Governor Story – Nicolas Dowler

Nicolas Dowler retired from full time employment in late 2018 after a career in leveraged finance and became a school governor at Cirencester Primary School in Gloucestershire in 2019. He is now Chair of Governors and was recently elected into a second term of office at the school. What drew…

My Governor Story – Alex Langford-Pollard

With School Governors’ Awareness Day approaching, we’re celebrating the story of young governor Alex Langford-Pollard, who volunteers at Kings’ Academy Prospect in Reading and is a Manager within the Large and Complex group at Deloitte. Alex chatted to us about what inspired him to become a school governor, why…

The journey from Inadequate to Outstanding

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…

Four things governors should prepare (or know) before meeting Ofsted inspectors

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…