The role of school governor is hugely rewarding. It will give you the chance to make a positive impact on the lives of children and young people, develop your skills and knowledge in an engaging environment and support the local community. You will also be joining the largest volunteer force in the country – there are over a quarter of a million volunteers governing state funded schools in England.

‍For a school to operate successfully, it requires a governing board with a balance and diversity of knowledge, skills and experience. Ofsted acknowledges that the most effective schools demonstrate high standards of leadership and management – including that of the governing board.

‍Anyone aged over 18 can be a governor and you do not need to be a parent. There is no requirement for you to have a formal understanding of the education system, just an enquiring mind, the ability to work as part of a team and the time to contribute and attend the half termly meetings.

‍A range of professional knowledge and experience should be represented on a school’s governing board including education, finance, human resources, legal, estates management, health and safety and organisational change.

‍As a governor, you will be able to:

• Draw on your professional and life experiences to inform discussion and decision making.
• Utilise and develop your skills in a board-level environment.
• Support and challenge the school to drive improvement for its whole community.

‍School governors support the trust board by focusing on school-specific needs and ensuring community engagement and accountability. The local governing board has four key functions:

• Direction: Ensure there is clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction.
• Performance: Hold executive leaders to account for the school’s educational performance, pupil outcomes and staff performance management.
• Expenditure: Have account of key variances to budget and responsibility for holding leaders accountable for pupil premium and sports premium spending.
• Stakeholders: Ensure the voices of stakeholders are heard.

Visit www.abbeymat.co.uk/governance/become-a-governor to view the full governor role description and Join our Team of Governors booklet and to express your interest in being a school governor.

Alternatively, you can email our Governance Team at governance@abbeytrust.org