School Governors

Our vision is to become a child friendly city where children are valued, supported, enjoy growing up, and look forward to a bright future. Effective governance is a vital component of strong school leadership which ensures every child gets the best education. 

Purpose of the service
We develop strong accountable governing bodies to set a standard of excellence and ensure statutory duties are met. We are focused on improving teaching and learning by recruiting and supporting highly skilled, well-informed and well-trained governors.

Become a Governor
There are different categories of governors and you do not need to have a child at school to apply. Please complete the on-line application form in the documents section on this page and return to education.governors@leeds.gov.uk or contact us on 0113 378 5213.

The range of services we offer include:

  • support, advice and information about governors’ responsibilities and effectiveness 
  • a full clerking service to school governing bodies 
  • an annual school governors’ training programme
  • tailored courses for individual governing bodies 
  • regular email updates 
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What are the different types of governor?What are the different types of governor?<div class="ExternalClass4B90A024FFD94D0881DD958DE14EF631">There are many different categories of governor including:<br>-parent<br>-staff <br>-foundation <br>-local authority <br>-co-opted<br><br> The type of governor you will become depends on your situation; however all governors have the same roles and responsibilities once part of the governing body. <br> ​​<span id="ms-rterangecursor-start" style="display:none;"></span><span id="ms-rterangecursor-end" style="display:none;"></span></div>
What skills and experience does a governor need?What skills and experience does a governor need?<div class="ExternalClassE1B602EBAE214A939E1EF36973C9B296">The regulations advise that all governors should have the skills required to contribute to effective governance and the success of the school. The specific skills need will vary but experience has shown that all governors need:<br>-a strong commitment to the role and to improving outcomes for children <br>-the inquisitiveness to question and analyse <br>-the willingness to learn <br>-good inter-personal skills <br>-appropriate levels of literacy in English (unless a governing body is prepared to make special arrangements), <br>-sufficient numeracy skills to understand basic data <br>-<span id="ms-rterangecursor-start" style="display:none;"></span><span id="ms-rterangecursor-end" style="display:none;"></span>willingness to attend appropriate training <br> ​</div>
What is the time commitment?What is the time commitment?<div class="ExternalClassA50E11AA0F204D2CA9121E3367717EEE">The average is 10-15 hours per term; this includes attending meetings, background reading and school visits.<br><br>Being a governor is a public duty and governors have a right to reasonable time off work, although this may be without pay. You should look at your company’s policy to see what entitlement you have. <span id="ms-rterangecursor-start" style="display:none;"></span><span id="ms-rterangecursor-end" style="display:none;"></span>​</div>

 

 

Application to be a school governorhttps://www.leeds.gov.uk/docs/Application to be a school governor for Leeds 2015.docx77919docx

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