Who are we?

The school Governing body is a group of volunteers who are involved in decisions about all aspects of managing the school – such as running buildings and budgets, supporting staff and setting standards.

We also help to make big decisions about the school’s long-term goals. We support Mr Lloyd, but also ask questions and make sure that he, along with the Senior Leadership Team, takes the school in the right direction.

Who can be a school governor?

Anyone over 18 can be a school governor – you don’t have to be a parent with a child at the school. However, we do have a proportion of parent governors, and it can be a rewarding way to be involved in your child’s school.

The most important qualities for being a governor are enthusiasm, commitment and an interest in education. You don’t need teaching experience, but it’s useful to bring skills from other areas of your life. You need to have time to dedicate to the role, be able to make good decisions and make sure that your decisions are followed up. As a governor you’ll probably need to work eight to ten hours a month.

At Waterbeach, you’ll need to attend a governors’ meeting each half term. You’ll also be expected to join a sub-committee – these cover different areas like the curriculum, finance or performance management. You’ll need to be able to work well in a team, as you’ll be making joint decisions on policy.

How do I become a school governor? In the first instance, please contact the office and a current governor will arrange to meet with you for an informal chat. When there’s a vacancy for a parent governor all parents will be informed, and you may have to stand for election, although this is dependent on the number of applicants.

We want the governing board to be inclusive and not allow personal circumstances to be a barrier to anyone serving as a governor. We have, therefore, ratified a Governor's Allowances Policy that, at the board's discretion, can allow some limited expenses that a governor incurs in performing their duties to be paid - examples may include childcare, care for elderly or dependent relatives, extra costs because of special needs or because English is not the first language, stationery, printing and some kinds of travel.

Before you put yourself forward, talk to your employer. Many employers recognise the role of school governor as useful work experience and may offer paid leave for governor duties. It may even count towards your CPD.

Governing is a fantastic way of supporting our thriving school; come and join the largest volunteer force in the country! Looking forward to hearing from you…..

If you would like to learn more about becoming a governor or the work of the Board please contact the school office or email the clerk.