School Governor - Leeds

Do you want to use your skills to improve education for children? Become a school governor and see the impact your decisions can have.

What do school governors do?

School governors have a varied and important role, helping the school 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

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.

A strong and diverse governing board ensures robust debate, which in turn leads to better educational outcomes for children.

Why become a school governor?

• Help schools overcome challenges to ensure a bright future for children in your community
• Work collaboratively with people from different backgrounds, challenging your own perspective and broadening your network
• Gain experience outside of your job description and skills you can bring back to work

Who can be a school governor?

You don’t need any specific skills or experience to be a school governor. You must be over 18, but you don’t need to be a parent or have experience working in education. Often, it’s the outside perspective you can bring that a school needs.

Professional experience in areas such as HR, finance, law, or project management, are all useful to a school. But soft skills such as leadership, communication, and problem solving are also vital.

The majority of our volunteers are first-time governors. Our training and support will help you feel confident in your role and get you up to speed, so that you can make a positive impact from your first day.

How much of a commitment is being a school governor?

Our recent survey found volunteers spend an average of around 7 hours a month on governing duties. The term of office for a governor is 4 years. 

Governors usually attend around 6 meetings a year, most of which are held in the evenings. 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.