School governors come from every walk of life. There are over 300,000 school governors in England and they form the largest volunteer force in the country.

Each individual governor is a member of a governing body, which is established in law as a corporate body.   Individual governors may not act independently of the rest of the governing body. Decisions are the joint responsibility of the governing body.

The role of the governing body is a strategic one, its key functions are to:

  • set the aims and objectives for the school
  • set the policies for achieving those aims and objectives
  • set the targets for achieving those aims and objectives
  • monitor and evaluate the progress the school is making towards achievement of its aims and objectives
  • be a source of challenge and support to the headteacher (a critical friend)

The headteacher is responsible for the internal organisation, management and control of the school and the implementation of the strategic framework established by the governing body.

You can find out more about governors and their role on the NGA website here

You can find out more about school governors in Barnsley here