Being a Parent Governor
St Marie's is looking for Parent Governors
Parent governors are in a unique position on a governing body. Not only do parent governors have to work in the best interests of the school, but they have to balance this with their natural desire to see the best outcomes for their own children. The aim of this briefing paper is to offer advice to new parent governors on their specific role and suggest ways of handling some of the tricky situations which may arise.
As a parent governor it will sometimes feel that you have to know everything about the school, but can’t talk about it; you have to be on everyone’s side; if you don’t do paid work, people imagine that you have loads of free time…..and you have to be able to juggle all these expectations. As a parent you will already be an expert juggler, but developing your role as a governor will take time.
|
Parent governors are: |
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Parent governors are not: |
||||||||||||||||||||||
What are the good bits about being a parent governor?
How to fulfill your role
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.
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.
|
If you are interested in being a Parent Governor, please contact Mrs D Smith, School Business Manager for more details |
|
|
Knowsley Family Learning Service
There are times when every parent needs a bit of support, but it’s particularly difficult being a parent at present. Knowsley Family Learning Service has a team of experienced parenting support workers who are available to give advice and suggestions to help parents manage their children’s behaviour and anxieties during this difficult time.
If you would like to arrange a telephone call with one of the team of parent support workers, please contact the free phone number 0800 073 0043 and ask for Parenting Support. Your details will then be given to the Early Help Hub and someone will call you back. |
|
|
|
|
Please see the links below to our new Parentapps Connect App for both Apple and Google devices:
Apple - https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/parentapps-connect/id1440730909?mt=8
Google - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=uk.co.parentapps.connect&hl=en_GB