School Governor question.

[figleaf]

If anyone is a school governor or Clerk perhaps they can answer this.

Who gets to say who goes on what ctte ? I have been a governor for 2 years and our GB has only 1 ctte that seems to do everything (staff,cash,buildings etc). Its officially called the finance ctte.

I asked the head if I could be on it and she said shed think about it. Months later I had no answer so I wrote to the chair and asked him and he wrote back and said hed keep my request in mind for reconstitution.

At the recent final meeting of the GB a date was set for the 1st one next academic year, no mention of ctte membership.

As the finance ctte always meets before the full GB I thought I should ring the chair and ask again about joining the ctte. He said that I could join it and that he`d write to me by way of a confirmation.

A week later no letter had arrived so I popped into the office today and asked the school secretary (also clerk to GB) if one was on its way. She said no and that the Chair has to ask all the other governors before I can be on the ctte. When I said the chair had already said yes to me she said well we`ll have to see what happens next term.

What should I do?
Truly I`m not pushy I just have spare time and want to get involved in school life. I feel sad and cross now.

We have a mentor governor who is there to help any new governors. This seems to work well, as he/she can explain a lot that isn't covered in the induction training.

Got a letter in the post today saying that I cant come to the first meeting of the finance ctte as it hadn`t been elected yet.He covered my point about the ctte meeting before the full GB by saying it was the last meeting of the old finance ctte.

I feel the head and sec have bullied him as he was so positive to me on the phone. Feel unwanted again. On the positive side he did say hed support my application to join the cttee but I wont hold my breath, Im waiting for someone to produce a rule that will somehow exclude me.

The letter arrived with a form that theyve sent to all governors asking who is interested in what cttees. This has never happened before and Ive been a governor for 2 years. I gather from everyone else here on MN that this is what should happen so possibly me rocking the boat like this has been a good thing. Can`t help feeling amazingly crap about it all though.

I have been watching this thread but not posting ..so far. I think what you are doing is definately the right thing to do, unless you just want to be a governor in name only(what would be the point)I have been a pg for 2 years as well(on the cirruculum ctte) and have also helped appoint a senior memder of staff. Even so it often feels like I'm just there to ruubber stamp things. WELL DONE!

Very kind of you to say greenbean. I do worry somtimes what they must think of me though and if it will effct my two sons treatment at all.

I feel that I agreed to do this job because I had time, cared and thought I could help. Im feeling embarrassed ahead of the first GB meeting next month because I can only imagine the conversation where the head and the sec told the chair he couldnt invite me to the meeting.

I shouldn`t have thought it was flattering though (to me).

This is fascinnating, Figleaf, I just can't believe how bureaucratic they are making it all for you. Def. not right.

I think if I hadnt have asked to join theyd have carried on with our elderly chair, the head,the dep head, a H+S guy (who misses most meetings) and a foundation lady (thatI have never heard speak in 2 years)as the finance and everything else ctte. cosy.

As I say, the fact that they now seem to want to do things by the book could be seen as a positive effect of the string of events that have caused me such embarrasment.

Figleaf - is your school doing well? I had always thought that a strong governing body was essential for a successful school but yours seems so "closed" that I can't see how it functions well. Or is it a case of "not broken, don't mend"?

Very, very, very well, we make the Times best state school list, always placed highly in our LEA league table, that sort of thing even though we are in a deprived area in a large city.

The head is a fab head teacher, the staff are stable, qualified and on the whole good at their job.

My concern is that the GB (or parents for that matter) dont have a role. If she wasnt so brilliant no body would know.Does that sound weird?

So is it a case of "we have to have a GB but don't think we need one thanks"? My concern is that as a governor you are always meant to be seen to support your school but that is hard when you are given little opportunity to challenge the current thinking. I fear that in my school too most of the decisions are made by the Head and everyone goes along with them. I doubt that I could ever strongly disagree with the Head because I would not want my children to be treated differently because of my views. Of course, that might not happen but I wouldn't risk it anyway. I have noticed that many of the GB huddle at dropping off/picking up but the inner circle excludes me at the moment (and is looked on as strange by other parents).

Our lights went last night, tripped out the house so couldnt stay on. Continueing on from last night .... Yes yo yo, I think youre probably right but I also feel we have to stick on in there.

I do intend to take as active a role as I can and to ask questions when I don't uderstand things too. I have been asked a number of things by parents and am often uncertain how to respond so direct them to the Head. I suppose I ought to make a note of them and bring them up in meetings (that'll make me popular!). So much to learn.. I am going to suggest the "shadowing" idea at the next meeting as there will be anoher new governor there too.

Well, meeting today and I finally got on to the finance/do everything ctte. The chair kind of insisted I got on as he said I seemed keen. The sec pointed out that would make 5 on that ctte (chair,dep head,H+S guy, woman who says nothing and me)but no one actually objected and woosh I was in. Actually it makes 6 because the head is there too unless heads dont count somehow. Cant work out why they made me wait as in the end it was just accepted.

The job I had been doing, looking at the paperwork prior to any ofsted visit, has now been upgraded to a curriculum ctte and I`m on that too.

A buildings/H+S ctte was also formed. Not on that one. H+S guy ,governor with whistling hearing aid and caretaker will do that one.

How did you get on figleaf ? I hope it was friendly. Did you feel like part of the team?

The meeting I refered to was the full GB meeting monsterbean. At that, the chair said I was going to be on the finance ctte as I seemed interested etc. As I say I got the feeling that the sec didnt really want me to join. She kept pointing out that Id make 5 on the ctte but never suggested anyone else give up there place.

The first meeting of the finance ctte will officially be in December so I will report back monstrebean. At this point Im not very hopeful of feeling part of the team but Ill give it a go. I imagine the first problem Ill have is not understanding what they are discussing. The ctte has already met before the full GB did on Monday but I was told that that was the last meeting of the old finance ctte so I couldnt go. A little unfriendly perhaps.

Figleaf, if you want more info on school finances, feel free to CAT me. I am Chair of Finance at DS's school, and I work in school finance.

HI Figleaf

I am probably crashing in on the end of a discussion, but I just read about you saying you were unsure about understanding what they would be saying on the Fin Ctte. I too have just become a PG and in my absence at 1 meeting was put on Fin Ctte. My 1st FC meeting was a blur, but in South Glos we have loads of training seminars and there are 2 for new governors on the Finance Ctte, does Bristol offer the same training?

Are the minutes of all committee meetings circulated to all governors? If not (although I think they should be) ask to see the minutes for last years meetings to get an idea of what goes on.

Thanks Alisa I will bear that in mind.

Kharmellion I will look into it- good idea.

ellceeell, yes they do circulate the mins of the finance ctte but always as an abridged version. The scope of the cttee work is vast. I call it the do everything ctte, this is my reason to get on it.