Induction for new Governors
Welcome to Governance
Thank you for agreeing to become a Southwark school governor. You are now part of the biggest volunteer workforce in the country!
New school governors are usually given the standard four-year term of office, but this can vary, depending on the category of governor that you become.
When a new governor takes up a position on a governing board it is vital that they receive a good induction i.e., one that gives them key information without overloading them. They should have an overview of:
- The structure of the board
- The school or trust's context
- What's expected of them in their role, including their conduct, commitment and contribution to the board.
The NGA provide a step by step guide to induction, you can use the guide to plan an induction programme that works for your board and takes account of the knowledge, skills and experience of new board members. You can find a copy of the guide here. (pdf, 201kb)
The Key also has a good checklist of what documents to provide. You can find a copy here. (docx, 681kb)
Where possible we would also advise that new governors be allocated a governor who will act as a mentor (who this would be is a decision for the chair and headteacher). It could be an opportunity for a new governor to shadow the mentor. It would also be beneficial if a new governor were invited to visit the school during the school day (if possible) and meet the headteacher and chair.
Southwark governor information and training
Once you join the board you will receive a monthly Schools bulletin digest which contains up to date information about schools and governance. We encourage all new governors to attend the induction programme which provides a good grounding across all aspects of being a governor. It covers the core functions, roles and duties of governing boards, including their strategic role in leading their schools and holding the executive leaders to account for the educational and financial performance of their schools. It examines best practice in effective governance, and gives advice on skills, knowledge and behaviours governors need to be effective. Please see here for more details.
Communication with governor services
We have a database via Governor Hub that holds information about all Southwark governors. We use it to send out important information to governors so it is essential that we keep it up to date. We do not give this information to third parties and will only contact you on governor business. If your email address changes please contact our Governor Services Coordinator.
Checks for new governors
As soon as your appointment is confirmed, you will be asked to consider the criteria that would make you ineligible to be a school governor (Eligibility Criteria (docx, 507kb) see also below). Once you have confirmed to your school that you have considered this criteria and are eligible to be a governor, your school will process a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check & a Section 128 check. This is processed by your school office and refusal to complete an application for a DBS check is grounds for disqualifying a governor.
Further Information
If you would like to find out more about governance there are many good governor support websites, these include: the National Governors Association and the Department for Education.
If you have any questions about your appointment as a governor please contact the Governor Services Coordinator
Declaration of eligibility for existing governors
I confirm that I:
> Am aged 18 or over
> Am not a current pupil at the school
> Am not the subject of:
· A bankruptcy restrictions order or an interim bankruptcy restrictions order
· A debt relief restrictions order or an interim debt relief restrictions order
· A sequestration that has not been discharged, annulled or reduced
> Have not been disqualified from being a company director
> Have not:
· Been removed as a trustee for a charity by an order made by the Charity Commission or the High Court on the grounds of misconduct or mismanagement in the administration of the charity
· Been removed, under section 34 of the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005, from being concerned in the management or control of any body
> Have not been removed from office as an elected governor within the last 5 years
> Am not included on the list of those unsuitable to work with children
> Am not disqualified from working with children, barred from regulated activity and/or disqualified from registering for childminding or providing daycare
> Am not disqualified from registration under Part 3 of the Childcare Act 2006
> Am not subject to a direction of the secretary of state under section 142 of the Education Act 2002, or to a section 128 direction
> Have not been disqualified from being an independent school proprietor, teacher or employee by the secretary of state
> Have not been sentenced to 3 months or more in prison (without the option of a fine) in the 5 years before becoming a governor or since becoming a governor
> Have not received a prison sentence of 2 and a half years or more in the 20 years before becoming a governor
> Have not at any time received a prison sentence of 5 years or more
> Have not been fined for causing a nuisance or disturbance on school or educational premises during the 5 years before becoming a governor or since becoming a governor
> Have not refused a request by the governance professional to make an application to the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)
If a parent governor, I also confirm that I am not:
> An elected member of the local authority
> Paid to work at the school for more than 500 hours in a year
If a local authority governor, I also confirm that I am not a member of the school staff.
If a partnership governor, I also confirm that I am not:
> A parent of registered pupils at the school
> A staff member
> An elected member of the local authority
> Employed by the local authority in connection with its education functions
If a staff governor, I also confirm that I work at the school.