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Governor Support Team - Support for new Governors

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Introduction to Governance from the Governor Support Team (GST)

To support and develop new governors we offer a day conference and two two-hour evening sessions to look in depth at the specific roles of governors, details of these are as follows: 

An Introduction to Governance: Day Conference

This day conference will enable new governors to become more familiar with the roles and responsibilities of the Governing Body and the working of the school.  New governors should become more confident in participating as a school governor and become more effective in supporting school improvement. We strongly recommend that all new governors attend. 

Planning for Improvement

This session gives governors the opportunity to learn about the importance of school planning and their role in the process of developing the strategic framework.   This is done by involving governors in establishing the framework for the school and development planning while focusing on the key issue of raising standards.  

Support, Challenge and Accountability

This session gives governors the opportunity to understand the role of the governing body as a ‘critical friend’, checking on the progress of the school and supporting school improvement.   The session will also explore the ways in which the governing body keeps the broader community informed of the school's progress and development.

Further training sessions are available through our Governor Development Programme. The programme is designed to offer sessions to learn more about what governors do.   As well as giving support and encouragement to new governors, it also allows more experienced governors a chance to keep up to date with all the current legislation changes.

To book your place on any GST training event, please complete a booking form and return via post, fax or email as instructed.

School Based Induction for New Governors

The Introduction to Governance sessions from the GST provide background information and details of issues that new Governors will face.

Whilst it is not appropriate for the Governor Support Team to prescribe what should happen, the following questions and suggestions taken from professional sources (DfE National Training Programme) may help your Governing Body consider the arrangements it makes concerning new governors:

  • Are the issues of confidentiality and loyalty to corporate decisions, clearly explained to new governors?
  • Does your Governing Body allocate a mentor or support to each new governor?
  • Do you have a comprehensive school-based induction that gives governors information about the school as soon as they start being a governor?
  • Is the governor’s induction programme evaluated at the end?
  • Is there an early meeting with the headteacher and chair, as an introduction to induction?
  • Do new governors have the chance to feed back to the Governing Body on their induction training?
  • Do you find out what strengths, skills and knowledge new governors bring with them, so the Governing Body can make best use of them?
  • Do new governors have a school visit as part of their programme?
  • Are new governors linked with a class, year group or a department to help them get to know the school?
  • Do new governors have a chance to attend meetings of all committees before they are appointed to be members of particular committees?
  • Do you allocate new governors to committees based upon the skills they bring, or merely where there is a vacancy?
  • The Link Governor is well placed to support new governors, as well as ensureing the development needs of the Governing Body are met.

Key documents

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10/04/2012 151k


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