones that are amazing and other that are completely useless. I've never found them to not challenge the HT in fact quite the opposite. They are there to hold him or her to account.

I was a school governor. I had also spent all of my career in teaching p, as had at least three other governors. Three were parent governors, out of twelve, several had careers in finance.

Governing bodies appoint the Headteacher, but should be making use of Governor services or other means of support.

However, I didn’t feel that there was sufficient objectivity, that decisions were mad because the head wanted them and that it was very very difficult to challenge that. I know that it is the Head’s responsibility to manage the school day to day and theat governors have a strategic remit, but I didn’t feel that really important issues were dealt with strategically or objectively. I resigned.