How can you get to know your school?

All Governors need to spend time getting to know their school

Planning a visit

Visits need to be made with a clear purpose in mind.  Otherwise they can become general tours of the school corridors and give you little impression of what the school is really like. 

Although general visits to the school can be beneficial, especially for new governors, many governing bodies want governors to visit the school with a specific purpose in mind, for instance to look at music in the school or lunch-time arrangements. This gives you a good opportunity to talk about existing or new policies.

Getting value out of a visit

Think of your interests in school. It might be the topic of parent-school relations. Or you may have a special interest or link responsibility in the teaching of physical education or some other part of the curriculum. 

Agree this with your governing body and make yourself a plan for visiting your school.  Remember to make arrangements with the Headteacher, as your visit must fit in with routines of the school and the needs of the children. 

Write down your purpose for visiting.  It may help you talk through your plans for the visit with a more experienced colleague or member of staff.

Report your findings back to the next meeting of the governing body – comment on how the school is working in this particular area by reporting on what you have seen and heard. 

Share your report with the Head and teaching staff involved in your visit.

Many schools have developed their own protocol for school visits by governors – check to see if your school has one.