What was the issue addressed? A teacher complained about governor, who has a child at the school. The governor then complained about teacher’s professionalism. What happened? The issue came to me as Chair. I followed the complaints procedure and noted ALL conversations. It basically boiled down to personal differences which morphed into a disagreement aboutContinue reading “How to address tensions between governors and members of staff”
Category Archives: Primary School
From possible school closure to forming a school federation
What was the issue addressed? This issue started before I became governor but it is what led me to become governor at the school. There was a proposal to close the school and develop a neighbouring school. The best option that the school had to consider was in becoming part of a federation. What happened?Continue reading “From possible school closure to forming a school federation”
How to deal with parents disrespecting staff on social media?
What was the issue addressed? We’ve had issues with social media and parents disrespecting staff and the school. As this was not on the school website pages we had no control over it. We did discuss it with parents but we had no control over it. What happened? We gained advice from governor support andContinue reading “How to deal with parents disrespecting staff on social media?”
The demands of the governor role
What was the issue addressed? I don’t think most governors are aware of the full range of their responsibilities and if I’m honest I don’t think they fulfil many of those responsibilities. From my perspective as Chair, (and most Chairs are there not because they are hugely enthusiastic to do the job but because theyContinue reading “The demands of the governor role”
Accepting the closure of a school
What was the issue addressed? Our headteacher was overworked and under pressure, facing the prospect of becoming the only teacher in our small school. The governors wanted to support her but knew that the position of our school was probably untenable, due to dwindling numbers. Some governors wanted to fight on and remain open, butContinue reading “Accepting the closure of a school”
Managing the turmoil of school merger
What was the issue addressed? We are in a slightly turbulent time as the school is newly amalgamated and we are currently awaiting completion of work building work. What happened? The teaching staff have all been changed around and this has been challenging for everyone but has definitely provided huge learning and training opportunities forContinue reading “Managing the turmoil of school merger”
Challenges of recruiting senior members of staff
What was the issue addressed? Sometimes there are very few applicants for more senior posts e.g. deputy head. It begs the question, why? Are senior positions seen as stressful, underpaid? It makes it quite difficult when there is a very small field to choose from. What happened? We had no choice but to interview aContinue reading “Challenges of recruiting senior members of staff”
Managing difficult decisions about staff redundancies
What was the issue addressed? Mostly around decreasing budgets, having to face cuts and implement these cuts. For example, there was a HR process required to decide which TA contracts will be renewed/redundant. We decided that infants TA hours would not be reduced as much as junior TA hours. What happened? There was then anContinue reading “Managing difficult decisions about staff redundancies”
Anonymous allegations against members of staff
What was the issue addressed? Anonymous letter allegedly from a member of staff making allegations against the headteacher and other members of staff, and questioning the running of the school. What happened? A governor, with relevant experience elected to investigate. I am not aware of any support or help received from other agencies. A meetingContinue reading “Anonymous allegations against members of staff”
Coping with a headteacher’s long-term sickness
What was the issue addressed? The headteacher took long term sick leave and there was generally an air of distrust and unhappiness amongst the staff at this time. The chair of governors mainly dealt with the day-to-day issues. I had only been a governor for about 6 months, and did not have a good graspContinue reading “Coping with a headteacher’s long-term sickness”
School Governor Reflections Resource 