We spoke with Loren Nadin, Senior Partnerships Manager at Governors for Schools, about how schools can use their service to search for volunteers for a role in school governance.
How can I register a governor vacancy?
You can register your governor vacancies online. The form is quick and easy to fill in, and you can even specify the desirable skills or expertise you’re looking for to help us find the most suitable volunteers.
Once I’ve registered a vacancy, how does it work?
Your dedicated Partnerships Manager will find volunteers in your school’s local area who best match the requirements of your board. They can also look for volunteers from other areas who could support the board remotely. Once we’ve found a match, we’ll share their governor profile with you for consideration. This includes information on the volunteer’s skillset, as well as their motivations for applying for the role.
Then, if both you and the volunteer are interested in moving forward, we’ll make an introduction via email. From there, you can arrange a meeting with the volunteer to talk more about the role and check they are the right fit for your board.
We also provide a range of free online training and resources to support volunteers’ development and ensure they are effective in their role. Please be aware that once a governor is appointed, it is the responsibility of the school or appointing body to carry out reference and DBS checks.
Is there any cost involved?
Our governor matching service is free of charge for all state-funded schools in England and Wales. These schools include all types of state-funded schools and academies, higher education colleges, pupil referral units (PRUs), and state-funded nurseries.
We also offer a bespoke governor matching service to independent schools for a one-off fee of £600.
What are the benefits of using a service like Governors for Schools?
Over the last year, we’ve received almost 3,000 applications from skilled volunteers across England and Wales, each of whom is committed to using their time and expertise to support young people in their communities. By registering your vacancy with us, your school will gain access to that huge pool of talent.
Our volunteers come from a broad range of professional backgrounds and have a variety of skills and experience to bring to the table. We’re fortunate to work with a broad range of fantastic partners, including businesses, universities, professional bodies, and other charities. These organisations understand the social impact and professional development opportunities that come with the governor role. We work together to promote the opportunity to their employees and networks.
Using a service like Governors for Schools can also help increase diversity on your governing board. We’re committed to improving the diversity of school governing boards. A diverse governing board is a stronger board, reflecting school communities and the wider country. In 2020, over 30% of our volunteers were from ethnic minority backgrounds, and over 65% were under 45, not to mention having diverse skills, life experiences, and perspectives.
In addition to registering vacancies via Governors for Schools, how can my school enhance its governor search?
To maximise your chances of finding an excellent governor quickly and efficiently, we’ve created resources to support your local advertising efforts. By sharing details of your vacancy via posters, social media posts, and letters, you’ll maximise your reach and may fill the role more quickly. We’d strongly recommend you ask people to apply via our website so they can still access our resources and support. During the application process, they can tell us about their specific interest in your school.
About Governors for Schools
Governors for Schools finds, places, and supports skilled volunteers as governors and trustees on school and academy boards. They support schools across England and Wales to run effectively by finding high calibre governors to bring their skills and expertise to the table – and improve education for children.
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.