In this guest blog to mark RSE (Relationships and Sex Education) Day, Catherine Hine, CEO of FASTN (Family Stability Network), and Mary Taylor, Head of Programmes at Family Links: The Centre for Emotional Health and a school governor, share their thoughts on why Relationships Education matters and how governors…
This month, our CEO Louise Cooper talks about our recent MAT survey, what we’ve learnt about the skills needed for both trustee boards and LGBs, and how the results will affect our work going forwards. Understanding how we can best support schools in finding effective governors has always been our…
We spoke to Jag, a governor at a school in Solihull, to find out more about why he decided to volunteer his time and skills as a school governor. If you’d like to give back to your local community and develop your own skills at the same time, governance could…
Langford Primary School is in a deprived area of London, sandwiched between very affluent areas. Five years ago, the school was Inadequate. At the end of last year, Ofsted visited and judged the school Outstanding. We asked Chair of Governors, Dominic McGonigal, to give us the inside story. How…
Our CEO Louise Cooper talks about the need for female representation on school governing boards, why we’re supporting the We Are Future Leaders conference, and how school governance can equip women with tangible skills to take back to the workplace. Getting women on boards is important, which…
‘When I first heard about Governors for Schools I was interested in getting more involved with a local school – but I wasn’t sure about what I could bring to the role, or if I was really qualified to be a school governor. I decided to go ahead and started…
Becoming a school governor can lead to a better future for you, your career and the young people in your area. You’ll develop new skills, build your network and gain board-level experience – all while giving back to your community. So how can you get involved – and how will…
In this guest blog, Sidonie Bertrand-Shelton, Head of Education Programmes at Stonewall, outlines the questions governors should be asking to make sure schools are LGBT inclusive – and why inclusivity in schools is vital. Our work won’t be finished until every child and young person is accepted without…
Our CEO Louise Cooper talks about how universities have the power to improve schools both locally and nationally by encouraging their staff and alumni to volunteer as school governors. Louise spoke at The University of Manchester’s ‘Making a Difference’ awards celebrating the success of their school governor initiative, and considers what…
School governors that have undertaken training are important for a successful board. Many new volunteers are first time governors with no previous experience of working in education, so training is essential. While new governors learn on the job and become more confident with every meeting, training can help bridge the…
Preparing for a visit from Ofsted can feel daunting, but we’ve outlined our top tips for keeping calm and having a smooth inspection to help you on your way. Unfortunately, there isn’t a secret recipe to an Outstanding Ofsted rating, but these tips can help to mentally prepare you for…
Anne McAvan is a Director with responsibility for governance at The Gorse Academies Trust in Leeds. It’s Anne’s role to make sure each of the Trust’s local governing bodies are working effectively and governors are well-equipped for the role. We spoke to Anne to find out how the governors…