Friday 7 October 2011

National College: The Role of Chair

Being a chair of governors is an extremely worthwhile role, yet at times it can be very demanding. To be effective, you need a good understanding of the role and its responsibilities so that your school gains maximum benefit from the work that you do. You also need to ensure that all governors understand the role and responsibilities of the governing body, which can vary slightly depending on the type of school such as voluntary aided, foundation, academy, multi-academy or federation.


The key roles of the chair outlined below which I will explore in more details  over the next week on this blog.


Leading effective governance


Giving the governing body a clear lead and direction, ensuring that the governors work as an effective team and understand their accountability and the part they play in the strategic leadership of the school and in driving school improvement.


Building the team


Attracting governors with the necessary skills and ensuring that tasks are delegated across the governing body so that all members contribute, feel that their individual skills, knowledge and experience are well used and that the overall workload is shared.


Relationship with the Headteacher


Being a critical friend by offering support, challenge and encouragement, and ensuring the headteacher’s performance management is rigorous and robust; a good comparison is with the role of the chair of a board of trustees who works with the chief executive of an organisation but does not run day-to-day operations.


Taken from the National College Booklet http://www.nationalcollege.org.uk/chairsofgovernors

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