| Being
A Church School Governor
Perhaps
you have been asked to be a Foundation Governor at your local
Church of England school and would like to know more. Foundation
governors are usually appointed by PCCs, certain Trusts or the
Diocesan Board of Education.
Everyone
has to complete a detailed application form and they will be checked
to ensure they are a suitable peson to have contact with children.
This check is completely confidential. When the checks are completed
the appointment will be ratified by the D.B.E.
The Foundation
Governor’s role is to be a link between the Parish Church
and the school and to represent the interests of the School's
Church Foundation.
A
Foundation Governor will:
1. Be
a regular worshipper either at the local parish church or at a
church of another denomination, and be able to support the principles
underlying the trust deed of the school in accordance with the
doctrines and practices of the Church of England;
2. Have an
interest in and concern for children;
3. Be willing
to represent the church in serving the school community.
The
role of the Foundation Governor is summed up under the following
headings:
1. To be a
regular attending member of the Governing Body;
2. To support
the headteacher and staff in the work that they do;
3. To have
an interest in education matters and so be able to contribute
to the development of the school, for example by participating
in admissions, annual parents' meetings, involvement with the
curriculum, finance etc;
4. To have
time to visit the school and to get to know staff and children;
5. To be an
effective liaison between the school and the local church;
6. To represent,
on the Governing Body, the emphasis contained in the Trust Deed,
that education shall be carried out in accordance with the doctrines
and practices of the Church of England;
7. To represent
the Christian ethos of the school on the Governing Body.
8. to be a link between
the school and the Diocesan Education Team
NB. It is important
that Foundation Governors should undertake governor training,
be willing to understand the current legislation and be able to
disentangle the affairs of the parish from the affairs of the
school.
F.A.Q.s
I am not an expert, does that matter?
You
will have a wealth of personal experience to bring to the Governing
Body. People from all backgrounds are needed and each contribution
is valued. The Local Education Authority offer training course,
which are highly recommended.
Where
can I get advice and help?
If
you have a query about the appointment process then contact Diane
Matthews at diane@stedmundsbury.anglican.orgor
Tel: 01473 298570.
The National
Society, which advises and supports church schools has an excellent
web site which is now FREE. http://www.churchschools.co.uk
A useful book for all Church School Governors is Governing
and Managing Church Schools by David W. Lankshear. You
could buy this on-line at Church
House Bookshop
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