A CLERK’S STORY
My interview was over, the job was mine and then what?
A very good training programme, delivered at the right pace by key members of our governor services team,
ensured that I was equipped, ready and confident to begin my journey as a governing body clerk. I’d had the
opportunity to shadow experienced clerks and to clerk a meeting with some support. They had shared their
wisdom, understood my uncertainties and offered reassurance. It was good to see their familiar faces at the
twice termly 2.5 hour governor training briefings that are held remotely. The briefings are packed with updates
and presentations to ensure we are adequately prepared for the forthcoming term. Initially, they were a
complete mystery to me as I tried to make sense of the information but gradually, as I settled into the job, all
became clear. Being with other new clerks was great because we were all in the same boat!
Some of the challenges of the role:
Not all schools are based within city centres or the suburbs; some are small rural schools and whilst the
journey might be lovely in the summer, it’s not so good when the nights close in and the weather is less than
kind – but then meetings can take place remotely now! Clerks are expected to arrive on time, be prepared
and ready to clerk. Governing body meetings can last from 1½ hours to 3 hours or more but a good meeting
can be achieved in 2 hours. Travelling home from a morning or afternoon meeting is fine but the journey
home from a long evening meeting is difficult sometimes. I work hard with the Chair, Headteacher and
Governors to achieve time efficient meetings. Most governing bodies do hold meetings in the evenings with
a typical start time of 6.00pm, but others have an earlier start time or are held during the day.
Governors and their meetings:
I clerk for a governing body with 10 governors whilst another has 14 and, depending on how many schools
you take on, you can get some idea as to how many individuals you will be supporting. You’ll be given good
tips on how to remember who’s who. Governors come from all walks of life and for some of them it will be
the first time they have been actively involved in supporting a school. A new governor will be facing new
challenges and will look to their clerk, Chair and fellow governors for guidance. Sometimes a governor might
not understand the context of what is being discussed or, they might put the clerk ‘on the spot’ and ask for
advice or guidance on some quite technical issues or regulations. The first time it happened to me was a
very daunting experience. Clerks don’t know everything but it is our job to investigate and report back; you
will be given guidance and support on how to handle these situations. Governors come with a wide range of
experience and knowledge and so no two governing bodies are ever the same. Top tip: speak up and seek
clarity if you are minuting an item that is ambiguous. If you are confused then it’s a certainty that other
governors are and they will be glad you asked!
Some of the best bits:
I can work flexibly from home to fit around my home and social life. Clerks do work to deadlines that are
linked to governing body meeting dates. You will have an opportunity to liaise with your governing body to
change a meeting date, but sometimes the date will be fixed and you will have to attend. Some of our duties
include; liaising with the chair and headteacher (via email) to set a final agenda; typing and sending the draft
minutes for approval to the chair; uploading the agreed minutes to GovernorHub; dealing with
correspondence on behalf of the governing body. Governor Services provide clerks with IT equipment and
send out termly templates for agendas, minutes and action sheets. They are the fountain of all knowledge
and the ‘power house’ for our work. They are a great team, very friendly and supportive. You will use
GovernorHub, the fantastic on-line Hub that clerks, governing bodies and governor services all work within.
I wouldn’t want to be without it.
Final thought…
The work of a clerk is stimulating, satisfying and rewarding and I love every minute of it (well almost!).
July 2022
