School governors
Video: What is a school governor and how easy is it to become one?
- Video transcript
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00:03: I chose to be a school governor when my daughter first started school many years ago and it was just how welcoming the school felt and you just wanted to say well what can I do to help and be part of the the learning experience and helping them grow educationally.
00:26: I think that being part of making decisions and being in the strategic planning and also working with the community and helping the understanding of how important it is for our children to attend school. Well, you don't have to worry about being in education. You don't actually
00:49: have to be a parent. You have to be over 18. and it's important that you get a lot of support which happens within the school and one of the reasons why I became a part of that is because I wanted to understand my daughter's homework and I wanted to explain
01:06: to her how important it was to actually accomplish that to achieve her goals. The fact that I didn't need to have experience or educational background to do that. But it's all about using common sense and putting common sense values into what we what we discuss in meetings.
01:31: Yes, really manageable. It's a good question. Really manageable. I'm in hospitality so it varies. So in terms of going to your meetings, you probably have two meetings in the term and then you have the school visits; to participate and be part of the assembly.
01:45: So it is completely manageable around your professional and working life. It's very manageable because we meet twice in a term and I can work around the time as well as my personal life. But also coming and visiting the school occasionally.
02:08: So you're talking possibly about six meetings, six full board meetings a year, maybe a couple. So people be surprised how much training is available. There's all the online resources and there's in-person training as well to teach you how to be a governor.
02:25: But the most important thing is you just need to care about children and the local community. As long as you bring that passion, all of the skills you need can be taught to you. I enjoy being part of being impactful and with the communities.
02:40: I enjoy seeing the succession planning of the leadership team and being part of that and all the training that goes with that and also most importantly the children. I enjoy giving (time) to the local students and also help making a good impact on children.
03:01: I enjoy the fact that I'm playing a part in helping this school and the young people grow. I would advise them just to go and try it. See, go and talk to the school that they're interested in becoming a governor in. Make sure they have a vacancy.
03:20: Sit in on a couple of the governor meetings, meet the head teacher, and then, you know, if you decide that it's something you want to progress with, just put your name down. Process was super simple. So, I signed up on the Borough website for Kensington and Chelsea.
03:34: I then had a meeting with the team who asked me about my background and my reason for wanting to do it. And I have two young children, so I was interested in doing it because they're just about to start their own education journey now. [Music]
Become a school governor
Make a difference in Kensington and Chelsea!
As a school governor, you will bring your unique skills and experiences to help steer the future of local schools. The skills you learn may well be transferable into your workplace and help your own professional development.
School governors play a crucial role in the oversight and strategic management of their schools, impacting areas such as:
- curriculum
- finance
- staff and pupil welfare
Working alongside headteachers and staff, you'll ensure that schools provide high-quality education and strive to raise educational standards.
This rewarding volunteer opportunity allows you to:
- learn new skills
- contribute positively to the education system and local community
- be part of a dedicated team aiming to improve the lives of the next generation
Join us in shaping the future of our schools - your involvement can truly make a difference!
Amanda Sayers - Chair of School governors Forum
Amanda Sayers is an experienced school governor at several local schools and is also Chair of the local School Governors Chairs Forum. In this video, Amanda talks about the sense of purpose and enjoyment she gets from being a school governor.
Video: What is a school governor and how easy is it to become one?
- Video transcript
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00:00: [Music] The main reason that I enjoy being a governor is for the sense of purpose that I share with my fellow governors and the excellence that we're able to bring to these children's lives in a really supportive bi-borough like RBKC and Westminster.
00:20: Absolutely anybody can become a school governor. It's really important on school boards that we have a diversity of background, diversity of careers, diversity of people's situations. We have for example, we have people involved in the theatre, we have people from finance,
00:42: we do have people from the educational profession, but that is absolutely not necessary. We have parents and we have people who have never been parents. Equally, it doesn't matter. The key is to have people with different life experiences.
00:58: If you have never considered becoming a school governor but are slightly intrigued by what you're seeing on the website, do reach out, speak to somebody that there's many people in our governor community that would be very happy to meet for a coffee and a chat,
01:12: to share their own experiences, explain exactly what it entails, what it will bring to you, what you can bring to the role as well and the good that you can do.
Become a school governor
Anyone over 18 with enthusiasm, willingness to learn, time to spare and an interest in children's futures can become a school governor. All governors must undertake a DBS check.
We recognise that it is important to have a diverse group of school governors across different ages, genders, ethnicities, disabilities and neuro divergent backgrounds who represent the local community. This diversity enables governing bodies to take decisions that consider the experiences of different groups.
As a governor you will need to commit time to attend regular meetings, read documents and get to know the school through visits and events. No specific qualifications are needed. Bring your communication skills, teamwork, and experience to make a real difference in local schools.
Support for school governors
Induction training is offered by the council which includes safeguarding. Schools will make available training for governors to guide you into your role and ensure you are well supported to carry out your duties.
How to apply
Interested in becoming a school governor? Complete our online application form:
Your details will be shared with the council’s School Governors team. If your skills match a school's needs, your details will be shared with the school.
Associate members
- Associate member advice
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Associate members are appointed by the full governing body and should be an agenda item at a full meeting. It is for the governing body to decide how they wish to appoint - show of hands secret ballot etc.
The minutes should record their term of office and whether or not the associate member has been accorded limited voting rights (these are referred to below).
Associate member appointments
Governing bodies can benefit from being able to draw on expertise and experience from outside their formal governor membership. The governing body can appoint associate members to serve on one or more governing body committees and attend full governing body meetings. The definition of associate member is wide and pupils, school staff and people who want to contribute specifically on issues related to their area of expertise, for instance finance, can be appointed as associate members.
Associate members are appointed as members of any committees established by the governing body. They are appointed for a period between one and four years and can be re-appointed at the end of their term of office. Associate members are not governors and they are not recorded on the Instrument of Government. Once appointed associates can attend full governing body meetings but will not have voting rights at such meetings.
The governing body can give limited voting rights to associate members at committee level at the time of appointment. Associate members cannot be given voting rights if they have not reached the age of 18 at the time of their appointment.
Associate members may not vote on any decision concerning:
- admissions
- pupil discipline
- election or appointment of governors
- the budget and financial commitments of the governing body
Contact us
If you would like to have an informal chat first about becoming a governor, email [email protected] and a member of the team will be happy to speak with you.