Skills and expertise for school governors

There are many skills and expertise that school governors bring to the role, but there are also skills developed through school governance that can impact positively on a school governor's professional career.

Importance of skills and expertise for school governors

A strong school governing board is built on the collective strength of its members, with each individual bringing a diverse range of skills and expertise. Therefore, the board should actively seek to appoint or elect individuals based on the unique talents and knowledge they can contribute. Once you join, your skills and experience will play a vital role in shaping the direction of the board’s work.

Moreover, it’s essential that you apply these skills effectively, as they will directly influence the areas where you focus your time and energy. Whether you’re contributing to financial oversight, curriculum development, or strategic planning, your expertise will help drive the board’s decision-making and, ultimately, ensure the school’s success. By using your strengths to their fullest potential, you’ll not only support the board’s work but also help create a positive impact on the school community as a whole.

What skills are relevant for school governors?

Many skills are well associated with school governance. Some of these include:

  • Finance
  • Legal
  • HR
  • Education
  • IT
  • Health and Safety
  • Project management

When you join a board, you’ll complete a skills audit, likely once a year. This audit helps the board identify the skills it currently has and any areas where it might be lacking.

The board can then address any gaps through training or recruitment.

Skills developed through school governance

School governance offers a varied and dynamic role. School governors not only use their existing skills to support the school, but they also have the opportunity to learn and practice new ones. As a result, this creates an excellent opportunity for them to acquire valuable new competencies, which they can then bring back to the workplace.

In fact, many school governors report being asked to do the following for the very first time:

  • Sitting on a recruitment panel
  • Undertaking appraisals
  • Conducting risk management exercises

To gain further insights, we researched the specific skills school governors develop in their roles and examined how this experience benefits them professionally. For more details, you can read the full Professional Development Through School Governance report here.