Your commitment as a governor

As a governor in a Devon School you will:

• Support your school’s aims and objectives and promote the interests of the school and pupils in the community.
• Co-operate with other governors in the interests of your school.
• Understand that being a governor requires commitment of time for meetings, reading, sharing the workload and visiting the school in school hours.
• Understand that a governing body is a corporate body seeking to raise standards for children and young people in the school.
• Not use your position to gain any personal benefits.
• Respect the need for confidentiality on certain items of business and abide by any Code of Practice that the governing body has agreed.
• Seek to enhance your effectiveness through training and development programmes.
• Regularly attend meetings. You may be disqualified if you miss meetings for six months or more.
• Recognise that as part of a governing body you are publicly accountable for your actions and performance.

Our commitment to you

We will:

• Keep you informed of local and national education policies and practices which will affect your school.
• Offer information, advice, induction and development training to help you carry out your duties.

What the law says

There are laws controlling the eligibility of governors. This means you can not be a governor:

• If you have been the subject of a bankruptcy restrictions order or an interim order; or have had your estate sequestrated and the sequestration has not been discharged, annulled or reduced.
• If you are liable to be detained under the Mental Health Act 1983.
• If you have been sentenced to 3 months or more in prison in the last 5 years without the option of a fine.
• If you have been sentenced to imprisonment for 21/2 years or more in the previous 20 years.
• If you have at any time been sentenced to 5 years or more.
• If you have been fined in the last 5 years for causing a nuisance or disturbance on school premises.
• If you have been subject to a disqualification order under the Company Directors Disqualification act 1986(a) or to an order made under section 429(2)(b) or the Insolvency Act 1986(b).
• If you have been removed from a charity trusteeship by the Charity Commission or High Court on the grounds of misconduct or mismanagement.
• If you are included in the list of teachers or workers prohibited or restricted from working with children or young persons.
• If you refuse to undertake a Criminal Record Bureau (CRB) check if asked.
• If you have been disqualified from being an independent school proprietor, teacher or employee in any school by an independent Schools Tribunal or the Secretary of State.
• If you are also the clerk to your own governing body, or the clerk to the staff dismissal, dismissal appeal, pupil discipline or admissions committee.