Governors

Church School Governing Bodies

Constitution

Church school governing bodies vary in size, but the general composition does not vary much from school to school. Regulations govern the size and constitution of governing bodies and each school has an Instrument of Government which details the constitution. A typical voluntary aided primary school governing body in the Diocese comprises the following:

Foundation Governors

Representative Governors

Incumbent

 

 

 

1

 

 

 

Staff

- Headteacher

- Teacher

- Support Staff

 

1

1

1

Parochial Church Council

6

Parent

2

Southwark Diocesan Board of Education

2

Local Authority

2

Sub-Total

9

Sub-Total

7

Total = 16

NB: In this example foundation governors must include three parents

Voluntary aided secondary schools usually (but not always) have a larger governing body with wider representation from the church.

Foundation Governors

Representative Governors

Incumbent

 

 

 

1

 

 

 

Staff

- Headteacher

- Teacher

- Support Staff

 

1

2

1

Parochial Church Council

2

Parent

3

Southwark Diocesan Board of Education

2

Local Authority

2

Deanery

2

 

 

Other Information

4

 

 

Sub-Total

11

Sub-Total

9

Total = 20

Governing bodies may choose to vary their instrument of government, but must consult the Diocesan Board, trustees and foundation governors before sending their proposal to the local authority.

Foundation Governors

Foundation governors have a special responsibility for securing that the character of the school as a Church of England voluntary school is preserved and developed and that the school is conducted in accordance with the provisions of the school's Trust Deed and its ethos statement. The Trust Deed is a document which relates to the original foundation of the school, the ethos statement has statutory force and it is within this context that governors of church schools carry out their responsibilities.

Ethos Statement

A copy of the ethos statement adopted by the majority of Church of England schools is reproduced below.

  • Recognising its historic foundation, the school will preserve and develop its religious character in accordance with the principles of the Church of England and in partnership with the Church at parish and Diocesan level.
  • The school aims to serve its community by providing an education of the highest quality within the context of Christian belief and practice. It encourages an understanding of the meaning and significance of faith and promotes Christian values through the experience it offers to all its pupils.

A more detailed summary of the foundation governor's role in a C of E School is given in the Board's Factsheet:

Governors' Code of Conduct

Governors accept far-reaching responsibilities and it is important to recognise that governors operate as part of a team. Many governing bodies choose to adopt a Code of Conduct so that there is clear agreement how governors should conduct themselves.