Are you looking to make a difference in your local community? Maybe you’ve seen school governors in action and have considered becoming one yourself? You might have also been put off by complicated sounding acronyms or, thought you weren’t experienced enough for the role? To become a school governor, you don’t need any specific qualifications.
There are many misconceptions within governance that to become a school governor, you need to have worked in the education sector, or reached a certain point in your career – neither are true. In this blog we’ll explain the role of school governors, as well as bust some myths about who can take up the role.
So, let’s begin with what school governors actually do…
School governors are responsible for overseeing the management side of a school. They focus on strategy, policy, budgeting, and staffing, working alongside senior leaders and supporting teachers to provide excellent education to children.
Being a school governor is a commitment to attending governing board meetings which consider issues such as setting the school vision, mitigating financial risk and scrutinising educational outcomes. School governors are also involved in the school community, acting as critical friends to the headteacher and senior leaders.
The main responsibilities of a school governor include:
- Ensuring the strategic direction, vision and ethos within a school.
- Holding executive leaders within a school to account on various issues.
- Overseeing financial performance and ensuring money is well spent across a school.
If this sounds overwhelming, don’t worry – nobody expects you to know everything about the world of governance straight away. Even experienced governors learn new things in every meeting and it’s a role where you’ll pick up a lot of information as you go.
What are the requirements to become a school governor?
As long as you’re over the age of 18, most people can become a school governor. You don’t need to be a parent/be responsible for looking after a child, or have worked in education. Boards need people with a range of skills and backgrounds to run effectively. School governors bring expertise from their professional lives to the governing board and schools benefit greatly from working with skilled volunteers. This may include, for example, anyone with experience of finance, law, premises management and /or human resources. A school governor with business know-how can transform the running of a school.
There is an assumption that because of the nature of the role, you must have vast experience in your field. Governing boards, above all however, are looking for the qualities and lived experience school governors can bring. Everybody has meaningful skills, softer skills such as communication, negotiation, and knowledge of your local community are just as valuable as business skills. As such, we encourage you to apply regardless of where you are in your career.
What are the benefits of becoming a school governor?
As a school governor you’ll provide support and challenge to senior leadership, and work with the board to develop the strategic vision for the school. You’ll be involved in activities such as the headteacher appraisal, data analysis and monitoring wellbeing; it’s a fantastic opportunity to extend your experience and develop your leadership skills. There are also many other benefits to becoming a school governor, including:
- Having the chance to experience leadership at board level at any point in your career.
- Building professional networks with people who work within the same and different industries to yourself.
- Using your lived experience and skills to bring a new perspective to a governing board/school.
- Ensuring voices from different groups and communities are represented. This includes voices from groups which may often struggle to be heard within education.
- Making a difference to a school within your local community and helping to shape young minds.
How can Governors for Schools help you become a school governor?
As a charity, Governors for Schools finds, matches and supports thousands of volunteers onto school boards every year across England and Wales. Our dedicated partnership team is here to help you find a school in your local area. We’re here to support you through the whole application process.
Our support doesn’t just end once you’ve been placed. We have a library of free resources on our website that you can take advantage of to help you enhance your knowledge of the role. We also run dedicated campaigns – such as our new Inclusive Governance campaign. This campaign is dedicated to promoting inclusion, equality and diversity within the governance landscape.
Ready to find out more?
Why not find out more about the role? You can also book on to one of our upcoming ‘Introduction to Governance’ webinars to learn more about this opportunity. Alternatively, if you’re ready to apply, you can click here to fill out our quick application form.