Governors for Schools find and place volunteers into school and academy governing boards across England and Wales. School governors support a school to run effectively and a well-run school can change a child’s experience of education. Over a third of schools in England have one or more vacancies on their governing board, and at Governors for Schools, we want to help by finding governors to bring their skills and expertise to the table. We couldn’t do the work we do without the thousands of wonderful volunteers who apply to become governors through us each year.
Since 1999, we have supported thousands of schools to recruit governors and one thing we’ve learned along the way is that there are many misconceptions around who can become a governor, and what the role is all about.
Here we’ve addressed some of the most common myths around governance.
Myth 1: That you need to be a parent…
While parents can make great governors, you don’t need to be a parent to be able to make a valuable contribution to a school. As much as schools need the perspectives of those who are parents, they also need those with business acumen and experience in the community to bring challenge to the board, regardless of whether that person is a parent. What skills do you think you could bring to a board?
Myth 2: That you need to be a teacher or education expert…
An understanding of the education sector is helpful, but more importantly, schools need volunteers who are motivated and interested in education. Schools need a broad range of expertise on the board in order for the best decisions to be made. This includes those with skills such as finance, HR, law, marketing, IT, data analysis (and many more!) as well as ‘soft skills’, like asking questions, diplomacy and strategic thinking.
You’ll need to be passionate about making a difference to education in your community, and commit to developing yourself and your understanding of the school, but you don’t need to come to the role with expert knowledge of education.
Myth 3: That you need to be a senior manager…
You don’t need to be a senior or even experienced professional – it’s about attitude as well as expertise. School governing boards need skilled people to help them run effectively and both hard and soft skills are needed around the table. Governors for Schools match volunteers to a school based on the skillset they bring so you can be assured that the school you support will be looking for someone with your skills.
Myth 4: That diversity on school boards isn’t important…
People from all walks of life apply to become school governors. A governing board should reflect the community the school serves, and a diverse board contributes to more effective and robust governance. Boards need people with different lived experiences – including age, race, and socio-economic background – to provide challenge and bring different perspectives.
Myth 5: That you can’t juggle the role around a full-time job and other commitments…
Our volunteer survey found that on average, governors spend around 7 hours a month on governing duties. The term of office for a governor is 4 years so it is important to think carefully about the role before you decide if it is right for you. There is no ‘typical’ governor and each volunteer comes to the role with a varied and rich lived experience. Some are parents, some aren’t. Some work and others don’t. Everyone is different and the main thing we suggest is researching the role before you commit. We are always happy to talk with prospective volunteers and hold regular information webinars that you are welcome to attend.
Myth 6: That governors are operational and get involved in the day to day running of a school…
School governors are not involved in the day-to-day running of the school. The role is strategic, and as a governor you’d contribute to the wider decision-making process. For example, you’d contribute to whole school policies and check and approve them once they are written, but you wouldn’t be expected to write or implement them.
How can I get involved?
Watch the free webinar series
Join Governors for Schools, alongside the NGA and Eteach as we address the above-mentioned misconceptions in greater detail.
Watch webinar
Become a Governor
We’ll support new governors with training and resources to make sure that you’re equipped to make an impact from your first day in the role.
Find out more and apply to become a Governor here.
About the author
Loren Nadin
Loren is based in South-East Wales and joined the Governors for Schools team in November 2020. She has worked in various roles within the education sector domestically and internationally, including teaching overseas, managing education intervention programmes for a UK charity, and working as a curriculum development consultant on an international project. She has a first-class degree in International History and Politics and an MA in Modern History. She joined Governors for Schools as a Partnerships Manager to support the organisation’s expansion into Wales.