how to fill in a parent governor personal statement

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Advice For School Governors and Clerks

What should I write in a parent governor statement?

If you are applying to be a parent governor or trustee you will be asked to write a short statement saying why you are interested in volunteering and what skills you would bring to the role. If an election is needed this statement will help other parents choose between the candidates.

In many schools volunteers are thin on the ground so the statement may not be vital, as you will be elected unopposed if you are the only volunteer. However, it is still a good idea to show you understand the role of governor/trustee in your statement.

This page provides guidance on what to include in your statement and some parent governor statement examples of 50, 100 and 250 words you can adapt for your circumstances.

Your Connection To the School

Say how old your children are and their current year. If your children have just joined the school you have a reason to want it to succeed for years to come and the same applies if you have more than one child attending.

Mention any other ties you have to the school such as previous volunteer work, helping out in classrooms or on trips, or supporting the PTA; anything that shows your commitment to the school and your reliability as a volunteer.

You could mention how long you have lived in the area and what the school means to you. If it is a church school talk a little about your faith and show you understand the aims of the school in this respect.

Your Understanding of School Governance

All school governors have three main roles.

• To ensure the school has a clear vision, ethos and strategic direction.
• To hold the headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school.
• To oversee the budget and finances and make sure money is well spent.

Write about any aspects of governance you could contribute to. Governor responsibilities are wide but include scrutinising budgets, approving policies on all aspects of school life, planning how the school will improve, discussing why some groups of children are not achieving as well as others, making sure children are safe and dealing with staffing issues.

Governors are often described as being a “critical friend” to the school. They are there to support the school and help it improve, but they must also be willing to challenge the headteacher and senior leaders when necessary, ask why the school is struggling in a particular area and what can be done to improve it.

Search for the school’s latest OFSTED report and look for any remarks about governance. Are there any weaknesses of governance you could help to improve? Do you understand the challenges a school might face in terms of catchment area, budget restrictions or high levels of children with special needs?

If you are volunteering at an academy within a multi-academy trust show that you understand whether you will be governing as a trustee on the main governing board or a local governor on a local governing body.

What skills can you bring to the role?

Any of the following skills will be useful on the governing body:

• accounting, budgets and finance experience
• management of buildings
• health and safety
• data analysis
• human resources experience
• interpersonal skills, working in a team
• knowledge of education, the curriculum, special educational needs and safeguarding or child protection
• managing staff and hiring employees
• work where you had to keep things confidential.

You could also write about your commitment to undertake training and show that you understand governors need to attend regular meetings and visit the school.

What Not To Include!

If you mention any of the following items you will show that you do not understand the role of the governing body. Parent governors do not :

• fundraise – this is usually done by a parent teacher association (PTA)
• represent parents – this is a common misunderstanding but parent governors are not the voice of the parents. They have the same role as any other governor on the board
• vote in favour of whatever the majority of parents want – if there is a controversial issue that parents are angry about it is any governor’s job to vote for whatever they believe is best for the school as a whole
• discuss individual children (in most cases) – governors take an overview of the school and make strategic decisions about budgets, policies and development plans (although one exception would be if a child is at risk of exclusion)
• interfere with the day-to-day running of the school – the headteacher runs the school, governors hold the headteacher to account
• rubber-stamp everything that comes their way – you will need to be confident enough to ask some difficult questions if results are disappointing or mistakes are made

Parent Governor Statement Examples

Here are some example statements you can use as a starting point. I have written these with the assumption that you are a new parent governor, but if you are already on the board you should also include details of your governance work, eg: feedback from OFSTED or external advisers about how the board is run or what contributions you have made in a link role .

Don’t worry if you don’t have a job that particularly fits in with governance (or you’re not working at all) as people from all walks of life can do the role – just show your enthusiasm and demonstrate your understanding of school governance.

Parent Governor Statement – 50 words

My son Tim has just joined the school in Y1. I work as an accountant and would like to use my financial skills and experience analysing budgets to give back in a volunteer role. I am keen to attend training and get to know the school.

Parent Governor Statement – 100 words

I am keen to join the governing body as many of my family members have attended this school. My two older children attended and my daughter Sarah is in Y9.

I have volunteered for many school trips and I would now like to become a governor to help steer the school in the right direction and retain its excellent reputation for academic success and happy, friendly children.

I have been in retail for 10 years where I have worked well with people from all backgrounds and gained knowledge of health and safety. I understand the need for governors to be demanding but fair.

Parent Governor Statement – 250 words

Malory Towers Primary is a terrific school with an outstanding OFSTED rating and I would like to help the school continue to improve and develop.

My name is James Mallow and my twins are in Y4. My day job is in data analysis and I believe these skills will transfer well to the work of school governance, helping the school to analyse the attainment gaps between groups of pupils and pinpoint where the school needs to be doing more for our children.

I am lucky enough to have the time to commit to a demanding volunteer role as my firm provide time off for school governors. This means that I am able to attend meetings, governor training and visit the school during the day.

I am particularly keen to ensure that all children are safeguarded well and can fulfil their full potential whatever their background, special educational needs or disabilities.

I am not afraid to ask difficult questions if necessary on behalf of all the children this school serves. I am also keen to support the school and all of its dedicated staff who work so hard to keep this place running smoothly.

Although I have no experience of school governance specifically I have served on the board of a small charity which had responsibility for a modest budget and made tough decisions about which projects to fund and how money could be best spent.

I hope that you will consider voting for me and thank you for reading.

Related posts:

• Can a parent governor continue if their child leaves the school?
• Who can be a parent governor?
• Must school governors write an annual report to parents?
• How do we hold a parent governor election?
• Can the board stop an unsuitable parent governor being elected?

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How do you write a personal statement for a parent governor?

I feel that my professional skills, combined with my passion for making a difference to the lives of children such as mine, who need particular care and attention, would make me an excellent choice for the role of parent governor.

Table of Contents

Do parent governors get paid?

Do governors get paid? No. Governors are volunteers and do not get paid.

Can a parent be chair of governors?

Parent Governor – An individual who has a child of legal school age (5 – 16) and is elected by the parent body to serve as a governor. They are usually parents who have a child on role at the school, but it is not a legal requirement.

Can a parent be a co opted governor?

Parents are not restricted to serving only as elected parent governors, they can be appointed as local authority governors, co-opted governors or foundation governors.

What should I write on my school governor application?

I would hope to be an asset to the school, dedicating my time to be a proactive and effective school governor. I bring an honest and hard-working approach to my work. It is the same attitude I would bring to this important role.

Why should I be a parent governor?

Parent governors play a vital role on governing bodies, holding the unique position of having a parental viewpoint of the school. Through the children, they have a first hand experience of the delivery of the curriculum, and how the school is perceived from the ‘consumers’ point of view.

Is it worth being a parent governor?

Parent governors bring their wealth of experience and knowledge, contributing to the successful running of their child’s school. Being a governor is a “hands off” role – decisions made by the board influence the whole school, but governors are not responsible for, or involved in, the day-to-day running of the school.

How long does a parent governor serve?

four years Parent governors generally serve for four years unless stated otherwise in the school’s Instrument of Government.

What skills does a parent governor need?

To do this as a governor you would need: • a strong commitment to the role and to improving outcomes for children; • the inquisitiveness to question and analyse, and the willingness to learn; • good inter-personal skills; • appropriate levels of literacy in English • sufficient numeracy skills to understand basic data; …

What it means to be a parent governor?

The definition of a parent governor, is a person who is elected as a member of the Governing Board of the school, by parents of registered pupils at the school and who is a parent at the time of their election. Governors come from all walks of life and bring a rich variety of skills and experience to schools.

How many parent governors can a school have?

The minimum number of governors is nine, the maximum is twenty (although sponsor governors are additional to these numbers). Governors are appointed for a maximum of four years, this term is renewable.

How long is a parent governor term?

Parent governors generally serve for four years unless stated otherwise in the school’s Instrument of Government.

What skills do you need to be a parent governor?

What is the job of a parent governor?

What qualities make a good governor?

to carry out the role to the highest standards and, as the holder of a public office, to adhere to the seven principles of public life, which are selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty, and leadership.

What qualities make a good school governor?

The 7 attributes listed include some vital ‘soft’ skills governors need.

• Committed. Devoting the required time and energy to the role and ambitious to achieve best possible outcomes for young people.
• Challenging.
• Collaborative.

Do parent governors need references?

There is no requirement for schools or academies to request references for potential governors or trustees. However, some governing boards do ask for references.

What skills do you need to be a governor?

Social Perceptiveness – Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do. Coordination – Adjusting actions in relation to others’ actions. Management of Personnel Resources – Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.

Why do I want to be a parent governor?

11 Parent Statement Tips for Private School Applications

Private schools aim to collect as much information from different sources about prospective students as possible during the application process. The perspective provided by parents and guardians is highly valued because no one knows your child better than you.

The real question is, how do you provide insight on an application form that helps schools see your child’s unique qualities?

Let’s review guidelines for the types of questions you’re likely to encounter below. The exact questions will vary from school to school, so the crucial takeaway when writing parent statements is to use examples and stories . For example, show how your child is creative, resilient, or empathetic through specific anecdotes instead of statements.

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<span class="text-color-orange" role="decoration">General Parent Statements</span> 

Many applications include a prompt similar to this: "A parent/guardian's perspective on your child's strengths and weaknesses is valuable. Please write a statement of recommendation for your child." When responding, keep the following guidelines in mind.

• One paragraph should review how your child is "smart," but don’t discuss grades or test scores here. Instead, focus on how your child is academically engaged and intellectually curious. Use stories and anecdotes to add depth. 
• Another paragraph, describe your child's character and personality. Don’t list adjectives here. Rather, use stories to bring your child to life on the page. 
• Finally, it's important to cover any challenges your child has faced and, most importantly, how they have overcome these challenges. Most schools ask about challenges and they can be wary if parents don't mention any.
• Avoid using too many words. Edit down your first draft so that the main statement is no more than three to five sentences per paragraph, and make sure to heed suggested word counts requested by the schools. Admissions teams have a lot of files to read, and if your essay is too long, you risk them skimming it and missing out on your key points.

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<span class="text-color-lightblue" role="decoration">School-Specific Questions </span>  

"Why are you applying to [our] school?" is another common question. These tips will help your answer stand out.

• Take notes on what the school says about themselves during open houses, visits, tours, etc. What is their mission statement? What are their stated values? Keep these notes handy as you eloquently match the school to your child and family. Again, use examples that really stick. 
• If you’ve visited the school or attended an open house, draw on SPECIFIC examples from your experience. Make sure your response is UNIQUE to your family and student. Don't list adjectives about the school. Tell a story or give an example about why you think your student would thrive in their environment. Is it the school's philosophy or the art program? The experiential learning component? Make sure to match this element to your child. 
• Review all answers before submitting the application to make sure you have the correct name of each school. It’s a common mistake for parents to cut and paste the wrong school name—and that’s never a good typo! 

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<span class="text-color-green" role="decoration">“Is there any further information?” </span>  

Given that applications have a limited number of questions for parents, each with word counts, this one provides valuable “real estate” to illustrate who your child is and something unique they would bring to the school. Here are some ways to take advantage of this opportunity that most parents skip. 

• This space can be used to tell the school about a learning difference that you think is relevant. If you think this will show up in your child’s record, it is a good idea to show that you know what is hard for your child and how you have partnered with the current school to help them succeed. 
• You could also use this section to describe the student’s diverse background of any kind. Schools are looking to create the most textured class possible. What will your child bring that is unique? 
• This question could be a space to tell a story that illustrates a difficult moment for your family and how your child coped. Habits of heart and mind are becoming more important for schools; they’re often screening for qualities like resilience. 
• Overall, you can discuss anything that wasn’t covered in the other parts of the application here. The information in this section should be relevant to understanding the student holistically and help the reader make sense of any apparent “holes” in the application. Keep in mind that this is not necessarily a place to list accolades or accomplishments. 

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<span class="text-color-orange" role="decoration">Thank You Notes </span>   

It’s always a good idea to send a thank you to the admission office or interviewer after a meeting or event. An email is fine, and in some ways, it’s easier since so many schools have paperless files. When you do this, think about the guidelines above and use this opportunity to match your unique child and family to the unique school!

Jamie Moffett is the founder of Walking Feet Advisors , an advising practice for families applying to independent schools. She previously served as the director of admission K–8 at Marin Country Day School in Corte Madera, Calif., where she worked for the last eighteen years.

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Parent Governor Application

FreezerBird · 22/06/2017 22:13

Does anyone fancy having a look at this draft personal statement thing for me?

I'm finding it difficult to work out who I'm writing it for - in all the time I've been involved with the school there's only been one occasion where there was more than one applicant for a parent governor vacancy so only one election where the statements were circulated. I'm assuming though that the personal statement bit goes to the head and current governors even if it's not circulated to parents?

It's a fab school, in a fairly deprived area, and they really struggle to get parents engaged - quite often I am one of just a couple of parents at PTA meetings - the PTA is primarily staff.

Some of the example statements I've read online read like high-powered job applications and that just doesn't really fit somehow.

Anyway - draft thus far is as follows (120 word limit)

"I currently have a daughter in year four, and my son is in year seven at secondary having previously been a pupil at [school].

[School] is a great school. I would like to play a part in maintaining and supporting the school by becoming a governor. I am interested in provision for pupils with SEN and their successful integration into the school.

I have lived in the area for five years and have several volunteer roles including at the foodbank based at [church]."

For background - the school has several learning support units on site and is also very successful about supporting children with SEN in the mainstream - my daughter is one of these. I feel like I need to have something about wanting to work for all the children not just those with SEN as otherwise it just seems like I'm banging that drum, which I'm not.

I haven't put anything in about professional background as a) it's not really relevant and b) I haven't worked since my son was born 12 years ago.

Quite frankly the whole thing is giving me flashbacks to UCAS...

It's passable. I'm a Governor. (You need to capitalise Governor as it's a job title).

I think you need to inject a bit more passion into it maybe? Words like 'great' and 'interested' are okay but don't grab me. Instead of saying the school is great, could you say you have great faith in it? That you are passionate about involving yourself into the workings of the school and feel you have x/y/z to contribute towards that?

When do you have to have it in by? I need to head up to bed because I've got an early start but I'm happy to help you elaborate on it tomorrow if you drop me a PM.

It is circulated to all parents to vote, by the way!

Your personal statement will be circulated to all parents. I'm not grabbed by your personal statement to be honest. I find the most successful statements say things that parents want to hear about the school rather than about you.

Imagine you were a parent considering a new school for your child, what would you want to hear about the school? It depends on defining your personal focus. Maybe you are drawn towards words like

• Caring, helpful, empathetic, kind children
• independant, free-thinking, creative children
• hard working, resilient, children of strong character
• academic, high achieving, high expectations

It depends on the to be you seek. Then say something great about the children in your community. Everyone likes to read good things about the place they live, the people in the community and especially the children. What makes the chikdren in your community/school amazing?

Finally, use of the word "outstanding" somewhere in the statement is a useful nod to OFSTED.

What years your children are in is largely irrelevant to the voting group - if parents know you then they already know your children's ages. If they don't know you then year group is likely to make no difference to their decision to vote for you, or not.

I would like to play a part in maintaining and supporting the school by becoming a governor : as will everyone on the voting form. If they have bothered to put their name forward then they want that role. So this sentence is just pointless fodder (sorry, you did ask!)

All fair enough!

I could be wrong, but in the past I think when there's been only one applicant, the statements haven't been circulated as there's no election. Or is that not the way it should be done?

This is the second or third time of inviting applications for this vacancy as no-one has applied yet.

Also (sorry, I forgot this bit) I wondered about putting something in about volunteering at the food bank (which is based over the road from the school and is used by families from there) giving an insight into the challenges the area faces and wanting to work for the best possible outcomes for the children. But it feels quite patronising and not sure if it's appropriate, even if worded differently.

If there are only 1 applicant for 1 post, there will be no election.

But the personal statements have to be submitted at the time of putting your name forward to be considered. So if you don't write one, or write a rubbish one, then you do not have the opportunity to add or amend the statement once it has been submitted.

So in my view it is worth putting in a bit of effort to write a good statement, because you cannot know if someone else (or a few others) are thinking the same.

I would suggest your background may be of relevance if it would be of use to the school (law. finance, building/facilities/HR, communication etc etc). You may be 'rusty" so to speak but your previous experience will be what may differentiate you from another candidate.

This is what you need to be saying - why should parents vote for you and not someone else.

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find out if there is a maximum/suggested word count

make it personable, but bring out your skills, knowledge and experience

a lot of schools have the personal statements for their parent governors on their websites. When writing mine, I searched online, read through some and thought about who I would have supported if I were choosing, then thought about what I did and didn't like about the different statements to structure mine

I am a Governor at my sons primary. I would suggest that you put a bit more about your background and how your specific skills and experience would be useful to the governing body. E.g. If your background is in finance then you would be useful to the finance committee or if in HR then relevant for the staffing committee. It may not be a directly relevant as these 2 examples but I'm sure you could find something in your experiences that could be relevant.

As parent govenor you're their to represent the parents voice so need to be approachable to parents.

Adding a line I can be found outside year 4 class (yr 5 from September) at drop off/ collection time or a way you can be contacted might help.

As pp said you need more about your skills not just interests. Governors are now recruited based on skills. This changed a couple of years ago when the rules moved towards smaller governing bodies with a variety of skills. It sounds as though they will be glad to have you on board if there is a lack of volunteers but it will help the recruitment process if you sell yourself.

No, you are a representative parent, not a parent representative.

Agree with Peusdobadger. A parent governor is not there to represent parents although this is a common misconception. You have no specific role to take parents concerns to the Board. If a parent has a concern it should be raised with the teachers and head teacher and only if not resolved appropriately should it be taken to the all governors via a written complaint.

If a parent tries to discuss an issue with you at the school gate this will preclude you from being independent concerning that issue and you would not be able to be involved in its resolution if a formal complaint is made.

Agree with above that is absolutely not the role of a parent governor. I think you need to give more info about the skills and experience you can bring. I used the relevant experience gained in my career and voluntary work. Governing bodies need a broad range of skills, you need to show what you can bring to that mix.

As parent govenor you're their to represent the parents voice so need to be approachable to parents

No, you are definitely not. And there is absolutely no need to be approachable. In fact I'd approached, the opposite is true.

A parent governor is not the place for other parents to raise concerns for the governing body. All sych concerns made personally to a governor should be deflected to the Chair of Governors.

Even when death with by the CoG, it is usually deflected elsewhere to be dealt with. The staff would deal with any concerns first, then the head teacher, sometimes in discussion with the Chair of Governors.

Complete misunderstanding of the strategic role of a governor to assume you will directly deal with any school "issues" that a parent may have.

120 words is hardly enough to give parents a good understanding of any candidate and does to some extent worry me about the expectations of the school and GB. I would as parent want to know that you are a "stay at home mum" but also what you did do professionally previously. It actually is a skillset that is useful on the GB being a "stay at home mum". You do need to be careful to ensure you divorce your role as "mum" from that of governor, especially around SEN given you say that daughter has some level of SEN. At times this distinction can be difficult and you need to be sure that you can keep them apart. So for instance how would you handle an SEN issue around your daughter without you seeming to have your governor hat on.

As a former trainer of Governors, I hope the following is useful.

All Governors must show they have relevant skills but electioneering is different, slightly! In many ways the food bank is irrelevant and I wouldn't mention it. I assume you were seeking the 'she's a good egg' vote! I would mention what you do for the school community and that you wish to be part of the school to maintain the high standards that the school has.

Where do your skills lie? If it is SEN, what skills? Are you skilled in HR, Finance or Marketing for example? How will your skills benefit the school and the children? If you have strong community links, this is good, but how will the children benefit? Parent Governors often say they have children at the school or who have gone through the school to prove they know the school well.

Say that you will give a lot of time to the role, undertake training, understand that you work with others for the benefit of the children and you are committed to all children doing well at the school. Don't just pidgeonhole yourself to SEN. You could show an interest in pp children and their progress for example.

Lastly, do make sure that you understand what a Governor does. You are not a fluffy supporter who brings in cakes and hears children read. You must know the strengths and weaknesses of the school, monitor the improvement plan, evaluate the effectiveness of the GB, understand progress data and benchmarking, make tough decisions on staffing, finance and pay and be strategic. You are not involved in everyday management. Ideally you need skills and knowledge of the school and demonstrate these to the parents. Hope this helps.

It is also ok to have a chat with the Chairman to talk about the role before you apply. You can then judge if your skills would be a good fit.

Live and learn, i retract the above be contactable advice!

Hi all, thanks for your input, and sorry I disappeared! Had to get form in quick, and was then away for a few days.

Anyway, I've had an email from the LA to welcome me to the Governing Body so I guess I was the only applicant. Now immersing myself in their online induction material.

Well done Freezer! Do take up the offer of training and if there is anything you need to know, do ask. It can be daunting at first but when you get into your stride, very rewarding. Good luck.

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Parenting with Understanding

• Me and My Blog
• Recommended reading

My manifesto for parent governor

The position of parent governor seems to be quite sought after at my child’s school. We were recently invited to vote to elect two new governors – I think we had a choice of about eight people who had put themselves forward. Each had written a paragraph about themselves. Personally I didn’t think any of them gave much away about what their opinions were – where they stood, what they would like to see improved at the school, what ideas they had. But I’m probably being naïve. How much opportunity do parent governors really have to change anything? Still, it would have been nice to know a little more about the views of the people we were being asked to vote for.

A letter has just come home telling us there are a further two positions to fill, and inviting parents to put themselves forward, with a “personal statement”, anticipating that another election will be necessary.

So, just for fun, here’s my manifesto. Here’s what I would stand up for if I was parent governor.

Punitive ‘behaviour modification techniques’ such as placing children’s names on a ‘ sad chart’ , or announcing children’s names in assembly are practices that shame children and hark back to methods used in Victorian classrooms. Practices like this make children feel ashamed and bad about themselves, causing emotional harm, and ultimately making behaviour worse. They fail to address any underlying issues, and can be particularly destructive for children with individual needs or problems. Plenty of teachers have managed, and continue to manage classroom behaviour perfectly well without resorting to these methods. There’s no excuse for it and no need for it. Our children deserve better!

And while we’re on the subject of punishment, collective punishment is a violation of the Geneva Conventions, and generally considered a violation of human rights and justice, but it’s OK for school children? Really?

More outdoor learning.

Studies have shown that outdoor learning can be extremely beneficial to children, with evidence of improvement in both learning and behaviour. A recent report by the National Trust raises serious concerns about the amount of time today’s children are now spending indoors, and advocates children being taken outdoors for lessons as much as possible. Regular daily outdoor learning appears to be something only our nursery and reception children benefit from, so ceases when children are still only age 5! Looking for more opportunities to take learning outside, such as making links and working with local forest school practitioners and trainers would be a good way forward.

An improved, revamped playground.

Children’s play is important to them, but is limited and stifled by a bland environment. Less concrete and more natural features are needed. Oh, and that rule about not going on the grass – get over it!!

An end to age segregation in the playground

Our children already spend enough time segregated into age groups. Playing in mixed age groups is natural and has many developmental benefits for children. Play becomes more creative and less competitive. Is it really necessary to separate KS1 and KS2 in the playground? Surely, with a little effort and thought we can find ways to facilitate and encourage mixed age groups at playtime.

The encouragement and promotion of part-time attendance for reception children.

Our children are the amongst the youngest school starters in Europe . Many may not be ready emotionally or socially for full-time school life. In the UK, parents have the right to request part-time attendance until their child reaches legal school age – the term after they turn five. Yet few parents are aware of this, and even if they are, they are hesitant to do something ‘different’ for fear of going against the norm or making their child stand out. A school that is more open and forthcoming about this option would have the potential to make it the norm, and so to better support children as they make the transition into school life. Too much too soon is counter-productive for children, both emotionally and academically.

An end to homework

There is no evidence to show that homework in primary schools improves academic performance. There’s a lot of assumption, but there’s no evidence. No research has shown a correlation between homework and improved grades.

Family time is important, and families should decide how to spend it. Kids spend enough time engaged in formal learning in school. Give them a break. There is plenty to be learned and gained from other activities, from free play, from being outdoors, from pursuing individual interests, from spending quality time connecting as a family. Children’s lives today are already over-scheduled. This isn’t helping.

Sign the petition against homework in primary schools.

So, if I can get all this down to 200 words I could submit it and nominate myself to stand for parent governor. Would you vote for me? What would you add to this list?

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This entry was posted on Thursday, February 14th, 2013 at 3:41 pm and is filed under School & nursery . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response , or trackback from your own site.

8 Responses to My manifesto for parent governor

Controlling by shaming is absolutely horrid, I totally agree. Linking homework to academic performance though misses most of the point I think, especially in early years in schools with “challenging” families, or those ill at ease with school norms.. . As our wonderful reception teacher explained, the homework is really about communicating with the family, showing them what’s been going on in class, and giving them an opportunity to share and respond to it at home. It also gives parents who may not otherwise find time for it an excuse to sit down with their child and do something together – and the nightly reading book is a way of building reading into every child’s daily routine. To parents like you, Jo, I can see it must seem depressing that any parent could need an excuse to do this, but in practice . . . personally I don’t always get round to it, sometimes quite deliberately, but no one in our Y1 class has ever been ticked off for not doing their homework.

Thanks for your comments. It sounds like you’ve had a positive experience of homework, and I believe the extent of good (or harm) done by homework can be dependent on the way in which individual schools approach and implement it. But assuming homework’s about the school communicating with the family and making links, creating good habits etc – what is the school’s motive in trying to do this? Ultimately to improve academic performance, surely, which brings us back to the total lack of evidence in this department. Also, if I want to make time to sit down and do something with my child, I want us to be able to choose what to do. What if he doesn’t want to do the writing or spelling that’s been sent from school? Do I argue with him, force him to do it? What happens when a parent has two or three chidren, all with different homework they need help with? When and how does that allow for family time or free play? Anyway, much has been written on the subject, particularly by Alfie Kohn , if you’re interested in reading more.

I absolutely agree with most of the points, but I don’t quite agree with “an end to homework”, I think this part of learning is very important for a child development, but I am upset with teachers from a school where attending my kids that they do no effort to explain to children what is expected from them in this or that homework. It is every time that I must explain to them how to do things, cos they have no idea what is going on!!:/. I must add that I change school for my kids because we moved into another place, and in previous school they never got this problem!!! Teachers were more concentrated on child’s individual development, as we all know that not everybody will understand things straight away, there are different ways to explain things and teachers responsibility is to make sure all pupils will understand properly! I like to sit with them and do some additional work at home if I see they struggling with something, but I choosing what to do, and I know what is the best way to explain for each of them, but to see them known completely nothing is just ridiculous, cos I do not get the reason why they at school if I have to work with them at home and explain from top to bottom!

Thanks for your comments Maria. Interesting that you’re not the first to disagree about homework. My feeling is simply that my child spends enough time engaged in formal learning, and having to do more of this when he gets home from school is too much. He needs time for free play and connection and just being a kid. As I’ve said before, there is no evidence that homework increases academic performance. In fact studies have shown that it makes no difference. What you describe sounds suspiciously like schools sending work home for you to do, having failed to sufficiently cover it during school hours.

Any chance you can provide some evidence for this : ‘ until their child reaches legal school age – the term after they turn five.’ Surely there is no legal school age?

Details of the school starting age in the UK can be found here . There is of course the option to home educate, but this wasn’t relevant in the context of the point in this post, which was about schools being more encouraging and accommodating of the part-time option.

You should become a governor of our proposed new Free School, Jo! I don’t suppose you live anywhere near Canterbury do you?

Sadly not, but thanks for the vote of confidence, and good luck with the Free School!

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Understanding the Parent Governor Role From an Experienced School Governor

Have you ever wondered how you can be more actively involved in your children’s school and education? The parent governor role is vital in schools and can also be really worthwhile and make a positive contribution to the community. Read on to find out more about becoming a school governor and the impact that it can have.

Sending our children to school is such a big milestone to reach. For them and also for us as parents. They start a new chapter in their lives and one that you are less involved with. All schools are different and are now run in different ways with some being part of multi-academy trusts and others still not. Some schools will have apps and websites where updates and pictures are uploaded, some don’t have anything and you rely on your child telling you what is going on.

As parents we can feel lost in the school education system and becoming a school governor can be a positive way of giving back to the school and community whilst being actively involved in the school.

Nurseries and PTA’s

Private nurseries and childcare give you a chance to have a full rundown of what is happening, so the school can feel like you are totally out of the loop. Many parents like the idea of joining a PTA where they can help raise funds for the school and develop a great relationship between themselves and the school.

However, some schools don’t have a PTA, so what other options do you have to be involved with your school and make a real difference? This is where you might want to consider becoming one of the parent governors who work closely with the senior leadership team.

So what is a parent governor?

The definition of a parent governor is a person who is elected to become part of the governing board of a school where their child is in attendance at the time of election. They are voted in by parents of children who are registered and attend the school. You can become a parent governor in a primary or secondary school. Governors can come from all walks of life and they provide a variety of skills and experience to the governing board, which ultimately has a positive impact on the school. 

I have been a parent governor for about six years at my local primary school, I started off as a parent governor when I left teaching. I knew I had a great deal of value to offer the school and wanted to continue to make a difference in children’s lives in an educational setting and be active in school life. School governor is an important role and in this post, I’ll share my experience as a current parent governor alongside the legal requirements for taking up a parent governor role.

The governing body is made up of a number of representatives including a staff governor, the head teacher, parent governors and those who come because they have a specific skill set that the governing body needs. There is a clerk who takes the minutes , as the board meetings are a legal requirement.

If you like the idea of becoming a parent governor you may be wondering what is involved and how you go about being elected. It isn’t just as simple as calling up the school office and asking for a place on the governing board, there are processes in place. You also might want to ensure that the role is right for you, after all, it is a voluntary position that requires a fair bit of commitment.

So here is a complete rundown of what is involved in becoming a parent governor and how you go about becoming a candidate and being elected. 

You do need to be aware of the expectations around behaviour, for example, you will know confidential information and therefore you will follow a code of conduct.

What does a parent school governor do?