You are ultimately and legally responsible for the care and education of the children at the school you govern.

You are, in general, as a group, a bunch of ill educated, useless, uninformed trophy collectors.

Did you know each LA has an officer dedicated to training you lot?

You are not a rubber stamp, whose principle purpose is to approve the decisions of the head.

Your job is to be a critical friend or less cryptically: A pain in the behind.

Each item of each agenda of each meeting should have a discussion along the following lines:

• How does this benefit the children?
• How do you know?
• What will it cost?
• Is it best value?

And then later:

• What evidence can you show us that the impact was valuable.
• Why do you deserve a pay rise , Mr/Mrs Headteaccher.

You are not there to “support”.

You are there to hold the headteacher to account.

So in short a bit less Harrumphing, a bit more voracity.