Becoming a governor
Who can become a governor?
All types of people can become governors and in fact the best governing bodies consist of volunteers of different ages, cultures and backgrounds who provide a true representation of the local community. Volunteers must be aged 18 or over on the date when elected or appointed and must comply with the legal requirements of the role. Personal qualities that will be important to all schools/colleges include:
- Enthusiasm for the job and a willingness to learn
- Commitment to giving children the best possible start in life
- A desire to raise standards in schools
- Problem-solving abilities
- A willingness to challenge
- Time to actively engage with the school
Additionally, experience in finance, marketing, IT, project management, human resources and the law is highly sought after.
The responsibility for appointing the governors varies, depends on the category of vacancy, e.g. parents nominate parent governors, school/college staff nominate staff governors, the local authority nominates local authority governors, and the governing body identifies community governors.
Length of term
The normal term of office is four years but it is possible to be re-elected or to resign if circumstances change.
Commitments of the role
The time commitment is approximately six to eight hours each month during the school term. This normally includes a full governing body meeting once per term and one committee meeting e.g. Personnel, Finance, Personnel, Pupil and Curriculum. The timing of the meetings varies by school/college though as a general rule primary school meetings take place late afternoon/early evening and secondary school meetings early evening.
It is advisable to visit the school/college prior to appointment to meet the head teacher and chair of governors; at this time you can check the time of meetings, etc.
Please follow the links for a short summary of the role of the school governor and for an example Code of Conduct for a Governing Body (as produced by the National Governors Association).
Training and support
The local authority provides free access to courses specific to governance. There is a wide range of courses available, and they may teach the employee skills that can benefit the business as well as their governor role (e.g. budgeting or performance management).
How employers can help their employees in becoming governors
Employers can explain to employees the reasons why they think it is a good idea for people to become school governors. If employers are committed to encouraging employees to get involved, they should produce a policy statement on employee school-governor service.
Employees are entitled to 'reasonable' time off to carry out their governor duties. Employers do not have to pay their employees for time off, but may choose to do so - particularly if they encourage individuals to become governors.
More about governing bodies
- Governing bodies are established by law as corporate bodies.
- Responsibility for actions and decisions lies with the whole governing body and not with individual members.
- Governing bodies are covered by local authority insurance arrangements.
- All governors receive a CD copy of the Guide to the Law for School Governors to help them understand their role.
Getting started
- The School Governors' One-Stop Shop (SGOSS) website includes information for volunteers interested in becoming governors in schools across England. Its services are free to local authorities, employers and schools. An application form to become a school governor can also be found on the website.
- Read more about college governors at the Association of Colleges website.
- Visit GovernorNet for information and guidance for governors.
- The GovernorLine support service can provide advice on legal and other issues: 0800 072 2181.
- The National Governors' Association is the representative body for school governors in England and their website contains useful information and further contacts: www.nga.org.uk