Governors

Over the last decade the legal responsibilities of school governing bodies have substantially increased. The role they play in supporting monitoring and evaluating the work of the school is vital.

Catholic schools and colleges are at the heart of the Church's mission and all members of their governing bodies share in that mission. Foundation Governors take on the additional, and special, responsibility of safeguarding the Catholic nature of their school and the education it provides.

As a Department we aim to support, develop and advise Foundation Governors. For all enquires contact Jenny Fitzgerald on 0117 902 5593.

The Catholic Education Service (CES) have made the following statement on Governance:

Foundation Governors
The Governors of a Catholic school work as a team, in close cooperation with the headteacher and all the staff. All Governors and staff contribute to the Catholic nature of education in the school as set out in its mission statement. However, successive Governments have recognised the responsibilities of the trustees and the rights of the Catholic community as a whole to ensure that the long-term future of Catholic education is secure.

The trustees of Catholic schools have the legal right to appoint an overall majority of the governors, who are known as Foundation Governors. In addition to all the other legal responsibilities of the governing body, foundation governors are appointed specifically to ensure:

  • that the religious character of the school is preserved;
  • that the school is conducted in accordance with its trust deed;
  • that the religious education curriculum is in accordance with the bishop's policy for his diocese, based on the Bishops' Conference Curriculum Directory.

Foundation Governors are, therefore, appointed personally either by the bishop or the religious order to represent their interests and those of the Catholic community as a whole. They may be parents, parish clergy or members of the local parishes. Under the 1998 Education Act, the bishop or the religious order are required to appoint a number of parents of children in the school as Foundation Governors. These parents are not parent governors. Parents and others appointed by the bishop or religious order as Foundation Governors represent those who appoint them and they have a legal duty to protect their interests. If they fail to do this, they can be dismissed.

Foundation Governors play a leading role in the Catholic community: they collaborate with the bishop in his ministry in education. It is, therefore, important for them to:

  • know and implement the bishop's policies on education including religious education;
  • understand and promote the distinctive nature of Catholic education;
  • act for the good of Catholic education as a whole within the diocese;
  • secure the long-term future of Catholic education.

In fulfilling these duties, they have a right to be supported by the Catholic community in general and by the bishop and his officers in particular.

The governing body of a Catholic school
All governors of Catholic maintained schools have legal rights and responsibilities which ensure that they safeguard and promote their school's denominational character. These rights and responsibilities have been recognised by the Government as central to the continuing success of Catholic education. The following are key aspects of the governing body's legal duties in voluntary aided schools relating to their religious character.

Appointment of teachers
The governors of Catholic schools appoint and employ their own teachers. Whenever possible, they should appoint Catholic teachers in order to maintain and promote the Catholic ethos of the school. Teachers of other denominations and faiths also make a valuable contribution through their support of Gospel values and by promoting the school's mission statement.

Admissions
The Governors of Catholic voluntary aided schools are responsible for drawing up their own admissions policy in accordance with diocesan guidelines and in consultation with the Local Education Authority (LEA) and other schools in the authority. This enables governors to admit pupils first and foremost on religious grounds. Almost all Catholic secondary schools are founded on comprehensive principles.

Training courses for governors and clerks
Capital Works in Catholic Schools (2.6Mb)
CES Model Capability Procedure (164k)
CES Model Disciplinary Procedure (100k)
CES Model Grievance Procedure (184k)
CES Model Sickness Abscence Procedure (240k)
Education and Inspections Act 2006 (628k)
Governors Guide to the Law revised June 2007 (1.1Mb)
New Admissions COP 2007 Presentation (392k)