Whatever your professional background, volunteering as a school governor is a chance to make a difference in your community. Support young people into work The impact of coronavirus is already taking a toll on the job market. Young people under 25…
You don’t need to be a mental health professional to make mental health a priority in schools. The effects of lockdown on both children and school staff aren’t fully known, but we do know that when all children return to school, supporting their mental health after…
Community has never been more important. The past few months have been a challenge for us all. Every one of us has been affected by the coronavirus pandemic, and while things are starting to return to some form of normality, schools are yet to face some of their biggest…
Lucy Goodwin is a governor at Evelina Hospital School in London. Here, she shares her experience of being on the governing board of a school that’s based in a hospital building, providing children in hospital with an excellent education. “I’ve been a governor at Evelina hospital school for around a…
Mary Isherwood OBE is the headteacher at Camberwell Park School in Manchester, which is a primary special school. Mary talks about the need for good governors on the board, and the challenges the school faces. “Camberwell Park is a special school for pupils of primary age who…
Mark Twigg is a governor at a special school in Rotherham, South Yorkshire. He shares his experience of joining the board without any specific experience in SEND (special educational needs and disabilities) and the impact he’s had on the children and their experience of education. “I’ve been a governor…
This year, Children’s Mental Health Week runs from the 3rd – 9th February. It’s a great opportunity to refocus on one of the reasons many people decide to become governors – to help the next generation of young people to be happy, healthy and well prepared for…
Concerns over childhood obesity are never far from the headlines. Pupils today experience increasing stress in school from a number of sources – with exams being just one factor. As governors, what part do we play in this? While there isn’t just one simple solution, the School Sport and…
Honey Clarke is a governor for Quercus Federation (Northiam and Hurst Green Church of England Primary Schools in East Sussex). Honey runs her own management consultancy business after building a successful career in Human Resources. She talks about the professional experience she brings to her schools and why now was…
How can schools support mental health in children – and why is it so important? Hope Virgo is a leading advocate for people with eating disorders, having battled against anorexia. In this guest blog, she shares her story, and explains how schools can support children in looking after their mental…
We spoke to Jag, a governor at a school in Solihull, to find out more about why he decided to volunteer his time and skills as a school governor. If you’d like to give back to your local community and develop your own skills at the same time, governance could…
Langford Primary School is in a deprived area of London, sandwiched between very affluent areas. Five years ago, the school was Inadequate. At the end of last year, Ofsted visited and judged the school Outstanding. We asked Chair of Governors, Dominic McGonigal, to give us the inside story. How…