Apply to become a school governor

Governors help to ensure that young people have the best opportunities available to them in schools. There are approximately 750 school governors in West Northamptonshire, representing one of the county's largest groups of volunteers.

Every school has a governing body to represent the public in the running of schools. School governors bring perspectives from ordinary life and work with the staff and the local authority to help secure the best possible education for the children in the school.

Governors carry out several other important duties, including:

• managing the school's budget
• appointment and dismissal of staff
• making decisions around exclusions
• forming policy on the school's curriculum
• setting standards for pupils' behaviour and discipline
• making sure school buildings are welcoming and safe
• setting and monitoring the school's aims and policies 

Become a school governor

If you are over 18 and are interested in raising education standards, then a school governing role could be for you.

Anyone passionate about helping children achieve their full potential and willing to volunteer as part of a school governing body will find that their skills, experience or perspective will be useful. 

Being a governor can be an enjoyable and rewarding way to spend a small amount of time each month.

The experience of working as part of a team involved in running the school can prove helpful in everyday life. It can teach you new skills and provide rewarding experiences.

Responsibilities of the role

If you become a school governor you will be taking on the following commitments to help make sure the school is well managed:

• attend and participate in governor meetings regularly - the governors generally meet six times a year with additional committee meetings
• spend some time getting to know your school and attending training and/or workshop
• you may be asked to sit on appointments panels or panels that handle staff or pupil discipline issues or complaints against the school

Some employers grant time off for carrying out voluntary duties.

Benefits

The benefits of being a governor include:

• personal development
• learning new skills including HR, finance and management
• improving the education in your community
• potential employers may look favourably on applications from school governors

Governors for Schools

Governors for Schools is a leading education charity that works to place skilled volunteers as governors and trustees on school and academy boards across England and Wales. The charity is committed to diversifying the governance landscape, working to appoint volunteers from a wide variety of backgrounds.

Governors for Schools provides volunteers with a range of informative resources to support them in their roles, including eLearning modules, webinars, and more.

We collaborate with Governors for Schools to connect volunteers with schools that will benefit from their skills and experiences. 

How to apply

We nominate Local Authority Governors and can also help place co-opted governors within schools. GOV.UK has guidance on the roles and duties of governing bodies.

If you want to apply to be a governor at an academy, you need to contact them directly. 

Last updated 01 December 2023