‘Governors and Trustees owed huge debt of gratitude’

A Government minister has acknowledged that Governors and Trustees are owed a “huge debt of gratitude” for the work that they do across the country, adding that “what you do rarely grabs the headlines or gets the plaudits you deserve.”

Speaking at the Annual Good Governance Awards organised by the National Governance Association (NGA), Lord Agnew, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Education, highlighted that Governors and Trustees are “at the top of the hierarchy of running schools.”
Lord Agnew revealed that he is on “something of a personal crusade” with governance, money and educational standards the top priorities in modern schooling, and that by putting governance first “we can ensure the second two are sustainable.”

He also acknowledged education must do more to make boards more diverse: “Boards need to look at themselves and ask what they are doing to address this.”

Emma Knights, the NGA’s chief executive, said: “The commitment and contribution of those governing our schools is often overlooked; their hard work usually carried out behind closed doors.”

“The achievements of all our finalists, and especially our winners, are significant, clearly making a positive impact on the children and young people in their schools and on their community.”
Inspiring Governance would like to echo these words and we call on those who feel they have the skills and experience to step up and make a difference in their local schools.