Governors are appointed to provide:

• strong links between the school and the community it serves
• a wide experience of the outside world
• an independent view
• a visible form of accountability for the headteacher and staff of the school
• a team focusing on long term development and improvement
• accountability to the community for the use of resources and the standards of teaching and learning in the school
• support for the headteacher and staff.

Governors are expected to:

• attend meetings of the governing body
• work as a member of the governing body (not as an individual) in the best interests of the school
• show an interest in school activities
• become well-informed about education in general and about their school in particular
• become familiar with the rules of school governance
• attend training courses, where appropriate.

Governors will also be involved in the following activities:

• senior staff appointments
• the financial management of the school
• pupil discipline
• the curriculum
• community links.

Governing bodies set the strategic direction of the school.  In order to do this a governing body:

• employs others to carry out the work
• has an operational manager (the headteacher) who is responsible for  the day to day management of the school
• agrees policies and procedures
• agrees targets for improvement
• acts as the critical friend of the school and headteacher
• receives and discusses reports on the resulting practice and conduct of the school
• reviews its own working practices.

Decisions of the governing body are made in formal meetings, either with the full governing body, or in committees, if the full governing body has delegated powers to them.  

What we hope you will get out of being a governor:

• the knowledge that you are helping schools and pupils
• the satisfaction of giving something back to the community
• a sense of purpose and achievement
• new skills which may be useful elsewhere
• broader horizons.

What we hope you can offer:

• time (approximately six hours a month)
• commitment and tact
• a willingness to learn
• a listening ear and an enquiring mind
• the ability to assimilate information, make judgements and take decisions
• the ability to work as part of a team.

Swindon Borough Council and its schools

Swindon is made up of a mixture of schools ranging from small rural primary schools to large secondary schools.  Most children attend mainstream schools, including those with learning difficulties, although there are schools catering exclusively for children with more complex needs.  All schools have a governing body whose job it is to work with the headteacher, the local authority and the Diocese for church schools, to ensure that all pupils receive the best possible education.

Knowing your school

All schools receive support from the local authority and have a School Improvement Partner (SIP) who takes a particular interest in the conduct and achievement of the school.  Following a visit to the school the SIP will provide a written report, which together with reports from the headteacher and the annual test, assessment and examination results, assist the governing body in knowing how the school is performing against specific targets and helps the governing body to set further targets for improvement.  

Training and support

Governor Support provides training and support for governors in Swindon. As most governing bodies pay an annual subscription to purchase the training package provided by Governor Support, governors are able to attend training free of charge. Training is offered for both the full governing body and individual governors.

All governors share the responsibility of making the governing body effective and efficient by setting the remit of the body and its committees, being well informed and attending the meetings.

How to register your interest

If you would like to register an interest in becoming a school governor, please complete the online application form or download, complete and post the PDF version, both of which can be found below.  

Online Form

Registration of Interest in Becoming a School Governor - online form

Downloadable PDF

Registration of Interest in Becoming a School Governor (58Kb)