5 reasons why you should become a school governor

Published on in SMART DEVELOPMENT
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Woman speaking at school governor's meeting

Becoming a school governor involves giving up precious free time to give back to your local school community, but being a school governor does have many benefits for those looking to get involved.

Our guide will take you through the role of a governor and the 5 brilliant benefits you get from being a school governor.

 

Why do schools have governors?

Schools have governors to ensure the smooth and effective running of a school and to ensure the headteacher is held to account.

 

What does a school governor do?

Governors of schools oversee the management side of a school. They ensure strategy, policy, budgeting, and staffing are all organised in the best way possible to ensure smooth and effective running of the school.

A governing board is made up of a diverse group of people who bring a wide range of skills and expertise from their own lives (whether within education or beyond). They then use those skills to benefit the school. They also get involved in the wider school community, playing the role of a critical friend to the headteacher and other senior leaders.

 

5 fantastic reasons to become a school governor

Give back to the school community for these brilliant benefits.

 

1. Being a school governor is rewarding

Being a school governor is a truly rewarding experience. As a school governor, you give back and make a difference to the young people in the school you are a governor for.

You take some of the responsibility for how funds are spent, you help to hold the headteacher to account and you support the school with its strategic direction. It’s a big responsibility, but you will know that you are truly having an impact on the next generation, supporting them in their educational journey. There aren’t many more rewarding causes than that. 

 

2. You gain a variety of skills

The Education and Employers charity organisation conducted a survey to garner the Value of Volunteering. A report of the same name revealed that there were significant benefits of educational volunteering including, “ improved communication and influencing skills; an improved sense of mission and loyalty at work; and greater staff productivity.”

A survey conducted by City of London Governor found that volunteering for governorship helped build respondent's self-confidence, wellbeing, job satisfaction, and motivation. But on top of that, they developed their skills in:

  • Teamwork
  • Negotiation
  • Problem-solving
  • Business awareness
  • Professional skills
  • Decision making
  • Influencing
  • Technical skills

 

3. Being a school governor gives you networking opportunities

Governing boards should be diverse by design and as a result, present a lot of opportunities for networking and meeting new people who have similar values to you.

Through meeting fellow governors, you get the opportunity to get fresh ideas, access new information, get career advice, gain new perspectives and potentially advance your career. There will be a wealth of varied knowledge around the table and being at that table too means you can listen and learn from your fellow governors.

 

4. Gain knowledge for your school

This benefit will be more helpful to those who are on a governing board at a school that is not the one they work at. You can gain invaluable insight on a governing board about how other school communities run. The potential knowledge you will be given can then be applied to your own school and/or career development.

Insight into Oftsed inspections, finance, the hiring process, catering processes, policy writing: the list could go on and on.

 

5. Be part of the wider community

It is very easy to become quite insular when you work in a school because there often aren’t enough hours in the day to do the job, let alone take the time to communicate with other schools in the area. Becoming a school governor for another school ring-fences time out that you can spend getting to know another group of educational professionals.  

You also get the chance to get to know the wider neighbourhood in which you work. Schools are usually at the heart of communities and you will get the chance to meet people who care hugely about the future of the children and the area in which they live.