In this guest blog, Sidonie Bertrand-Shelton, Head of Education Programmes at Stonewall, outlines the questions governors should be asking to make sure schools are LGBT inclusive – and why inclusivity in schools is vital. Our work won’t be finished until every child and young person is accepted without…
Our CEO Louise Cooper talks about how universities have the power to improve schools both locally and nationally by encouraging their staff and alumni to volunteer as school governors. Louise spoke at The University of Manchester’s ‘Making a Difference’ awards celebrating the success of their school governor initiative, and considers what…
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…
Preparing for a visit from Ofsted can feel daunting, but we’ve outlined our top tips for keeping calm and having a smooth inspection to help you on your way. Unfortunately, there isn’t a secret recipe to an Outstanding Ofsted rating, but these tips can help to mentally prepare you for…
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…
It’s National Careers Week, which provides an excellent opportunity for schools and governors to think about how they’re supporting children and young people for life after school. Our CEO Louise Cooper talks about the importance of work-related learning and early action when it comes to careers – 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 know that school governors have a critical job. They set the strategic direction of schools, support and challenge the headteacher, and make sure public money is well spent. But historically, it’s been difficult for us to measure their impact, because it isn’t instant nor always visible. Over the…