Governing Body

[Ellov3ra]

I am a parent governor at my childrens school. I have completely fallen out with the school as a parent, which has compromised me being able to be objective as a governor.

I have seen and been victim to cover ups and lying which means that sitting through pre-agendad meetings full of false praise for the Head (as always seems to be the case) is going to be extremely difficult. I have in writing, accused them of lying and covering things up on matters affecting one of my children- with evidence.

I am probably the least influential of the governing team, as I have less experience and less professional status than the others do. I feel patronised and on a personal level, insulted. I have sought advice from other governors and been met with silence.

The Governors all have very good relationships with the Head. The lead governor is friends with the Head personally and spends time at her home. Any complaints I make will be futile.

I want to resign immediately, but I also don't want to cause a big stir. I'd like to go quietly and save myself any more anxiety and misery. This will however leave them a governor short and in the lurch due to upcoming meetings and checks that I would usually be doing as part of my role.

Can anyone advise on how to get out of this role now with few repercussions?

If you are in the UK, then it's the end of the school year in a few weeks. A perfect time to resign, citing that your personal circumstances have changed and you are unable to continue your commitment as a Governor for the remainder of your term.

The sooner you do it, the less impact it will have in the smooth running of Governor meetings. If you were to continue but not contribute to meetings, or send apologies to meetings, then the impact would be greater.

Offer to do a handover with whoever takes on your role within the board. They will have to get on with recruiting replacement early in the new academic year.

I had to resign my role as a governor (for very mundane reasons) and it was as simple as emailing the secretary and saying ‘I can’t be a governor any more’. I’d try that, no drama, no discussion, just a simple email.

On a bigger level though, what is your complaint about? If it’s not being properly addressed, so you need to look into your whistleblowing policy or make a complaint to the local authority?

I agree, just email the clerk and the chair saying you are resigning at the end of the term for personal reasons. I was a governor and that's all i did - I was unable to continue in the role for a number of reasons but there was no need to specify.

Another governor here. Agree with pp - just email the clerk to say you want to stand down. Job done.
If you want further advice about the issues you raised then I recommend a Facebook Group called School Governance Network UK. You have to be a school governor to join (they check) but once in the group you can post questions anonymously. There are some very experienced and supportive governors on there who might be able to help you put the situation into perspective.

I'm a Clerk for the Local Authority and have several schools that I support. It's completely normal practice to just drop the Clerk or Chair an email to say you resign with immediate effect. You don't need any explanations or reasons. Just that you no longer wish to be a governor and resign with immediate effect.

There won't be any issues with upcoming meetings or responsibilities you have; they'll be covered very quickly or deferred to the next meeting to give somebody else time to step in.

I've done it and sent the resignation email.
I was torn between staying and being more of a challenging presence on the board now that I've seen the inner workings as a parent and stepping down.

I have decided that stepping down is better for my mental wellbeing; I've found the whole recent issues anxiety inducing.

I don't want it to look like I've flaked off, that I'm weak, which it probably does, but I decided that no "voluntary" position is worth that level of stress.

Also, my role is to support the Head and be a critical friend. It's difficult for me to continue supporting the Head, when I feel let down by her. Some of the things she has said to me have been plain rude, despite being said with a smile. I don't think I would do the role any justice from now on. Any reassurance would be greatly received 🙏

Did you discuss it with the Chair? I know you said they are pally with the Head, but it would have been the appropriate thing to do. It would help to write it all down. Try to do it dispassionately and objectively, with facts and dates (e.g. exactly what was said, and how it made you feel, rather than "she was rude"). If you feel you have grounds for a complaint, read the complaints policy carefully before doing anything else.

Is it an LA school, or an academy? If an academy, a single or multi-academy trust?