The role of a school governor involves being part of a team that actively support and challenge the school working alongside the Head Teacher. Much of the work of the Governing Body goes unseen, but they play a key role in helping the school provide the best education for its pupils.

The governor role is strategic rather than operational. 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 attend at least 3 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 can find our more about the role of governors in our Governance Handbook.

Who can be a 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.