19 May, 2023
Parent Governor Elections
There are currently three vacancies for parent governors on the Governing Body of St Teilo's Church in Wales High School. Are you the right person to join to help lead us into the exciting next phase of the school's life and worship?
Introduction
The commonly asked questions below will help you to understand more about this important role.
Governors are responsible for, amongst other things:
- Outcomes, meaning helping to ensure a strategic and systematic approach to promoting high standards of educational achievement, attendance and behaviour, including the rigorous review of published performance data.
- Target setting, meaning acting as a critical friend and setting targets by which progress for pupil achievement and outcomes can be measured.
- Curriculum, meaning helping to ensure all learners have access to a broad and balanced learning diet and that all statutory requirements are met.
- Planning, meaning determining the aims, policies and priorities of the school and contributing to the School Improvement Plan and School Self-Evaluation.
- Finance, meaning determining and monitoring the school budget.
- Staffing, meaning deciding the number of staff and involvement in all staffing processes including pay, staff appointments, performance management, suspension, disciplinary issues and dismissal, grievances.
- Inspection, meaning helping to prepare and respond to Estyn, the school's inspectorate.
- Wellbeing, meaning monitoring the welfare and safeguarding of learners including the promotion of Healthy Eating.
Parent governors are elected as representative of the interests of the parents of pupils. However, parent governors are not mandated delegates of parents. They are a member of a corporate body – the Governing Body – and have the same powers, duties and responsibilities as all other governors.
Unless specifically instructed by the governing body, they have no individual powers to make decisions. Parent governors are entitled to exercise the same powers, duties and responsibilities as other governors and have the same rights as other governors.
Parent governors are a distinctive category of governor and, as elected representatives, are well placed to understand the needs and points of view of parents.
Parent governors are elected to serve a term of office of 4 years.
No special qualifications are needed to be a governor. Governors are given full information about their role from the Local Authority in addition to the opportunity to attend training courses.
All new governors have to complete a mandatory induction training programme. New governors and those undertaking a second term of office also have to complete mandatory training on data. Details of this will be provided by the Local Authority.
If you would like to be a parent governor, you need to download, complete and return the nomination form found below.
The deadline for nominations is Friday 26 May 2023.
Any nominations received after this date will not be accepted.
If more nominations are received than there are vacancies, an election will be held which would be decided by a simple majority.
Eligibility
Anyone over 18 years of age can serve as a governor, but the Government of Maintained Schools (Wales) Regulations 2005 provides some exceptions. You will not be eligible to become a governor or continue to hold office as a governor if any of the following statements apply to you:
- I am intending to apply for an additional governor position at the school at which I am already a governor;
- I am already a governor at two schools;
- I am the governing body clerk at the school for which I am applying;
- I have been disqualified to serve as a governor at the school for which I am applying during the last 12 months for non-attendance;
- I am subject to a bankruptcy restriction order or an interim order;
- I have had my estate sequestrated and the sequestration order has not been discharged, annulled or rescinded;
Or, I am subject to:
- A disqualification order or disqualification undertaking under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986
- A disqualification order under Part 2 of the Companies (Northern Ireland) Order 1989
- A disqualification undertaking accepted under the Company Directors Disqualification (Northern Ireland) Order 2002
- An order made under section 492(2)(b) of the Insolvency Act 1986 (failure to pay under a County Court Administration Order)
Or:
- I have been removed from the office of charity trustees or trustee for a charity by the Charity Commissioners or High Court on grounds of any misconduct or mismanagement or under section 7 of the Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Scotland) Act 1990 from participating in the management or control of anybody;
- I am included in the list of people whose employment is prohibited or restricted under Section 1 of the Protection of Children Act 1999;
- I am disqualified from working with children or am the subject of a direction by the Welsh Government under section 142 of the Education Act 2002;
- I have been disqualified from being the proprietor of an independent school;
- I have received a sentence of imprisonment (whether suspended or not) for a period of not less than three months (without the option of a fine) in the five years before becoming a governor or since becoming a governor;
- I have received a prison sentence of two and a half years or more in the 20 years before becoming a governor;
- I have at any time received a prison sentence of five years or more;
- I have been fined for causing a nuisance or disturbance on school premises during the 5 years prior to or since appointment or election as a governor;
- I refuse a request at anytime by a governing body to make an application to the Disclosure and Barring Service for a Disclosure and Barring Certificate (DBS Check) formerly known as CRB Check.
You must inform us if you are detained under the Mental Health Act 1983 as you may be disqualified from being a governor. If you would like to discuss your eligibility further please contact Governor Support Services.
Nomination
If you wish to apply, please download, complete and return the nomination form.
The deadline for nominations is 3.00pm on Friday 26 May 2023.
