Become a school governor

School governors and academy trustees are volunteers who help run state funded schools. Their job is to guide the overall direction of the school and make sure the headteacher and leadership team are doing a good job. They check things like how well pupils are doing, how money is being used, whether standards are high, and whether children are safe.

Both roles are important because they help schools do their best. They make sure children get a great education.

Anyone can become a school governor or trustee. You do not need to be a parent or have special qualifications. We give you all the training you need. It is a brilliant way to help people in your local area.

You will work with other people and help make big choices for the school. It is also a great way to learn new skills, make friends, and help children learn.

About Harrow schools

Harrow has over 700 volunteer governors who help around 60 schools. Harrow is a large area in London with lots of different people and cultures. This makes Harrow schools exciting places to be. It gives governors the chance to work in friendly communities.

There are over 60,000 children and young people living in Harrow. More than 37,000 of them go to school here.

Lots of families in Harrow need extra help. Almost 6,000 children in Harrow need special educational needs (SEN) support at school. This means we need caring governors to make sure every child gets the help they need to succeed.

What do school governors and trustees do?

Governors work closely with the headteacher to set goals for the school. They want to make the school better for all children.

All governing teams have main jobs set out by the Department for Education (DfE).

• School direction: Setting the long term goals and values for the school.
• Checking progress: Asking the headteacher to show that children are learning well.
• Money management: Making sure school money is spent in the right way.
• Working together: Listening to parents, staff, and local people when making decisions.
• Keeping children safe: Checking that the school is a safe place for all children.

If you want to read more about these jobs, you can look at the guides from the DfE online:

• Maintained schools: governance guide
• Academy trusts: governance guide

How much time does it take?

Governors need to give their time and energy to help the school. This includes:

• Going to six or seven meetings a year. These meetings usually happen after school hours.
• Reading reports before the meetings start.
• Visiting the school during the day now and then.
• Going to training sessions to learn more about the job.
• Sharing your own skills to help the school.

Who will I work with?

Governing teams are made up of different people:

• Parent governors: Picked by parents of children at the school.
• Co-opted governors: Picked by the governor team for their special skills.
• A local authority (LA) governor: Picked by the local council to link the council and the school.
• A staff governor: Picked by the teachers and staff at the school.
• The headteacher: The main leader of the school.
• Foundation governors: Picked by the group that started the school, such as a local church.

Can I be a governor?

Most people who are 18 or older can become a school governor. You do not need any special exams or degrees.

A few people cannot be governors by law. This includes people who have been in trouble with the law or banned from working with children.

All governors must agree to a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. This is a safety check to make sure you can work near children. You must also do safety training.

Will I get training?

Yes. Harrow provides full training for new and experienced governors. See further information on training

Governors tell us that our training is very helpful:

"After the training session I feel ready for my new role."

"I know what questions to ask and who can help me."

"The details were clear and all our questions were answered."