Primary Governor and not enjoying it

[Honeywaffles1]

Due to a local council initiative to increase the representation of ethnic minorities on school boards, I had submitted an application to be a governor.

I believe that the school appointed me in an effort to appease them, but they haven't done anything to make me feel welcome. ignoring emails for weeks and failing to schedule meetings on the part of the head.

For more context, let me say that I run a successful business, am still relatively young, innovative, and outspoken about the challenges I face as a BAME woman in business.

I provide mentoring at nearby universities and aid the local government in its efforts to help young people from non-traditional backgrounds break into the workforce. So I know I have something to give.

I've offered to organise career days to increase aspirations or to use my connections with neighbourhood businesses to raise money through fundraising.

Over 50% of students receive free meals at school, and many kids live in unstable homes, making it a fairly deprived area.

Additionally, school governors are typically permitted to deduct reasonable expenses; however, the school business manager has stated that this is not the case, essentially telling me I must pay them for the after-school club. As a result, I am now spending my own money to volunteer at the school.

How would you respond? I was so eager to contribute, but now I just feel purposefully left out.

I now believe that's the reason you don't see faces like mine serving as school governors because I'm not wanted.

It’s not great that the school business manager is acting as clerk - that’s a bit of a conflict of interests (but it does happen). Try to speak to the Chair of governors. Despite what some others on this thread have said, claiming childcare expenses is totally valid - it shouldn’t cost you to volunteer.

I agree with others that some of your ideas are not really within a governor’s remit - however it’s totally possible to influence vision and ethos and that could include
inclusivity/diversity etc so this is valid - ask the Chair to have it put on the next agenda. But, you do need to go to some training so you fully understand the role - it is a steep learning curve and you will be more comfortable and successful if you invest time now doing training. Best of luck.

The training is mostly on zoom and all done by the LA.

And because this is an anonymous forum, I’m going to be honest… I think you sound quite antagonistic and like you don’t really understand what it’s like to be a head teacher these days. There is a reason there is a teaching retention crisis.

I don’t rubber stamp things at all, but I do try to remember that the staff have the ‘lived experience’ of these things. So I take what they have to say about it seriously. If I jump in with 101 ideas I’m not being very helpful.

So what happens when you ask questions in meetings, bearing in mind must be related to strategy not operational day to day running

This!! OP you don't seem to have understood your role - have you had any training on it? You are a critical friend to the school and it is an oversight role. It is a governance role not one where you 'contribute' in the way you describe. You don't get to get involved in setting up initiatives etc unless the school asks you to assist with something. I don't know any governors who claim expenses - school finances are stretched as it it, it is a voluntary role. School staff are seriously overstretched and many governing bodies aren't well set up to 'welcome' new governors - I certainly got no welcome or assistance when I started, but I didn't assume that this was some sort of prejudice against me but took it as being the result of staff with other priorities and a chairperson who could be more effective. I"m afraid if you are looking for a role to 'enjoy' - school governor is unlikely to fit the bill. It can be very dull and frustrating - lots of policies to review and very little power (particularly if your school is in a MAT).

If you want to volunteer to help with careers, PTA etc etc the route to do so is via the school directly for the former and to get together with other parents for he latter. Neither is part of your role as a governor.

Of course as a church school they are trying to teach children about their faith. That’s part of their ethos. You won’t change that and nor should you. They will also have regular inspections by the diocese in how well they are doing in this area. Did anyone talk to you about the distinctives of a faith school beforehand?

I had to report my first response as it had a random link in it.

First childcare expenses are totally reasonable.

It is worth remembering your fellow governors, including the chair are also volunteers and might be struggling a bit too.

The thing that is quite hard to get the hang of is governors are strategic and the head is there to operate the school. There are courses but The National Governors Association has lots of info on their website too.

I have been a primary school governor (LA appointed). The main duties of the GB are to manage the finances (which are complex), ensure suitable staffing, monitor teaching & learning standards and outcomes and to supervise appropriate policies & procedures. The things that you say you want to do might be nice "add ons" but they are not usually part of the role of a governor. You are there to serve the school, not the other way around.

Of course as a church school they are trying to teach children about their faith. That’s part of their ethos. You won’t change that and nor should you. They will also have regular inspections by the diocese in how well they are doing in this area. Did anyone talk to you about the distinctives of a faith school beforehand?

What I didn't like—and I probably could have put it better—was that the church seemed to place financial success and converting children to its faith above all else, even above what the local community needs and what's best for the school itself not as another piece of the pie.

@Honeywaffles1 You will find this useful I hope NGA Being Strategic

When you say nothing is happening are there not meetings? We have a full govs each term, 2 committees a term and link governor meetings. Structures vary but we ask questions at all. The first year i admit most of my questions were about learning the ropes rather than challenge. It sounds like you have had LA training, has that explained how to ask questions? It's not as simple as it sounds which is why I ask, making sure questions are challenging and focus on the strategic points.

I think give it a year, see how it develops. Be careful of being too full on. You may come across as a PITA, sometimes I remind myself of the hare and the tortoise.

I have been a governor off and on for 20 years.
Chair in maintained primary, Trustee in MAT, LA governor, sit on ESC for another MAT etc etc. Also been a Headteacher.

I have only know 1 very dodgy MAT that paid 'expenses' and 1 maintained school that paid for the taxi for a wheelchair user.

It is a voluntary role. I wouldn't expect childcare to be paid for. If they are pupils at the school then putting them into a school run after school if there are places at no cost is different (but what time are meetings?)

What meeting hasn't the HT scheduled? The Clerk would usually schedule GB meetings.

It probably costs me £10,000 a year in lost income to be a governor. I also pay out close to £1000 in travel costs.

Have you met with your chair of governors? They would be the best person to speak to.
Governors are there to challenge, but you cannot get involved with the day to day running of the school, that's the job of the HT it's a fine line.
PTA is completely different to Governors.

Most schools do not refund expenses for governors.

To clarify
The policy may say admin, childcare add travel but no governors ever claim in any of these categories in most schools.

As others have said, you aren’t clear about the role of governors. It’s a strategic role and not an operational one. Decisions are made by the whole board and not individual governors. Introducing initiatives is not the role of a governor. That’s the head’s role.

I didn't word that well.

I wouldn't expect childcare to be claimed for by a governor. Most policies allow for very limited expenses (to enable access) but no-one ever claims. It is a voluntary role.

I am black and have been a parent governor for five years.

I agree with previous posters regarding the role of governor - you are there to provide strategic guidance rather than 'do'. So looking at how the school implement their policies and assessing their effectiveness.

Parent governors at our school are allowed to use the after-school club if meetings run past 3.20pm. I don't think anyone puts in expenses although there are allowances for mileage, printing ink etc.

Take all the training available - your local authority should provide some. But also do your own homework re effective questioning for governors - there are loads of free online resources from local authorities across the UK.

Feel free to PM me if you have any questions. It took me a couple of years to feel that I was an effective governor - and I still feel there is still a lot to learn about my role.

Thank you. I will read this!

The role is to seek assurance that it is being done rather than to do.

Things that also happen to look great on your CV but statutory requirements aren't going to be high on the agenda. Especially as the SBM is about to be tearing her hair out over the census so that the school actually receives the correct GAG, dealing with the implications of the support pay award AND the teachers' one. And there's also potentially determining admission policy, dealing with the implications of results, staffing levels, bill increases, statutory policy renewals, admissions, compulsory training (have you done your safeguarding, prevent and fgm awareness this term?), reassessing the implications of the new admissions appeals code, the new exclusions code, year 6 transition, open evenings, SATs, a ton of other new guidance and legislation from efsa and any amount of hassle from the diocese and the LA.

I think you've largely confused the difference between strategic and operational responsibilities and made the equation equal five. And expected way too much of people who are already working fulltime in the school - like organising nice to have things when they haven't stopped all summer, never mind over the last five weeks.

It is a voluntary role. I wouldn't expect childcare to be paid for. If they are pupils at the school then putting them into a school run after school if there are places at no cost is different (but what time are meetings?)
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What meeting hasn't the HT scheduled? The Clerk would usually schedule GB meetings.

All meetings at my child's school generally start 30 minutes after the end of the school day. There is therefore no choice but to use the after-school club, and after my meetings with the governors is over, I go pick them up. Therefore, it seemed a little unfair for me to pay for this while I'm actually in an office a few metres away, hopefully assisting the school.

I was supposed to meet with the head to talk more about my role and to decide which governor specific roles I would take. Consider how some governors oversee finances, curriculum, etc.

I am completely content with my voluntary role because I was aware of what I was signing up for.

I also do other volunteer work. My problem was that I was volunteering at my child's school and had to pay a fair amount of money to do so.

IOk. You dont need a meeting with the Head. You need to meet with the Chair to discuss the roles etc. It is not the role of the Head to organise governance.

IOk. You dont need a meeting with the Head. You need to meet with the Chair to discuss the roles etc. It is not the role of the Head to organise governance.

it was the heads suggestion that this is what we were going to do next.