Parent governors are:

•  well placed to understand parents’ views and to remind the governing body how matters being discussed affect parents;
•  individuals!  How you vote on any decision is up to you;
•  in a good position to help the governing body to communicate effectively with parents;
•  equal in status to all other governors.

Parent governors are not:

•  expected to gather the views of other parents and take them to the governing body;
•  simply expected to represent the interests of parents;
•  a link between parents and the governing body;
•  expected to vote as instructed by other parents.

What are the good bits about being a parent governor?

•  You have a very privileged and responsible               
• You have the opportunity to make a  difference for other parents, and to influence
• You have the opportunity to make   the way in which school works with them. difference, not only for your children, but for  the future   
• You will learn a lot and develop new skills children in years to come.

How to fulfill your role

How you can help individual parents

From time to time you may be approached by other parents asking for help, or wanting to make a complaint about something the school is, or isn’t doing.

     ♦    Make it clear you can’t act for the governing body.

     ♦    Don’t raise expectations that the school will “put it right” – there may be underlying issues or

background that you don’t know about.

     ♦    Keep an open mind – there are at least two sides to every story!

     ♦    You may need to explain why the governing body has made a decision in a certain way, so be

prepared.

What to do if you experience a conflict between being a parent and being a

governor

This can happen – especially if you think the governing body is making decisions which you feel will adversely affect your children.

• If a difficulty arises, take a step back and think things through as objectively as you can.
• If you are concerned, talk to the headteacher or to the chair of governors. Make sure you don’t break confidentiality when discussing your concerns outside governing body meetings.

Where to get help, advice and support

♦ Don’t be discouraged if at first everything seems confusing and difficult to get to grips with.  Most new governors feel this way.

♦  Don’t feel you have to know everything straight away…..it can take a full year to begin to see how the cycle of governing body business fits together.

♦ Smile at these words from R D Laing in “Knots” (1970).  If you feel like this – don’t worry, things WILL get better.  See above for sources of help and support.

There is something I don’t know That I am supposed to know.

I don’t know what it is I don’t know,

And I feel stupid If I seem both not to know it

And not know what it is I don’t know. And yet I’m supposed to know, Therefore, I pretend I know it.

This is nerve-wracking since I don’t know What I must pretend to know.

Therefore, I pretend to know everything.