Governors

The Governing Board – what do our governors do?

Governors work with senior leaders in the strategic development of the school and in raising standards of achievement. Duties include setting the school’s vision, aims & objectives, approving the school budget and appointing the headteacher. Governors must both support and challenge the headteacher; consequently, they need to gain an understanding of the school’s overall performance in order to explain its decisions and actions. They do this by attending regular meetings, carrying out school visits and meeting with senior leaders. They also attend training in order to keep up to date with the requirements of their role. Governors work as a team and make collective decisions.

Our school needs you

 We currently have one Foundation Governor vacancy, one LA governor vacancy, and two parent governor vacancies.   We on are currently holding a parent governor election; please see nomination form here:  Parent governor nomination form

Schools  need committed and engaged governors from a range of backgrounds, who can bring different insights and experiences to their governing boards.  These could include  strategic leadership skills such as development planning, chairing meetings or budget monitoring, or knowledge of the local community (either where you live or work). 

You do not have to be a parent (except for the parent governor vacancy) or an education expert, but you do need to be a good team player and willing to learn more about your role. This can be done by attending training, school visits and sharing information and experience with other governors. Anyone aged 18 and over can apply, but in order to be appointed as Foundation Governor, you must have Christian commitment in addition to an interest in education. 

We are keen to ensure that the membership of our governing board reflects the diversity of the pupils in our schools and communities. Therefore, we welcome applications from under-represented groups, particularly from black or minority ethnic backgrounds.

If you are interested in becoming a school governor, please contact Ruth Ali, our clerk to the governors: ruthali@stmarks.brighton-hove.sch.uk