Other questions you may have
- Where can I find a list of statutory
policies?
- Can a governor take complaints from parents
to the governing body?
- Can parent governors be re-appointed at the
end of their term?
- Can a governor be disqualified for
non-attendance?
- When do Pecuniary (business) Interest forms need
renewing?
- Where can I find a model Policy for governor
visits?
1. Where can I find a list of statutory
policies?
The Guide to Law, issued to all governors, lists all statutory
policies (in the appendices) and there is an information booklet
available from Knowsley Governor Support by contacting us on 0151
443 3263 which gives useful information on the policy process.
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2. Can a
governor take complaints from parents to the governing
body?
Governors, especially parent governors, are sometimes approached
by parents who have a grievance or complaint against the school. In
general, individual cases should not be taken to the whole
governing body. Schools should have a recognised complaints'
procedure, and governors should encourage parents to follow it.
However, on occasions it may be appropriate for a governor to
accompany a parent to see the headteacher, or to have a word with
the headteacher or Chair, over a complaint.
If a number of parents are complaining about the same issue,
there may be an issue over policy or procedures which the governing
body may need to address. Knowsley Governor Support has produced a
tool kit to support the complaints policy and is held in
schools.
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3. Can parent
governors be re-appointed at the end of their term?
Parent governors are elected by the parents of the school. As
such, at the end of their term of office they have to put
themselves forward for nomination and election, if they are still
eligible.
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4. Can a governor be disqualified for
non-attendance?
An apology sent by a governor is offered to the meeting for
acceptance. It is a requirement that the minutes must state whether
or not apologies are accepted. If apologies are not accepted the
governor will be advised.
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5. When do
Pecuniary (business) Interest forms need renewing?
Pecuniary Interest forms should be completed annually. It is
advisable to do this at the first meeting of the autumn term. When
a new governor is elected or appointed the Clerk should ensure they
complete a form. It is a requirement that a Register of the
Pecuniary Interest forms is maintained. Under the FMSiS (financial
management standard in schools) it is strongly recommended that
governors be given the opportunity to update ther business
interests and declare an interest in any item on each agenda.
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6. Where can I find a model Policy for governor
visits?
Managed well, structured visits to school by governors can help
immeasurably in governors' understanding of their school, its
teachers and its pupils and can help to strengthen working
relationships between staff and governors. They can bring another
perspective to whole-school evaluation of progress. Governors
Service has a guide for link governors which includes a policy for
school visits available from Clerks' Corner.
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