By Ruhina Cockar
As educators, we are familiar with the idea of “helping out” and doing very important work voluntarily. By nature, those who work in education “give back” to the community regularly and often without a second thought. The more time we spend in education the more we understand Schools as an institution, a system - the way they work, the rhythms of a school year, the challenges they face and the importance and power of good leadership.
Often a part of school leadership that is not thought of or considered more deeply is that of school governance. The aim of this blogpost is to shine a light on the people who are ultimately accountable for a schools strategic vision and success.
Firstly - What is a school Governor?
School governors are volunteers who form part of the governing board, providing strategic leadership and accountability in schools. While the Principal is responsible for the day-to-day running of the school, governors help to set the vision, hold senior leaders to account over the decisions made and the impact of them, and oversee the financial performance of the school.
Hear from a school Governor’s experience here:
Rachael is a Governor of a Primary School in Elmbridge.
“The original reason I went into governance was to expand on my strategic understanding of how a school runs. This experience was vital for me to better understand the complexities of school leadership, more than just the operational madness!
I chair the Teaching and Learning committee for the Primary School and oversee the implementation of whole school curriculum changes. This is very different from my previous experience, which has been predominantly pastoral care.
Once a term I will go into the Primary school to observe a particular T&L focus, for example, following their recent Ofsted visit the Primary School was encouraged to develop their AfL techniques from Early Years to KS2. I was provided with the CPD sessions the staff were given and asked to view these in practice - and speak with the children to see if they’ve felt the difference. Following the visits focusing on different subjects, these are then fed back into a Teaching and Learning Committee meeting, which is thankfully always online, and later summarised in the Full Governing Body Meeting once a term. These help each Governor see and praise the hard work of the staff in all aspects of the daily running of the school.
A particularly important role I do annually is signing off the SATs papers. As one of the few Governors who does not have a child at the school, this means I am involved in ensuring that the proper procedures are followed during the SATs time. This includes talking through every access arrangement made for an individual child, any timetable conflicts which may have arisen and also ensuring that the location of the papers is secure. This is the most time-consuming visit, as I must stay within the building during the exam so both the distribution of the papers, collecting and also the postage of the papers can all be signed off. It has been really eye opening to see how actively involved the Headteacher is with every child and every process in the school.
One of the really interesting roles I am currently involved in is looking at, and meeting with, different schools who wish to form an academy trust with the Primary School. This was something unexpected, but has allowed me to see how important these links with other schools are.
Being a Governor in your local area is so rewarding as you are able to make a real difference to the lives of children you live with. You understand their backgrounds better and feel part of the community.”
And if that hasn’t persuaded you to consider becoming a Governor, here are some more reasons:
Share best practice: You already have frontline insight into the realities of school life at your current school (or previous schools). Being a Governor at a different school allows you to share best practice and consider the impact of strategies in different contexts.
Widen your leadership knowledge: Learning how schools operate from a governance and financial standpoint can be a powerful asset for those aspiring to middle or senior leadership. It’s eye-opening seeing the reality of school budgets and the difficult decisions schools need to make without compromising on the student experience.
Gain perspective: Seeing how another school works — its priorities, challenges, and successes — can refresh your thinking and inspire new ideas for your own practice in your own school.
Community reach: You’ll be contributing to the success of another school community, helping to improve outcomes for more children beyond your own classroom and school.
Networking: You’ll meet people from other walks of life — from finance, law, and HR to community leaders and parents — offering professional connections and fresh insights.
Have you been convinced yet? If so - How do you become a Governor?
Becoming a governor is more accessible than you might think. Here are the steps to get started:
Register Your Interest: Websites like Inspiring Governance or Governors for Schools match volunteers with schools looking for governors. Governor positions are also advertised on the TES website.
Think About Your Preferences: You can specify whether you’d like to join a primary, secondary or special school, how far you're willing to travel, and whether you’d prefer a faith or non-faith school.
Apply and Interview: Once a school expresses interest, you may be invited for an informal chat or interview with the chair of governors or headteacher.
Rest assured, you are also given training as a Governor as part of your induction!
How do you know if you’d be a good Governor?
Well, you don’t need to be an expert in governance from day one. The best governors are:
Curious and Reflective: Ask questions, seek clarity, and show a willingness to learn.
Committed and Reliable: Attend meetings, read the papers in advance, and follow through on actions. Typically, governors attend 3–6 full board meetings a year, often in the evenings. You may also serve on one or more committees (like finance or curriculum), which meet 2–4 times annually.
Those who visit the school often: A committed governor visits the school during a working day, not just when a governor meeting is on. You may be given a “link area” as a governor to particular part of the school that is judged by Ofsted, like for example, SEND or Pupil Premium or Careers, so meeting the person who oversees the area and building a professional, supportive relationship is an important part of understanding the school you have accountability over.
Constructively Challenging: Hold leaders to account while supporting their work — a balance teachers know well.
Able to Maintain Strategic Focus: Governors aren’t there to run the school, but to ensure it’s being well run. Think about what questions would be good to ask to help leaders think strategically and focus on measuring impact.
You might feel that the time investment is too high, however it is manageable alongside a full time teaching role especially if you choose a school with a sensible meeting schedule, flexible at being able to manage hybrid meetings (option of joining in-person and online) and a convenient distance for you.
What about my experience?
My personal experience of being a Governor at a different Secondary School has been an excellent and rewarding professional development opportunity. I have improved my skills of reading and making sense of other schools’ performance reports and financial statements, building a stronger understanding of whole school strategy and seeing how the different long-term decisions are made, the impact they have and how other schools navigate similar complex issues. I believe it is making me a better leader and I really enjoy seeing the inner workings of another school having been at WA for a long time! I am also enjoying the chance to use my expertise for the good of another school community and building a different network of colleagues.
If you’re looking for a new professional challenge, a chance to stretch your thinking, and a way to give back to the sector you care so much about — consider becoming a school governor!
Find out more at:
www.governorsforschools.org.uk
