Governors for Schools can help…
Since 1999, Governors for Schools has supported schools to find skilled governors across England, extending our vital work into Wales in 2020. With over a third of schools in England having one or more vacancies on their governing boards, our work has never been more important. During 2022, we helped just over 2,000 volunteers join school boards, a number upon which we strive to build.
We’ve refined our expertise in governor recruitment over the past 20 years and are continuing to improve how we support the sector. Our Trustee Recruitment Service launched in response to sector need, and our resources for schools have been created based on the needs and feedback of our volunteers. Working collaboratively with other governor networks, we have gained valuable insights into the sector, including the key challenges facing schools right now. As such, we can use this knowledge to appoint volunteers who meet your school’s needs.
Some of the challenges facing school boards include a lack of governor diversity, limited succession planning, and skills gaps among members. Fortunately, Governors for Schools is on-hand to ensure the volunteers we find, meet your needs.
Do you have challenges with…
Board diversity?
We encourage school governing boards to recognise the benefits of diversity and appoint governors from a variety of backgrounds. Diversity in terms of ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic background ensures boards are reflective of the communities they serve. We work with schools to identify needs before we put forward volunteers. We also work with schools to showcase volunteers they may not ordinarily consider, such as younger volunteers under the age of 25. As demonstrated in our recent governor story with Will Bellamy, early-career volunteers can bring fresh and valuable perspectives to school boards. Sadly, sometimes age can be seen as a limiting factor in a volunteer, and we work with schools to show that it doesn’t have to be this way.
Succession planning?
Is your chair about to step down? Have you considered how you can maintain a strong leadership structure for your board? We ask prospective volunteers to share their leadership experience, ensuring we spot potential chairs and vice chairs at the application stage. As you prepare to bid a fond farewell to your chair, we can help you find the best possible successor. We’ve also worked with the National Governance Association (NGA) on their report around finding a chair, which offers helpful guidance on succession planning.
Skill gaps on your board?
Are you confident that your board possesses all the skills it needs to support school leaders? Conducting a skills audit can help you identify skill gaps and address them by organising training or filling vacancies with the right volunteers. If you register a vacancy with Governors for Schools, we can screen volunteers for the skills your board needs.
Location struggles?
Some schools face geographic challenges when it comes to appointing members to a board. Fortunately, Governors for Schools is happy to support schools to source remote governors. There are many benefits to remote governance, and you can benefit from a wider talent pool. Read more about the benefits of remote governance on our blog.
Do you need support recruiting a governor? Want to ask us a specific recruitment question?
Register your vacancy with Governors for Schools and a member of our friendly team will be in touch to discuss your needs. We support with both governor and trustee recruitment.
Sign up for National School Governors’ Awareness Day, and at 10am – 11am Governors for Schools will be hosting a bespoke session showcasing how we can help you recruit a volunteer governor or trustee in 2023. We’ll be taking questions live in the session, so don’t miss out.