School Governor Voluntary Role

School Governor Voluntary Role

The role of a School Governor is strategic, and not operational. You'll be working as a board member to support and challenge the school leadership. If interested, register and apply for this role directly on website: governorsforschools.org.uk

What You'll Do:

School governors help schools run effectively

They have 3 core functions:

Planning the strategic direction of the school
Overseeing financial performance of the school and ensuring money is well spent
Holding the headteacher or school leadership to account

Governors don’t get involved with the day to day running of a school, instead supporting and challenging the school’s leadership team to drive school improvement. Governors usually attend around 6 meetings a year. Being a school governor is a commitment and a responsibility, but offers you the chance to see first-hand the impact you can make in improving education for children in your community.

You don’t need to be a parent or teacher

While parents and those with education experience make great governors, neither are requirements to volunteer. Many schools want an outside perspective and rely on those with business acumen to bring challenge to the board.

Commit the time to the role

Being a school governor is a responsibility – but it comes with rewards. 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.

Support schools in a different part of the country

Most volunteers join a school board in their local community, but you can also use your skills to support schools in areas where there are fewer volunteers. By becoming a remote governor you can join board meetings via video link, preparing for and contributing to meetings in the same way as other governors. Speak to your Partnerships Manager for more information.

Who can be a school governor?

You don’t need to be an experienced professional – it’s about attitude as well as expertise

School governing boards need skilled people to help them run effectively, but both hard and soft skills are needed around the table. Whether you’ve spent 20 years as an accountant or are in the earlier days of your career, schools need soft skills such as problem solving or negotiation as much as specific expertise.

Why You'll Love It:

You'll have the opportunity to see the results of your work on the board, supporting the growth of a well run school, that prioritises children's education while giving them the best opportunities to learn and make effective decisions about their future. You are the right person for the role if: • you care about the education that children receive and want to drive improvement • you want to make an important contribution to your local community • you enjoy a challenging and rewarding role that helps you develop professionally • you are keen to help all children do better at school, now and in the future • you want to bring what you’ve learned in your professional life onto the board, to best support a school

What You'll Learn:

You will develop transferable skills from the wealth of opportunities that being a school governor can offer, benefitting you both professionally, and personally. You have the opportunity to develop experience across a range of skills that you may not otherwise be exposed to in your day to day. Our research shows that by becoming a governor you can experience increased confidence, enhanced performance and growth in preparation, flexibility and agility, as well as your project management, leadership and financial skills. Many of our volunteers are first-time school governors, meaning they need a helping hand to get to grips with the role. Fortunately, we offer a comprehensive range of eLearning modules to help you get up to speed before your first meeting. We also hold regular webinars on a variety of topics to develop your governance best practices. Additionally, you will be able to: Put your skills to practical use, see the impact of your decisions on young people’s education, and ongoing lived experience. Help schools overcome challenges to ensure a bright future for children and young people in your local community. Work collaboratively with people from different backgrounds, enhancing representation, challenging your own perspective and broadening your professional network. Enhance your CPD by developing new expertise in the role, such as leadership, planning and change management skills, while supporting lifelong learning.

What We're Looking For:

People who are over 18, can pass an enhanced DBS check, have the passion to support education and time to offer a school board.

Summary

Volunteering

Young People

Education

Another city in the UK

208 Weeks Minimum

0 Hours / Week

Skills you will develop:

Strategic Planning

Analysis

Budgeting

Communication

Leadership

Languages you should know:

English

Native or bilingual

Requirements:

CV / Resume

Statement of Motivation

DBS check

Over 18

Phone Interview

Training