School Governor Interview
Discussion
I've applied to be a parent governor at my daughter's school and am due to sit down with the chair of governors for a chat. Specifically they want to understand my motivations. Of course my primary motivation is that I believe I can do a great job of helping to steer the establishment where my daughter is getting educated for the next several years, but what are some other good answers?
rsbmw said:
I've applied to be a parent governor at my daughter's school and am due to sit down with the chair of governors for a chat. Specifically they want to understand my motivations. Of course my primary motivation is that I believe I can do a great job of helping to steer the establishment where my daughter is getting educated for the next several years, but what are some other good answers?
That would very much depend upon what the questions are.Your there for all parents not your child
You should be interested in seeing how finances shape the future of the school, how are they managing increasing or decreasing numbers and budgets?
How can you challenge in a positive way what's going on in the classrooms by asking questions of the teachers in a coordinated way, so perhaps you could be say early years link and find out how the foundation teacher(s) are ensuring all children reach expected levels and what intervention they put in place for children not meeting.
You could assist in student discipline panels, or teacher interviews
You are there to challenge the outcomes, ask questions and ensure the head and teachers have a robust response to probing questions or identify where there are areas which require improving.
You are the pre-audit, before the Ofsted audit
You should be interested in seeing how finances shape the future of the school, how are they managing increasing or decreasing numbers and budgets?
How can you challenge in a positive way what's going on in the classrooms by asking questions of the teachers in a coordinated way, so perhaps you could be say early years link and find out how the foundation teacher(s) are ensuring all children reach expected levels and what intervention they put in place for children not meeting.
You could assist in student discipline panels, or teacher interviews
You are there to challenge the outcomes, ask questions and ensure the head and teachers have a robust response to probing questions or identify where there are areas which require improving.
You are the pre-audit, before the Ofsted audit
How are you spending your pupil premium grant?
What is our attendance and how are we improving it?
How are we managing the challenging budgets?
Are we an academy, are we planning to be and what impact will this have financially?
How are we addressing the latest Ofsted recommendations?
What is teacher absence like are how do we cover it?
How do we measure the impact of the TA's?
What is our attendance and how are we improving it?
How are we managing the challenging budgets?
Are we an academy, are we planning to be and what impact will this have financially?
How are we addressing the latest Ofsted recommendations?
What is teacher absence like are how do we cover it?
How do we measure the impact of the TA's?
rsbmw said:
Um, "What are your motivations?". I'm sorry I thought that was clear in my post.
Ciege, thanks for some great food for thought.
To use my skills/experience to support the schoolCiege, thanks for some great food for thought.
To provide a level of challenge to the HT / SLT
To help make the school "Outstanding"
To work with the HT/SLT to improve student attainment levels.
"I want to make this school the best possible school for my daughter and the other kids, and I think I have the skills / knowledge / experience to help achieve that"
rsbmw said:
So said:
That would very much depend upon what the questions are.
Um, "What are your motivations?". I'm sorry I thought that was clear in my post.Ciege, thanks for some great food for thought.
I think you're better off deciding in your own mind what your motivations are and working out how to articulate your thoughts appropriately. I would query how good a job you'd do as a school governor if you don't already know what you can bring to the role and what your motivations are.
So said:
It's folly to try to prepare canned answers, because the interview will be driven by the questions they ask and the way in which they ask them.
I think you're better off deciding in your own mind what your motivations are and working out how to articulate your thoughts appropriately. I would query how good a job you'd do as a school governor if you don't already know what you can bring to the role and what your motivations are.
If you have nothing of any value to add, just stay away. Thanks anyway.I think you're better off deciding in your own mind what your motivations are and working out how to articulate your thoughts appropriately. I would query how good a job you'd do as a school governor if you don't already know what you can bring to the role and what your motivations are.
rsbmw said:
So said:
It's folly to try to prepare canned answers, because the interview will be driven by the questions they ask and the way in which they ask them.
I think you're better off deciding in your own mind what your motivations are and working out how to articulate your thoughts appropriately. I would query how good a job you'd do as a school governor if you don't already know what you can bring to the role and what your motivations are.
If you have nothing of any value to add, just stay away. Thanks anyway.I think you're better off deciding in your own mind what your motivations are and working out how to articulate your thoughts appropriately. I would query how good a job you'd do as a school governor if you don't already know what you can bring to the role and what your motivations are.
rsbmw said:
So said:
It's folly to try to prepare canned answers, because the interview will be driven by the questions they ask and the way in which they ask them.
I think you're better off deciding in your own mind what your motivations are and working out how to articulate your thoughts appropriately. I would query how good a job you'd do as a school governor if you don't already know what you can bring to the role and what your motivations are.
If you have nothing of any value to add, just stay away. Thanks anyway.I think you're better off deciding in your own mind what your motivations are and working out how to articulate your thoughts appropriately. I would query how good a job you'd do as a school governor if you don't already know what you can bring to the role and what your motivations are.
Being a governor is a lot about working well in a team. That will involve listening to, and working with, other peoples points of view.
So made a very valid point and you rudely dismissed it, how will that go down in a governors meeting?
For those who understood the question, which was clearly as a new prospective parent governor, who of course doesn't have a job spec and hasn't yet spoken to anyone, what are some insights into the role to best prepare me for this chat, thank you for your input.
For those who just like to pick internet arguments and attempt to point out how fantastic they are and how anyone who dares ask a question must be a complete moron, thanks but no thanks.
Ciege gave me everything I needed, so thanks for that, I'll get this thread locked to prevent it degrading any further into the inevitable.
For those who just like to pick internet arguments and attempt to point out how fantastic they are and how anyone who dares ask a question must be a complete moron, thanks but no thanks.
Ciege gave me everything I needed, so thanks for that, I'll get this thread locked to prevent it degrading any further into the inevitable.
joshleb said:
Are you doing this for your daughter or for the good of the school? Will you stay on after daughter leaves?
Just a couple of thoughts.
If he's going to be a parent governor, he won't be able to.Just a couple of thoughts.
I was a school governor. No selection interview in my neck of the woods. If you expressed a mild interest, you were in! Such was the desperation for numbers.
Improving school attainment
Working with the leadership team to improve performance and manage external stakeholders in areas where you might have more experience than the LT, including acting as an advocate and link with & to the parent cohort
Supporting the school to play a role in the community in which it is situated and vice versa
Developing your own skills and capabilities by working in a very different environment to the one you do normally
To mentor and develop specific school members of staff and see their growth under your guidance
As a chair of governors, these are the sort of answers that I would be looking for from a parent governor
Working with the leadership team to improve performance and manage external stakeholders in areas where you might have more experience than the LT, including acting as an advocate and link with & to the parent cohort
Supporting the school to play a role in the community in which it is situated and vice versa
Developing your own skills and capabilities by working in a very different environment to the one you do normally
To mentor and develop specific school members of staff and see their growth under your guidance
As a chair of governors, these are the sort of answers that I would be looking for from a parent governor
rsbmw said:
Did you find you were just there to make up the numbers, or actively played a part in governing the organisation?
I ended up as chair of finance, with a £6m annual budget! So yes, a fairly active part.. Although my suggestion of a 6 week factfinding trip to the Caribbean was overruled! 
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