Governors meeting socially?

[reddi]

Just wondering what other governors do and what people's opinions are on this one. I'm a new parent governor of a primary school that has got two 'satisfactory' ratings in a row. There are changes afoot, a new head, recruiting a new deputy, a lot of new parent governors and a new leadership structure. The school is also doing a lot to raise attainment. Part of the reason, i think, for its previous failings were a weak head and a governing body that did not challenge.

Ok - so I am new to the governing body. We only meet 5 times a year as a full body. I was wondering whether, if I organised a social get together with the parent and community governors and also the chair of the PTA, this might help us to get to kow each other a bit more and make it a little easier for people to raise questions in meetings? also, to provide a more informal methods of exchaning view about the school and what we could do to change things. What do others do?

I'm a fairly new PG as well

Personally, I would rather not be too pally with the other Governors as I would feel more embarrassed to challenge/disagree with them if I was worried about spoiling a friendship. But that's just me.

I am friendly with one of the governors because I know them from outside the Gov Body.

My suggestion would be to get on some of the committees. For ours, that's where the action is and where most of the decision making really happens, then it is brought to the main meeting for approval.

I have only been involved for a short while and our HT and the Chair are a mutual appreciation society which makes it a little tricky. I am finding the HT gets their changes passed in a sneaky way then presents them to parents as a 'well the Governors decided to do this' when it was their idea all along

'Challenge' is probably the wrong word.

All a GB can really do is ask questions.

The more informed you are (about how things 'should' be done), the better questions you can ask.....

Keep reading this board :) You'll find out loads and loads......

But basically, the more you know, the more effective a governor you'll be.

You don't need to be friends with people. You do need to be confident.

The governing body is not there to "socialise" and personal experience says that a governing body that does become to friendly then often does not do the job it is supposed to do, which is to hold the school to account and act as a "critical friend".
From what you describe in your post I would say that the GB has actually started to do that job now. If you try and start to set things up yourself you will simply create divisions in the GB, which is exactly what must not happen at this time.
I would look to ensure that there is more contact between governors but this should be done via the chair of the GB. The most obvious and professional way of doing this is to have some formal training sessions for the whole GB. They can act as the means of becoming more acquainted with each other, finding out peoples strengths and weaknesses and also in bringing together more the GB.

I agree with admission.

It's a lovely idea to have more of a social approach, but in this instance I feel that it would not be appropriate.

Q. Governors meeting socially?
A No

I?d be reluctant to meet purely socially as those Governors who could not make it would feel ?left out? and could give rise to items being discussed and decided at a ?Pub committee?. Keep things professional and business like.

In order to be seen as human and approachable to parents we had a ?Governors Table? at a couple of School occasions where parents could ask or chat. In the event, most asked us where the toilets were.

I?m also on the PTA but the remits of the two don?t cross.

My advice, a) Make sure all the new Governors do an ?Introduction to Governance? course and b) Organise a training session for the Full Governing Body on (as suggested above) ?How To Be An Effective Governor?.

Agree with the others, I wouldn't organize a purely social event - and most people are too busy to want to attend one, IME.

That said, our governing body does go out for supper after the last meeting of the year, and at Christmas - and very enjoyable it is too.

Congrats with your appointment, and good luck with all the issues ahead!

By challenge I don't mean to argue or anything, but to seek clarification, to point out the difference between what the guidance says and what is being suggested for example, rather than simply being 'yes-men' for the HT to make any changes that s/he wishes.

We can access a range of governor training through the LA plus the online e-learning site at Modern Governor - some really interesting stuff and the more you know about it the more effective you can be and the more interesting it is, IMHO.

Thanks for your posts, very helpful. I have been to some very useful Governor induction training, though there is another session soon. I do think you're right that social events are not appropriate. I suppose I am just anxious to find out more about how the school got into this situation, but there are more effective ways of doing that! I am on one of the committees (teaching and learning) - its a skill to realise what's going on in the meeting - often I will come away from a meeting wishing I had said something, but I think once I am more familiar with how things work and the Governor's role, I will be able to ask questions. So much to learn!
Thanks

If you're a parent governor, you should actually be canvassing fellow parents' opinions and getting to know them better, not other governors and/or staff. A lot of what's wrong with school governing bodies is that parent governors end up representing despot head teachers.

If you think that knowing each other a little better would help (and I agree it can), and you do not have opportunities via training, then some carefully considered social events might help.

But you need a restrained approach (to avoid accusations of impropriety). Christmas lunch and end of school year dinner might be a suitable level.

MrsAJP - parent govs don't represent all parents. They are only a representative parent.

Ie they only represent themselves.

As Indigobell said as a Parent Governor it not for me to cavass other parents. That not to say I haven't bought up in a meeting an issue that been asked of me, but only if it is necessary.

Indigo - I didn't say they were representative OF parents. They are a parent reprensentative, elected by parents and of course they should keep themselves aware of parents' views and concerns.

Not exactly.

Even if you work full time and don't know any of the other parents you're still able to be a parent governor.

If a parent wants to raise something with the govs, they need to do it formally.

Sorry Mrs JAP, I agree with indigoBell, it is not an PGs responsibility to be raising all sorts of issues that parents have at GB meetings. They are there as indigobell says to act as representative parents.

Parent governors are not there to represent parents. If you have a pecuniary interest it has to be declared. Governors role is to question. Sometimes though it can be hard to do. Heads can talk a good talk. If you have satifactory Ofted will be in your case, So do get some training.

"Parent governors are elected by parents of
children at the school. Although they are there to
represent parents' views, they are not delegates,
and other parents cannot mandate them on how
they should vote, or what they should say in
governing body meetings. However, they should
listen to the views of parents to inform their input
to governing body meetings and should also find
ways to report back to parents from the governing
body."

more here

We have a class rep system as well as governers, and the HT meets with the class reps every half term, sometimes we discuss more major issues, but generally the issues parents raise with us are more of the packed lunch grumble sort of thing. I think it is useful having a forum like this where parents views are expressed and actively sought, enabling to governors to get on with the business of steering the ship. I imagine that lots of parents concerns are more of the day to day stuff. There have been one or two issues where the governors have sought opinions, but this is done via newsletters/ email etc so the whole school can respond not just the friends of the parent governors. The PTA raises the funds and is separate. Good luck being a parent governor, and I am sure that soon you will feel more confient in meetings.

Dd's school has recently started up a Parents' Forum partly as a result of the misunderstanding about parent governors' role. Parents and some governors themselves have been labouring under the misapprehension that a parent governor is indeed some kind of "delegate".

I am a governor of another school and we have been having a bit of trouble with one parent governor who just doesn't get it. He repeatedly raises issues that would be more suitably directed at a class teacher and is quite aggressive but, most seriously, has broken confidence on quite a serious matter. It turns out though that although you can get rid of community governors and local authority governors, you cannot under any circumstances sack a parent governor!

Mrs JAP,
All I can say to the info from Cambridgeshire is that their view is veering towards one end of the spectrum and is not necessarily the perceived view of many of the rest of governor service departments throughout the country, the National Governors Association or the DfE.
Cambridgeshire's stance is very much asking for the kind of issue arising that gramercy refers to.

I am certain it isn't Cambridgeshire that has it wrong.

Rise trust does research into state education:

"The research also showed very clearly that establishing meaningful contact with parents – and to a lesser extent, headteachers – is one of the biggest challenges with which PGRs are faced. Getting a definite feel for what parents think or what are issues or matters of concern to them lies at the very heart of the PGR?s role, and yet, arguably, it is the most problematic aspect."

more here