School Governor Visits

Every Governing Body has a statutory responsibility to establish and monitor its school’s policies and evaluate the effectiveness of the school and its curriculum.

School Governors are also held to account for their own school’s performance.

Ofsted assumes that Governors know the strengths and weaknesses of the school, and will test that assumption during a school inspection.


One of the best and most effective ways in which a Governor can get to know about their school is to visit during the school day and see it at work, talking to staff and pupils and finding out what happens in the school and the classrooms.

If school and classroom visits are done well they will add immeasurably to Governors’ understanding of their school, its staff and its pupils.

WHY VISIT?

It also allows Governors to focus on particular areas, eg:

• the management of the school’s resources
• the condition of the building and its use
• the development of teaching and support staff
• a specific subject area
• a particular year group or class

By visiting school and becoming better informed Governors will be:

• more aware of the needs of the school
• more able to approach staff to meet those needs
• well placed to bring to the Local Authority or Diocese any matters of concern
• in a good position to support the school in its community



WHAT ARE GOVERNORS’ VISITS NOT ABOUT?

The main point to emphasise is that Governors’ visits to classroom are not a form of inspection in terms of making judgements about the professional expertise of members of staff, especially with regard to the quality of teaching.

A school visit is also not about:

• Checking on the progress of your own or known children
• Monopolising staff time
• Arriving with inflexible or pre-conceived ideas
• Pursuing personal agendas or issues.

More details about School governor Visits together with a model policy, a model visit form and do's and don't can be found here from Doncaster Metropolitan Council

http://www.doncaster.gov.uk/Images/School%20Governors%20Visits%20to%20School_tcm2-62421.pdf