Together with the professional staff of the school they plan the school's future direction, make decisions on the school's budget, staffing and buildings, and ensure that the National Curriculum is taught. They can also be co-opted by the rest of the governing body to represent a community of business interests. As a parent you are most likely to become a governor by standing for election. You do not need any particular skills or expertise to be a governor. It is far more important to be able to give time, commitment and energy.
Governors meet regularly, usually twice a term and often in the evenings.
Most governing bodies also have committees to deal with particular areas of their responsibility and these will meet once or twice a term as well. In addition governors need to be able to visit the school from time to time, attend school events and keep up with reading on education matters. All this requires a considerable commitment of time, which will sometimes be during the working day. Being a governor can be hard work but LEAs provide support, often in the form of helplines, newsletters and a resource library. There are excellent training courses for new governors as well as training in particular topics.