STEM Governor - Governors for Schools

STEM Governance

Since 2022, we have been working with global engineering firm, AtkinsRéalis, to develop a STEM governor programme. The programme provides schools with board members who have a laser-focus on STEM delivery and the opportunities it provides to place the next generation into meaningful STEM careers. Since its inception, the programme has grown with increasing support from partners working within STEM sectors.

We now want to support more employers to deliver a STEM governor programme. We’ll prioritise matching your people with boards, provide them with training so they can thrive, and report back to you on the impact of our partnership.

Find out more about our work with AtkinsRéalis by watching our video here.

If you’d like to find out more about the programme, please sign up to our event on Wednesday 24th April 2024, where you’ll be able to hear from AtkinsRéalis and Network Rail about why they’ve adopted the programme. You can register here.

What is a STEM governor?

The STEM governor role includes all the usual responsibilities of a school governor, with the addition of championing STEM subjects, monitoring STEM progress and attainment, and plugging in additional opportunities to enhance STEM education through industry links. STEM governors work in four key ways:

They provide all the strategic support and challenge of other board members, with a focus on improving STEM education to inspire the next generation into STEM careers.
They support STEM subject leads in schools, building long-term relationships and learning about the challenges and opportunities facing the school. This includes building opportunities for STEM leaders to improve their understanding and exposure to industry and future-careers.
They triangulate the needs of school leaders, pupils and industry, feeding these back to their employer through internal school governor networks.
They plug in a meaningful, long-term programme of STEM enrichment to meet the school’s needs. They do this by working with employer volunteer networks with a focus on STEM, such as STEM Ambassadors, who in turn, access employer produced STEM enrichment resources.

What is a STEM governor programme?

Why do we need a STEM Governor Programme?

The programme brings benefits to industry, education and individuals alike:

Firstly, STEM activities are often ad-hoc and reactive. STEM governors serve a four-year term of office, enabling them to develop long term relationships with a school. This means that there can be a strategic approach to delivering STEM activities, which will build pupils’ knowledge and interest over their time at the school.
Secondly, the sector is not representative the population. STEM governors can ensure that STEM education is inclusive, reaching under-represented groups.
In addition to this, there is an impending skills shortage in the sector. Inspiring pupils at a young age and introducing them to STEM careers will help to address this.
Furthermore, schools value industry links to better understand future careers. School staff are educationalists and most are not aware of the types of jobs that will exist in the future. In addition to this, by working with the STEM governor and linking into opportunities for work-place encounters, both staff and pupils can develop an awareness of the skills needed for the future.
Finally, many professionals are working towards or maintaining Chartership as part of their professional development. Being a school governor is actively recommended as a role that contributes towards Chartership by many professional bodies.

Get involved

To find out how you can support your employees to become STEM governors, please contact Emma Harris, Head of Governor Recruitment at Governors for Schools [email protected].

Alternatively, if you're thinking about becoming a school governor, click the below link to find out more about the role.

Find out about the school governor role