Each school has a governing body which plays an important part in the life of the school. Governing bodies are made up of different types of governors, who bring different perspectives to their role.

Parent governors

All school governing bodies include parent governors who represent the interests of parents of registered pupils at the school, and are usually appointed through an election process. You will need to contact the school directly for information about becoming a parent governor. You can find contact details through our list of schools.

Local authority governors

Individuals nominated as local authority governors should be able to demonstrate:

• a commitment to and an interest in education
• a desire to support the school concerned
• a willingness to serve the local community
• skills and experience which will support the work of the school
• the ability to work as a member of a team
• the required degree of discretion and confidentiality
• a willingness to give of the required time to fulfil their obligations to the governing body
• an empathy with the linguistic and cultural diversity of the county borough, particularly in support of the Welsh language
• a willingness to support the aspirations and strategic intentions of the county borough
• a commitment to attending governor training

In addition, local authority governor nominees should not:

• knowingly be disqualified from serving as a school governor
• be an employee of the school

There are a range of local authority vacancies and we appoint local authority governors on a monthly basis. Find out how to apply on our main school governors page.

Community governors

Community governors usually live or work in the community surrounding the school area. They are appointed by the governing body itself.

Other types of governors

Governing bodies will also have some of the following governors, depending on the type of school:

• Additional community governors – representing the local community council
• Representative governors – in Special Schools only
• Foundation governors – appointed by the Foundation connected with the school, often this is the Church 
• Teacher governors – elected by the teaching staff of the school
• Staff governors – elected by the non-teaching staff of the school
• Associate pupil governors - in secondary schools only and appointed by the school council