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Structure of Boards of Governors

Boards of Governors consist of people who are representative of various interest groups. These groups may include:

Parents - elected at meetings of parents held for this purpose.
Transferors - nominated by those bodies (mainly churches) whose schools were transferred to the state or were superseded by state schools since 1930.
Trustees - nominated by the legal trustees of the school.
Teachers - elected from amongst the full-time assistant teachers in the school.
Board - appointed by NEELB.
Department of Education - nominated by DE.

In addition

a Board of Governors may co-opt a limited number of persons usually from the local community.
the Principal of the school acts as the executive member of the Board of Governors.

The exact membership and composition of a Board of Governors depend on the type of school and sector of education which it is serving. These arrangements are laid down in Education Reform Orders for Northern Ireland and described in detail within the Scheme of Management for the type of school concerned.

The Scheme of Management also describes conditions which apply to:

Acceptance of membership
Disqualification from membership
Term of office
Termination of membership
Vacancies

As a governor you will be aware of the feelings and wishes of the group you represent but you are not a delegate of that group nor are you accountable to it. You cannot be instructed by the group as to how you will act as a governor. Once appointed you must put the interests of the school and its pupils first.

Reference is made in this section to the Scheme of Management for schools. This is an important document which carries with it legal status. As a governor you should ensure that you have a personal copy and that you become familiar with its contents. Knowingly or wilfully disregarding the procedures set out in the document can have serious repercussions.