School Governor Volunteer - Governors For Schools

Governors for Schools are a national education charity.  We find and place volunteers on school and academy governing boards across England and Wales and we are looking for new Governors for schools in Gateshead and Newcastle.

School governors help to shape school policies and aims, allowing teachers to focus on delivering high-quality educational experiences.  Effective governance can positively impact a child’s experience of education.  Over a third of schools in England have one or more vacancies on their governing boards, leaving them without the skills needed to make the right decisions.  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 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.

Tasks and responsibilities:

• 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 majority of our volunteers are first-time governors without any previous education experience.  Often, this outside perspective can drive effective change in schools.  However, we know joining a board can feel daunting.  We’ve developed eLearning modules on a number of topics to help you get up to speed on key elements of the role.

New governors receive exclusive access to guidance and resources.  You’ll receive 12 months’ free access to online governor resource and knowledge bank The Key – so you can be confident in your decision making.  We hold regular webinars so you can continue your learning and have the opportunity to ask questions.