Staff & Governors
Who are the Governors?
School governors form the largest volunteer group in the country. They are people from all walks of life, who care about children’s education and are prepared to work as a team to support their school and local community.
More than 9,000 people volunteer to be governors in Cumbria, bringing to their role experience of everyday life and a wish to help children and schools. They support schools in raising standards, by determining the conduct and direction of the school.
Effective governors do not need educational expertise but do need to be committed to their school, willing to ask questions and act as a critical friend. They also need to be able to work as an enthusiastic member of the governing body team. The headteacher works closely with the governing body as its principal professional adviser. Governing body policy decisions will then be implemented by the headteacher in the day-to-day running of the school.
They will be supported by other governors on the governing body as well as by Cumbria County Council, through the Governor Services Team. In Cumbria we have always valued the contribution of governors and we have sought to support governing bodies by providing a wide range of services including clerking, training and information. Seminars on a variety of topics are provided throughout Cumbria.
There are different categories of governor, and the procedures for appointment or election depend on the category and the date when the governing body was constituted.
- Parent Governors – elected by parents/carers of registered pupils
- Staff Governors – elecetd by staff members
- Authority Governors – nominated by the LA and appointed by the governing body
- Co-opted Governors – nominated from within the governing body and appointed by the governing body
Some people cannot become governors. The general restrictions are listed in the document Disqualification from Holding a Governorship. All terms of office are for four years unless a reason is given for shortening the length of office.
As well as the termly Full Governing Body meeting where all governors attend, we also have sub-committees including the Curriculum and Standards Committee and the Finance and Resources Committee.
To find out more about becoming a Governor of a school, please click here.
So here is a little bit about Our Governors at North Walney
North Walney Instrument of Governance
Curriculum and Standards Committee Terms of Reference
Finance and Resources Committee Terms of Reference
Governors have consented to their images and names being used as per GDPR regulations.
All staff have been checked and verified by the Disclosure Barring Service and have been appointed following interview and satisfactory references. All governors, volunteers and visitors to the school are asked to provide their DBS certificate for verification before entering the school premises.