Frequently asked questions

Controlled Schools are under the management of the Education Authority and include nursery, primary, secondary, special and grammar schools, including a small number of Irish medium and integrated schools.  Most controlled primary schools were originally set up by the Church of Ireland, the Methodist Church and the Presbyterian Church in Ireland.

A school’s Board of Governors is made up of parent and teacher members, members representing the owners or former owners of the school and members of the general public with an interest in education, who are appointed by the Department of Education or the Education Authority. You must be 18 or over to be a school Governor – you don’t have to be a parent at the school.

You don’t need to have a particular skill set or experience. School Governors bring a range of skills and competencies from their own working and personal lives to the role.

Along with these you should have an interest in education and free time that you can dedicate to the role.

A commitment to improving educational outcomes for all pupils, along with support for the ethos of the school is essential.

The Nolan Principles of Conduct Underpinning Public Life apply to service as a school Governor. These include selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership.

The role of the Board of Governors in a controlled school is to make sure that the school provides ‘the best possible education and educational opportunities for all of the pupils.’ (Every School a Good School – The Governors’ Role).

Governors have a range of responsibilities. As well as ensuring that the school provides a good education for its pupils Governors play a central role in the planning, development, monitoring and evaluation of all aspects of school life, including establishing and maintaining the school’s ethos, setting the strategic direction for the school and appointing staff.

All phases of controlled schools need Governors. Nursery, primary, special and post primary. 

Governors are volunteers who are appointed in an unpaid capacity. A term of office normally lasts 4 years but they can resign at any time.

A controlled school’s Board of Governors is made up of parent and teacher representatives, TRC (Transferors Representatives' Council) representatives and members of the general public appointed by the Education Authority (EA) or Department of Education (DE).

Although nominated by different groups, all Governors have the same role and voting rights.

Yes, on the application form you can apply to a specific school if you wish or you can indicate a school phase or geographical area you are interested in. If the schools you apply for have no Governor vacancies then you will be offered an alternative school that could benefit from your skills. 

You will not be eligible to be a school Governor if:

• you already hold 3 school Governor posts
• you are adjudged bankrupt
• you are applying for a post in a school where you are employed
• you are applying for a post in a school and you have a financial interest in the supply of goods or services to that school
• you have been convicted within the previous 5 years of any offence with a sentence of imprisonment (whether suspended or not) for a period of not less than 3 months without the option of a fine.

You can find information about the application process and download an application form https://www.eani.org.uk/school-management/school-governors/application-process