School governors - is your governing body run by a little clique?

[dutchtown]

Hello have changed name for this, if you work it out PLEASE don't mention my usual one.

Am v. pissed off. I tried to challenge something that was very badly handled but everyone else just sat there and let the two or three people who think they run everything off the hook. (Don't want to say exactly what in order to stay anon.) What IS the point of bothering? And does anyone have any experience of challenging poor practice they'd like to share?

[Feenie]

I have experinced very good governors and management and currently I am experience the complete opposite. Previous to being a governor I rocked the boat of the secondary school my children attend. This was done with parents and students getting involved. They crumbled and reversed their decisions over the option choices.
Last summer I was asked if I would like to be coopted onto the governing body. An ex colleague of mine said, "well of cause they would want you, they would rather you pissing in the tent rather that pissing on it from the outside". He was absolutley right. They hadn't taken into account that I can do both, I am still a parent and I said to myself I will not stick with being a governor should it be a case of bashing my head against a wall.

You sound like an absolute nightmare.

[Allthebestnamesareused]

OMG ZOMBIE OF A ZOMBIE!!! Why would anyone do that?

[AndrewVaccari]

I have experinced very good governors and management and currently I am experience the complete opposite. Previous to being a governor I rocked the boat of the secondary school my children attend. This was done with parents and students getting involved. They crumbled and reversed their decisions over the option choices.
Last summer I was asked if I would like to be coopted onto the governing body. An ex colleague of mine said, "well of cause they would want you, they would rather you pissing in the tent rather that pissing on it from the outside". He was absolutley right. They hadn't taken into account that I can do both, I am still a parent and I said to myself I will not stick with being a governor should it be a case of bashing my head against a wall.
Again I have been rocking the boat over the Multi Academy Trust (MAT) decision and the lack of willingness by the governing body (except for two knew governors) to tackle serious safe guarding issues and other issues effecting students and their education. Too many issues to list here. They are completely in denial or do not want the issues raised because it may effect their position with joining a MAT.
I was called in by the chair and I isisted that the meeting be minuted. The chair made it clear that I was being adverserial and my postings on facebook (she admitted that they were as a parent and I did not disclose anything that was confidential) but were not inline with how the governing body likes to conduct itself. I asked if this was written down anywhere and it isn't. It has become the status quo over many years.
I asked when the last "effective governing body review" had been conducted and the chair could not remember, to which I replied it must be a long time ago if it has ever happened at all. Shocking.
For all governors out there remind yourselves of this from
A Competency Framework for Governance
The knowledge, skills and behaviours needed for effective governance in maintained schools, academies and multi-academy trusts - January 2017
Full document here www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/583733/Competency_framework_for_governance_.pdf

Principles and personal attributes
The principles and personal attributes that individuals bring to the board are as important
as their skills and knowledge. These qualities enable board members to use their skills
and knowledge to function well as part of a team and make an active contribution to
effective governance.
All those elected or appointed to boards should fulfil their duties in line with the seven
principles of public life (the Nolan principles). They should also be mindful of their
responsibilities under equality legislation, recognising and encouraging diversity and
inclusion. They should understand the impact of effective governance on the quality of
education and on outcomes for all children and young people. In addition, all those
involved in governance should be:
Committed Devoting the required time and energy to the role and ambitious to
achieve best possible outcomes for young people. Prepared to give time,
skills and knowledge to developing themselves and others in order to
create highly effective governance.
Confident Of an independent mind, able to lead and contribute to courageous
conversations, to express their opinion and to play an active role on the
board.
Curious Possessing an enquiring mind and an analytical approach and
understanding the value of meaningful questioning.
Challenging Providing appropriate challenge to the status quo, not taking information
or data at face value and always driving for improvement.
Collaborative Prepared to listen to and work in partnership with others and
understanding the importance of building strong working relationships
within the board and with executive leaders, staff, parents and carers,
pupils/students, the local community and employers.
Critical Understanding the value of critical friendship which enables both
challenge and support, and self-reflective, pursing learning and
development opportunities to improve their own and whole board
effectiveness.
Creative Able to challenge conventional wisdom and be open-minded about new
approaches to problem-solving; recognising the value of innovation and
creative thinking to organisational development and success.

So I am resigning from the body as I do not want to be associated with it and will be more effective as a parent. All we want is to know that our children are educated and cared for in the best possible way. When failures start to happen because of poor governance then this is unexceptable.

[Indantherene]

Bum, didn't notice the dates. Old old zombie .

[Indantherene]

I've been on 2 Governing bodies and am pleased to say we haven't had anything like this.

The newest parent governor seems to have his own agenda re homework but mainly everyone works together for the good of the school.

[BitOfABoost]

Zombie Thread

[Hairylegs007]

Although not in the same friendship group, the governors are generally of the same ilk and afraid to stand up and be counted. Mostly they cow tow to a complete nob of a chair, who has a Victorian attitude to everything.

[emergencydoc]

I've also resigned from our Board of Trustees after 7 years on the Board - 2 as Chair. I am appalled by the behaviour of our Board recently and the cavalier attitude they govern the school with. It is an independent school and some of us wish to complain, but the routes to do this are unclear - anyone have experience or advice please?

[edam]

Oh yes to the fudge, I HATE that.

[Rolf]

Do they follow the procedures properly? At our meetings, there is a tendency to fudge things ("everyone happy" mumble mumble "let's move on") and then move on to the next item. If I ask the chair to clarify whether agreement has been reached or not, or ask for a vote, and ask and precisely what the vote is on, it can encourage people to speak up.

Good idea about one of the training courses.

I had about a year of wondering why I was bothering, but we've got a great chairperson now, and it's much better.

[edam]

thanks everyone. That's v. good nlondon! And Pallas, thanks for that link, will explore.

[lizziemun]

Do your council run any training session for governors.

I have just become a parent governor and have been on a couple of courses just so I have an idea of what I'm doing.

[Pallas27]

Check out the forum on UK Governors
www.forums.ukgovernors.org.uk/
There are a lot of v knowledgeable people who can help and support you.
Good luck!

[nlondondad]

As soon as I saw this topic I thought "Aha - tis the Iron Law of Oligarchy! "

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_law_of_oligarchy

The way one does; it is one of my favourite ideas for explaining the world.

So if you find yourself an isolated non oligarch GET YOURSELF A MATE at least one fellow Governor who is prepared to speak up in support of you next time. In a group situation particulary one of surface conformity having one person act achieves little but two can do a lot.

Wilfred Bion (he is in Wikipedia as well ) observed this first.

I have been a school governor for some years, and have worked with these issues the whole time. These days I am one of the oligarchs most of the time....

[edam]

oops! Oh well, namechange was a bit of a faff anyway.

[edam]

support before the meeting, I mean.

[edam]

Thanks everyone.

Mala, that's what I did - suspected correct procedures had not been followed, got advice that said I was right, and challenged it. Had support from a good chunk of the GB in the meeting but in the event they sat back and let the bullies rule. Am quite sore about that. Problem is, I was all ready to discuss how we behave in future - OK, this time was less than perfect, let's learn from it - but no-one wanted to bother. V. frustrating.

At least it was clear they had fucked up on the main point, but bossy cow and her mates have got away with the entirely false idea that only governors on the relevant subcommittee are entitled to know anything. This is not right.

[gorionine]

I am not very "au fait" with school governing bodies, is there a set amount of people that can get in , like if one resigns another one will bwe appointed but there only ever will be 6 or 7 or 8...?
I know a few people who are in the governing body in our school and they do not behave any differently on the play ground than any other parent/grandparent. Admittingly, I never had any issue regarding the school to discuss with them and I might feel different if I had.

IMHO, PTA are only "cliquety" because in spite of the meetings being announced in school newsletters and all the parents regularey being invited, the very same faces are turning up all the time. Until that changes it cannot be any different as obviously, people who work together on a common goal will have a different relationship (ie. stand together in playground to discuss stuff...)

[ANTagony]

If you feel passionately that something is not right then could you do what they do in politics and lobby (some of the) other governors individually before the meeting to discuss your case and see if you can rely on them for backing if you raise it?

If meetings are long and boring sometimes people semi-switch of even when they agree with a point just to get to the end of the meeting.

You may well find that you're not alone in your frustration of the clique and that others have given up because they have tried as you and not gotten anywhere.

[Ragwort]

Completely agree with Maggots - not so much cliquey but just no 'authority' to do anything positive - had to just toe the line and do whatever the Local Authority wanted. Not able to challenge anything. Very disillusioned.

[Butterbur]

IME all small committees of this type, from Parish Councils to football clubs, PTAs and yeah, Governors' meetings are cliquey, bitchy, and frequently implode into a frenzy of backstabbing and resignations.

I always stay clear now.

[HarijukuLover]

Our school governors are ineffectual and definitely very cliquey. Seems to be the way it goes.