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Becoming a Governor

If you have read our pages and are interested in making your own contribution to school life by becoming a governor, there are just a few simple enquiries to be made depending on your situation.

There is no limit to the number of schools you can represent, provided you are eligible and meet the criteria. However, a commitment to being a governor requires a lot more energy and time than spending a few hours in meetings, and the rewards are greater to both you and the school, the more time you dedicate as a governor. We are all volunteers but we are rewarded with many stories of successes and achievements of the students who take the journey through Heathfield.

There are four categories of governor; Local Authority (LA), Co-Opted, Parent, and Staff.

Local Authority governors are appointed by the LA and you should make enquiries to Governor Services, East Sussex County Council, to seek out any opportunities in your local area – you may wish to enquire about a specific school and Governor Services will be able to advise you of any vacancies. You can always visit the particular school’s website which should have information on its governing body.

Co-Opted governors are appointed by the Governing Body itself, again enquiries can be made through Governor Services or through the school you are interested in.

Parent governors are elected by the parents of the school and you must have a child enrolled at the school at the time of the appointment. You are allowed to remain in post after your child has left the school for the remaining duration of your term of office. All governors are appointed for a term of 4 years, and will all have to apply for further terms of office if you have an interest to continue. Again, contact Governor Services or the school to find out about vacancies.

Staff governors are elected in a similar way to parent governors, the criteria being that you are an employee at the school.

To clarify from the above eligibility criteria; it is possible for a parent of a student at the school to apply for a vacancy for either, LA, Co-Opted or Parent governor, and a member of the public to apply for either LA or Co-Opted posts. Staff at the school can only apply for a Staff post.

A word from the Chair of Governors

“I would encourage anyone interested in becoming a governor, to make contact with the Clerk to Governors or the Headteacher’s PA, who will arrange for an introductory meeting with me to talk through the role and expectations of your time and energy. We are an enthusiastic team and always happy to receive new faces that can keep our ambitions fresh and forward looking.”