Become a school governor

What does a school governor do?

School governance is the cornerstone of the education system in England. Governors play a crucial role, offering support and challenge so that school leaders create exceptional outcomes and change the life chances for all our children, particularly those who are most vulnerable and disadvantaged.

The DfE Governance Handbook states that governance boards have three core functions:

• ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction
• holding executive leaders to account for the educational performance of the organisation and its pupils, and the effective and efficient performance management of staff
• overseeing the financial performance of the organisation and making sure its money is well spent

Hearing the voices of stakeholders (parents and others) is also crucial to the function of governance, particularly to enable good decision making.

Why should you become a governor?

Governing boards need a balance and diversity of people with knowledge, skills, perspectives and experience to enable them to be effective.

However, surveys conducted by the National Association for Governors show that across England the average age of governors is 55, with only 10% of governors under the age of 40 and 1% under 30. The proportion of governors coming from an ethnic minority group is 4%.

Young governor pilot scheme

Find more about the Hackney Young Governors Programme which supports young adults aged 18-30 to become school governors in Hackney. 

Register your interest

Find out more and register to become a governor at Inspiring Governance – an organisation that connects skilled volunteers interested in serving as school governors and trustees with schools in England.