Parent Governor Representatives
Parent Governor Representatives - A voice for Parents in
Knowsley
Parent Governor Representatives (PGR’s) are parent governors
elected by other parent governors to provide a voice for all
parents in Knowsley in local decision making. Their task is to
represent parents, not to be mandated by them to act in a
particular way or as their delegates.
Parent Governor Representatives' Termly Newsletter
The role of a Parent Governor Representative is
to:
- Attend and contribute to committees to which they have been
appointed
- Act as a non-political voice for parents and ensure councillors
are aware of parents’ views on educational issues
- Establish good relations with other members and officers
- Abide by the local authority’s rules on committee procedure
(standing orders)
- Act with due propriety according to standards laid down in
local government
- Report back to parents on the Authority’s discussions and
decisions on education
Parent Governors in Knowsley
Helen Baker-Latham
"I have been a Parent Governor at HASCL (where my daughter
attends) since November 2010. I worked as a Healthcare Professional
for ten years but since moving to Huyton and having my sons, I have
been running my own small creative business.
"I am passionate about parenting and education and strive to use
my skills and experience in positive ways. I very much appreciate
the opportunity to serve as a Parent Governor Representative. I aim
to improve communication between Parent Governors so that we can
share our knowledge and experience to serve our school communities
even better."
Why have Parent Governor Representatives?
The Government wants parents to have a say in local authority
decisions that affect the education of their children. By
Law, local authorities must have PGR’s on their committees dealing
with education matters.
In Knowsley there are two PGR positions and they serve on the
Children, Young People and Families Scrutiny Committee. They have
voting rights on all matters relating to education functions which
are the responsibility of the Authority’s Executive and can
contribute to discussions on other issues dealt with by the
Committee, but shall not vote on those other matters.
What does the role involve?
- Speaking for parents and pupils on educational matters at local
authority meetings
- Voting on key decisions
- Keeping in touch with general views of parents
- Act as a sounding board for the Authority when it wants to tap
into parents’ views
Background to role
PGR’s were established in the School Standards and Framework Act
1998, amending section 499 of the Education Act 1996 and are
subject to their own regulations, the Parent Governor
Representatives (England) Regulations 2001. Each
Authority must elect between two and five PGR’s for a term of
between two and four years – in Knowsley we have two who serve for
a term of two years.
Scrutiny committee
