ABSTRACT
Members of a 'hands off governing body have probably served together for many years, probably in many cases become friends and see governors' meetings more as a pleasant social event. In people view a governing body can function effectively in a 'hands on' mode only if it adopts a vigorous and active sub-committee structure. The purpose of the committee is to keep staff briefed about governors' current thinking and concerns, and to enable staff to have face-to-face access to governors to submit their ideas and raise concerns openly. The difficulty all governing bodies face is Chairs, who are often busy people outside their work for the school, can under pressure of time start to stretch the definition of 'emergency' beyond reasonable bounds. The head teacher's report is a major channel of communication between the governing body and the school through the head teacher. Governors are understandably diffident about being involved in school staff appointments.
