School Governors

Description

As Governors Week launches on SchoolsWorld, Talking Point reveals the results of our exclusive poll, carried out in partnership with the National Governors' Association.

According to the poll, one in three governors thinks their governing body is lacking in effectiveness; a figure that rises to one in two amongst parent governors. So should we be changing the governing structure of our schools?

Charlotte Hume reports from various governing bodies to find out what stands in the way of an effective governing body. Is it the workload and the education jargon? Or is there a false perception of what it means to be a governor?

Elsewhere, Sheena McDonald is joined in the studio by parent governor and Guardian journalist Fiona Millar, chair of the NGA Judith Bennett, headteacher Rachel MacFarlane and school governor Ray Barker, to discuss these issues in more detail.

Key questions include:

• Who really has the power in schools?
• Do governors need compulsory training?
• Do governors understand their role?
• Should governors be paid for their work?

Part of the series: Talking Point