School governors that have undertaken training are important for a successful board. Many new volunteers are first time governors with no previous experience of working in education, so training is essential. While new governors learn on the job and become more confident with every meeting, training can help bridge the…
Anne McAvan is a Director with responsibility for governance at The Gorse Academies Trust in Leeds. It’s Anne’s role to make sure each of the Trust’s local governing bodies are working effectively and governors are well-equipped for the role. We spoke to Anne to find out how the governors…
Angie is a Personal Assistant and Administrator at Manchester Metropolitan University in the Research & Knowledge Exchange (RKE) Directorate. We caught up with her to find out more about why she became a school governor and how she’s finding the role. What drew you to school governance? I…
Happy International Women’s Day! To celebrate, we caught up with a few of the female team members here at Governors for Schools, to talk about the women who inspire them. https://www.governorsforschools.org.uk/app/uploads/2019/03/IWD-Draft-1.mp4 Abigail’s inspiration What do you do at Governors for Schools? I’m an Area Manager for Yorkshire and…
I’ve volunteered as a governor at a primary school under three miles from the University of Suffolk for over five years now. In that time, I’ve developed a good understanding of governance, leadership and how to strike the balance between supporting and challenging the headteacher. As a busy mum…
Our partnerships with universities play a major role in tackling the shortfall of school governors across England – but have you thought about the impact that your alumni can make? As well as effectively supporting schools all across England, by promoting school governance to your alumni you’re helping to develop…
What’s your professional background? I studied Law at the University of Sussex and went on to obtain a Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Studies at Oxford. I then spent two years training as a solicitor before qualifying in 2013. I have worked at Birketts LLP ever since (a full-service law…
We caught up with Bav Shah, a governor at Woodlands school in Luton and graduate of Nottingham Trent University, to hear about how he found the role and what motivates him to volunteer. What’s your professional background? I studied Real Estate Management at Nottingham…
Our CEO Louise Cooper argues that volunteering as a school governor can be good for mental health, giving people the chance to connect with their community and combat loneliness. Loneliness is an epidemic affecting people of all ages across the UK. The 2016 Co-op and British Red Cross…
Antonia Swinson, CEO of leading UK property advice charity the Ethical Property Foundation, explains why school governors should be aware of their school’s property needs.     Think back to your own school days – and what do you remember? Your friends? Your teachers? How about the…