The role of a school Governor is very diverse but rewarding one. Working as a volunteer alongside the headteacher and the senior leadership team, we see this as an investment in the children’s educational future and strategic development of our wonderful school!

No specific skills or experience are required for the role of Governor, just plenty of energy, enthusiasm, and a willingness to get involved. Full training and support are provided to all new Governors. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and abilities.

All Governors and volunteers are required to undertake a DBS screening check as part of our safeguarding duties.

"My tenure gave me a unique insight into the running of the school at an executive level and opened my eyes to amount of work, planning and effort that goes into each day... it was rewarding to play my own small part in running the of the school.  It gave me new experience of working as part of a governing board and has given me the confidence to scrutinise decisions and outcomes - whether relating to school or in my working life" Former Parent Governor

Governors usually meet as a Full Governing Board (FGB) six times per year, with meetings taking place in the evenings either at school or virtually. In addition to this, there are two specialist governor committees that oversee Resources and Curriculum which typically meet two weeks prior to each FGB.  All governors will be a part of one of these committees depending on the skillsets they bring. 

All of our Governors will also have a Link responsibility to a specific subject or operational matter - for example SEND, IT, Maths, Modern Languages, GDPR etc.

Governors are encouraged to participate in periodic training to further their development and understanding of the school and role. Some further time may be needed to support specific initiatives that the Governors are involved in, but these are not onerous.  Being a Governor is not only a privilege for being able to develop and support the school but is also can add to your own personal development and CV, with lots of transferrable skills that can be beneficial in your professional life.

"I really enjoyed my stint as a Governor... I felt that my professional knowledge and experience in finance was useful to the governing board ... it was rewarding to feel like I had added some value [and] most of all it gave me a real appreciation for the restrictions that the school and its staff work under and how well they manage.  I got to see clearly how hard the team work and how much they care about the children.  It was great to be involved." Former Parent Governor

One of the privileges of being a Governor within the school is being able to join and support some of the wonderful events and day trips that are offered to our children.  These give you a unique insight into the curriculum and beautiful behaviour of the children at the school.

All Governors can be contacted, confidentially, via e-mail at governors@pottenend.herts.sch.uk. The Chair & Vice Chair may also be contacted through this email. 

If you'd like to know more about being a Governor here are some useful links:

National Governance Association - Be a school governor

Governors for Schools - About the role

Inside Government - Applying for a school governor role

Institute of Directors - Becoming a school governor

If you would like to know more about being a Governor at our school, we would be happy to arrange to have a conversation with you and give you a tour of the school.  Please email to request.

As a Governing Board we communicate termly with our school community - both to parents/carers and staff.  In pre-COVID times we also held regular drop in sessions and attended open evenings to allow the parents/carers to meet with us on a more informal basis.  We look forward to a time when it is safe and appropriate to resume these in the near future.

Governor's Prayer

Loving God

We seek your blessing and support in all the responsibilities we bear as Governors of Potten End School.

May we reach our decisions prompted by a desire to serve.

In planning for the future, give us vision.

In matters of finance, give us responsibility.

In dealing with people, give us love.

Grant us wisdom and understanding; of our school, our community and ourselves.

Watch over the children, the staff and the wider community of our school so that all may nurture, grow and flourish according to your will.

Amen

Meet our Governors

The next Full Governing Board Meetings will be held on:

Thursday 15th December 2022 at 7.30pm.

Governors’ Policy on Charging

All education during school hours is free. We do not charge for any activity undertaken as part of the National Curriculum, although we do ask parents to make a voluntary contribution where additional costs are incurred. When inviting contributions from parents we make it clear that these are voluntary.

If an activity goes ahead, it will include children whose parents have not made a contribution. We ensure that these children are allowed to participate fully in the activity. If we do not receive sufficient voluntary contributions for an activity the school will either pay the additional costs or cancel the event. The school keeps financial records of all activities for which additional costs have been incurred. Summary information is available on request.

We feel strongly that no child should be disadvantaged for financial reasons. Where costs for board and lodging are involved or if a charge is made by an outside provider, parents on low income are invited to apply to the school for financial support. Applications are treated as confidential. When an application is received, the Head Teacher will discuss the request with the parent and determine the level of support to be offered.