Governing Body meetings - what time do yours take place?

[annh]

Arising from another thread, I am wondering what time your school holds its Governing Body meetings? Ours are at 4.30 in the afternoon as are many committee meetings, although some are held during the school day. These times were presented by the HT as being more or less set in stone as apparently teachers couldn't be asked to stay on later in the evening (nothing about the volunteer Governors wishes though!) However, I am now wondering what other schools do. We (like many schools) find it difficult to attract Governors and I think our timings don't help matters at all. Late afternoon meetings are impossible if you work and almost as difficult if you have children who need not only looking after, but very often transporting to activities or being fed at that time. I fear we are in danger of self-limiting ourselves to a small group of those who don't work and can afford childcare or have willing family around. There was a definite whiff of a tea-drinking, knitting circle about the last meeting!

I resigned from mine because the HT insisted that they take place at 7.30am, thus excluding anyone that required childcare.

7pm - there is no time that suits everyone -best solution imho is to have alternate early / late so everyone gets a cahnce to come to one at least .

There has been a great deal of argument surrounding this issue at our meetings.

The next meeting is at a new time of 9 am: this enables those without childcare to attend and the workers said that coming in late once a term was more acceptable to employers than sloping off early.

However, we shall see how many people actually turn up at the next meeting!

Frankly I think some people join the governing body, find it's not for them and then use any excuse not to turn up.

some are at lunchtime, others start at 7.30 in the evening.

Full governing body meetings and training 6.15pm, committee meetings as agreed by individual committees, some 4pm some 6.15pm.

Ours are either 6pm or 7pm. I've found I've had to turn down several emergency meetings, special events and training courses as I haven't had childcare, I've been surprised how it doesn't seem to be on the radar that parent Governors may have (gasp) children.

Full governing body meetings are at 7pm, then sub-committee meetings are arranged to suit the individual members' needs - I am a teacher governor and I have one meeting coming up at 5p.m. and one at 4p.m.

For me, in terms of childcare, they are all difficult, I guess.

Ours are at 7.30pm always, though committee meetings vary - some at 9.00 am, some in the evening and some at 4.30 pm. The last is the hardest for me, as I've got to get kids to and from different places often - on some days I can find a friend to look after them, but not if there are different clubs etc involved. The evening's best if DH is home, but sometimes I get babysitters.

Many of our governors seem to have their own businesses or be freelancers of one kind or another.

Ours are at about 5pm - nightmare for those with children at primary school, or those who work in the major conurbations an hour away - however it suits those working for the local council which is only 5 minutes away

Ours are 7.30pm for full governors and then committees vary. One of my committees meets at 3.40pm with spare children playing in the nursery during it and another at 5.30pm (no children around for that one its much too serious!).

I was a governor at a previous school which held very early meetings (HT insisted it was better for staff) and it meant it was difficult to recruit governors.

Ours are usually 6.30 pm, full meeting and sub-committees.

Though many of the active governors take part in meetings, inspections, marking reviews, consultations etc. during the school day.

We alternate, one is Friday afternoon at 3.30 and the next Thursday evening at 6.30. we consulted all the governors and this was the best compromise we could come up with ( we are a small GB and only have 9 members)