School Governor Entitlements

[MattBombHead]

Whilst I was off work 'long term sick' I was approached by my daughters school with a view to becoming a School Governor, an offer which I took up, and am enjoying doing the job. The school is around 100 miles from my current unit, and apart from my family, has no military ties.

I'm now back at work, and it has been mentioned that there should be a 'register of Governors' held on Station.

Is this correct? And if so, who would hold and maintain it?

 

[LilStill]

Whilst I was off work 'long term sick' I was approached by my daughters school with a view to becoming a School Governor, an offer which I took up, and am enjoying doing the job. The school is around 100 miles from my current unit, and apart from my family, has no military ties.I'm now back at work, and it has been mentioned that there should be a 'register of Governors' held on Station.Is this correct? And if so, who would hold and maintain it?

Doesn't appear to be us in PSF, so I suspect it'll be Community Officer if there is anyone. I'd ask ours but she's out today, I'm afraid.

 

[MattBombHead]

Its a start... Thanks LilStill

 

[muttywhitedog]

Unless the school is affiliated to the base (perhaps Akrotiri?), then there is no such register. Schools come under LEA Control in the UK.

I was a Governor at the school outside Colishall's main gates, and even that didnt have any direct link to the base, apart from an LEA-Appointed Governor was always either OC Admin/OC SSS or OC PMS.

 

[MattBombHead]

That was my thinking too. Mutty, however my FS thinks he's heard something previously... Thanks for the info


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[8:15fromOdium]

Your OC PSF 'should' be interested. The unit that I recently served at produced an annual report detailing how it supported the community. Roles like School Governors were included.

Having been a Service Governor at a school myself and supported a number of schools around an MoB I would recommend a look around the Service Children's Education website: http://www.sce-web.com.

 

[muttywhitedog]

Your OC PSF 'should' be interested. The unit that I recently served at produced an annual report detailing how it supported the community. Roles like School Governors were included.

Having been a Service Governor at a school myself and supported a number of schools around an MoB I would recommend a look around the Service Children's Education website: http://www.sce-web.com.

But in the OP's case, the school is 100 miles away from his unit and has no service links. In what way do you think the unit helps that school?

 

[gray]

But in the OP's case, the school is 100 miles away from his unit and has no service links. In what way do you think the unit helps that school?

By allowing the OP time off to do the Governor duty? Apparently School Governors are 'entitled' to a certain amount of time to go to meetings etc as a duty (Possibly one day a month ?). Luckily, when I was a school Governor, my line management were flexible enough to give me the time to eventually become Chair of Governors for a year. A hard, but rewarding job !

At my last Station, there was a trawl for personnel who were Governors, so they could be added to the list of Good Stuff the Station did for the Community as a whole, not just locally.

 

[Joe_90]

But in the OP's case, the school is 100 miles away from his unit and has no service links. In what way do you think the unit helps that school?

As a member of the Unit and also a school governor the OP is volunteering his time and experience. The fact the school is far away isn't really relevant.

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[woodgreen]

As a member of the Unit and also a school governor the OP is volunteering his time and experience. The fact the school is far away isn't really relevant.

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If the school is not in the area of the Unit, then there is no interest. Next you'll be suggesting that the OP could claim MMA for his 'duty'.

 

[8:15fromOdium]

But in the OP's case, the school is 100 miles away from his unit and has no service links. In what way do you think the unit helps that school?

I am not saying the unit itself helps the school, but the fact that the OP would act as a Governor is showing that service personnel are supporting the school. The unit might want to record this on the annual Forces/Community Covenant return. The last unit I was at was interested in knowing what support its personnel were giving to the wider community. I believe it was coordinated and recorded by the Community Development Worker who reported to OC PMS through OC PSF.

Also the OP has a daughter in that school who, as a service child, will attract additional funding through the Service Pupil Premium of £300 for that school; so the wider MOD is supporting that school.

 

[muttywhitedog]

The OP hasnt indicated that he has been afforded any time off to perform his Governor duties since he returned to work, and I'd be interested to see where it is laid down in law that School Governors can have paid time off from their workplace to attend meetings. In my 4 years as a governor, all governing body meetings took place in the evening, as most of the governors had jobs that would preclude them from attending meetings during their working day.

I certainly didnt go and declare it on any register with OC PSF or any Community Worker, as I was a Parent Governor, elected by my fellow parents - I wasnt standing for election as the RAF Coltishall representative, however I was subjected to a CRB check.

 

[stereolab]

The OP hasnt indicated that he has been afforded any time off to perform his Governor duties since he returned to work, and I'd be interested to see where it is laid down in law that School Governors can have paid time off from their workplace to attend meetings. In my 4 years as a governor, all governing body meetings took place in the evening, as most of the governors had jobs that would preclude them from attending meetings during their working day.

I certainly didnt go and declare it on any register with OC PSF or any Community Worker, as I was a Parent Governor, elected by my fellow parents - I wasnt standing for election as the RAF Coltishall representative, however I was subjected to a CRB check.

How did the CRB check go?

 

[muttywhitedog]

I guess it went fine, as I served for 4 years until the school closed.

 

[ady eflog]

That 300 quid is for the child not the school, a point that I make every year to my sons school. Most service personnel dont make sure that their kids benefit from that money.

 

[Joe_90]

If the school is not in the area of the Unit, then there is no interest. Next you'll be suggesting that the OP could claim MMA for his 'duty'.

The RAF would probably disagree on that one. The wider our community support reaches the happier they are. I'm not suggesting the OP is entitled to anything but his Unit may like to bask in the reflected glory of community engagement that goes further than 3 miles outside the Camp gate.

Alternatively they may not give a **** about community engagement and think that they survive as an individual entity and have no responsibility for what happens outside of their immediate AOR. It's pretty unlikely though.

At the end of the year when the Unit is asked what they have done to promote engagement, someone raising the profile of the RAF in an area without a traditional RAF presence is viewed as a nice tick in a box.

 

[MattBombHead]

My current Chain of Command are very supportive of my Governor status, and allow travelling time where possible (primary duty commitments permitting), so yes, the Station may (as Joe 90 says) be able to bask in the reflected glory accordingly...

Any meetings I attend are noted in the Section F540, so it would in my opinion make sense for the Station to be aware aswell.