anyone a parent governer??

[MissTired]

my ds's sn school are looking for some and i was considering putting myself forward but unsure exactly what it entails and how much time i would spend on it. does anyone know??

I was a governor and found it really interesting. Because it was a bad school we didn't do all that much - at a good school I believe you'd do more.

We have meetings twice a term. And had to read huge amounts of policy documents - which we then rubber stamped at the meetings :)

And that was all we did. :)

we have meetings once a month in term time

obv papers to read as well

and others task is you are office bearer or on sub committee

pl do it if you possibly can, its very important

I am a PG. There are 1 or 2 meetings a term depending what committee's you're on. I also visit school at least once a term for monitoring,meeting Head of Year etc. Attend events such as assemblies when I can but work full time so sometimes hard to commit. Lots of reading of policies but it is enjoyable and worthwhile. I feel sometimes I should do more but HT aware of circumstances and some other Gov's are SAHM so obviously they can do more. Would recommend it.

I am a PG too. I enjoy it -my daughter's school is fantastic and it makes me feel that I can give something back to them.
It's interesting, too.Go for it!

i am clerk to the school governors, so don't have to do anything other than type minutes, but the governors all work really hard. It is a small school - less than 100pupils including the attached nursery. They meet every 2months, discuss policies for each subject, set budgets for the school year, there is a specific SEN governor who reports each meeting about where they are with getting statements approved etc., a health and safety group who have to do regular risk assessments, the prospectus group keep that up to date each term, then there were the governors that volunteered to set up an after school club - they ended up spending hours and hours writing policies and procedures for it.
Having seen how much work they do, I probably would just stick at being their clerk, but that is because I do a lot of other volunteery type things (fruit and veg co-op at the school, secretary of school friends association, playgroup chairman etc etc)and just wouldn't be able to commit more time.

thanks everyone, i have sent a note in with ds's home school diary asking about it as the form has to be signed by 2 other parents with kids at the school and as it is there are only 25 kids at ds's school, all of which get the school bus so i have not met any of the other parents!! so i have asked about what i would do about that etc and i will see what the response is. the school is a sn school federated with another sn school, ds's has 25 kids, the other one has 150 i think or something like that. there are parent governers from each but i think they all meet together ds's school are looking for 3 more pg's so im not sure how many people would want to do it but with such a little school im not sure there will be many surely?!?! will let you know later if i get a note back in ds's home school book or in book bag as i thought head would ring but she hasnt.

I was a PG and all we were meant to do was rubber stamp what the Head wanted. Anyone who questioned her in any way had a very hard time of it. At Governor training though I met people who felt they played a full and active part in the running of the school and they were allowed to discuss issues and sometimes the Head even listened to them and took their ideas on board. I only stuck it three years out of a four year term.
I don't regret doing it, but in hindsight I wish I had been more of a thorn in her flesh.

I'm a PG too and also the SEN Governor. There are governing body meetings twice a term, plus committee meetings (usually once or twice a term depending on need really).

Plus we are linked with a year group, and are expected to attend sports days, some assemblies, school fundraising events and so on. There are indeed mountains of reading to do.

But it is really interesting, and you do get much more insight into how the school works, what they are trying to achieve and what's in the way of that.

You are supposed to be a 'critical friend', so essentially supportive of the school but pushing it to do better.

Hope the head responds positively to your note, it's so worth doing.

I'm vice-chair of Govs and SEN Governor of a large state primary, and have been for many years.

I love it.
I get involved in staff recruitment, setting standards, helping the children, setting up fetes and activities, making sure the school has the right rules in place, sorting out problems that need more than just the head teacher and key leaders, and generally enjoying seeing the children grow and thrive. It's hard work sometimes if you take on a lot of different responsibilities, but worth it. And you don't have to take on loads of things if you can't spare the time.

I'm a pg at DS's all age special school. I seem to have done it for ever - starting when he was in reception and he's now year 8!

Firstly the headteacher will probably get people to sign your nomination form - ours does as he isou only get a votou go along and can join discussions and sub committes but y grateful for any nominations at all. I have never had to be in an election.

Secondly if you don't want to join "cold" you may be able to go to some meetings as an observer and it is possible to become an assiciate governor. This means that you ou dcan join in discussions but you don't get to vote (although you may be able to voete on a subcommittee if the main governing body grant you that "right")

well, no note in todays book so will wait and see if hear anything by middle of next week then i will ring and ask head about it! thanks everyone will keep you updated!

I don't think that's the way it works, Starlight. The SEN governor oversees the way a school caters for children with SEN and it's important that that person knows what the issues are. And they also act as a person to whom parents can take concerns about SEN. But in the large primary school I am a PG at the SEN committee is two governors (one of whom chairs the cttee and is chair of governing body), me and the SENCo. But it is not a case of their having to be more votes for SEN because most of what the governing body does is to recieve reports -- the cttee is where the work gets done. If you've got the interest and want to do it then you should take on the role. And if you have knowledge and want to share it then you should be the person parents can come to about SEN matters.

Sorry double post, to clarify the SEN cttee is three in total, me (SEN governor), chair of governing body, SENco.

Yes, I can see that too, and the more people who are interested in SEN on the governing body the better. In my case though it was a choice between sitting on SEN cttee and doing finance which would leave me feeling most !