Governors for Schools has just celebrated the second anniversary of our first governor placement in a Welsh school. We extended our governor matching service to Wales in late 2020, allowing us to make even more of a difference in young people’s lives. Since then, we’ve placed 156 volunteers in Welsh schools and released a comprehensive set of bilingual resources to help these newly minted governors thrive within their roles.
Building on our organisation’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, 14% of the governors we’ve placed in Wales are from an ethnic minority background, and 44% are under the age of 45. Placing volunteers from underrepresented demographics in Welsh schools is at the forefront of our work, ensuring boards better reflect the diverse communities they serve.
As mentioned in a recent story featuring governor Nader Rameshni, governing in a Welsh school can bring unique challenges. For example, his school’s rural town faces funding restraints compared to wealthier cities, meaning pupils may lack access to certain opportunities. As Nader explains, however, placing governors with a range of fresh perspectives and expertise can help tackle this issue and raise pupils’ ambitions.
Beyond placing governors in Welsh schools, Governors for Schools continues to release Wales-specific training resources to help volunteers settle into their roles. Most notably, we recently launched an introductory eLearning course for governors in Wales, available in both Welsh and English. Funded by Cardiff University and developed in collaboration with Governors Cymru Services, this course offers a comprehensive overview of the Welsh education system and what volunteers can expect in their first few months as governors. We look forward to placing more governors in Welsh schools in the coming months and introducing even more volunteers to our helpful resources.
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Interested in volunteering as a governor in Wales? Our team is ready and waiting to receive your application. Apply to become a governor today or find out more about volunteering in Wales on our website.