How signing up as a School Governor Champion can benefit your staff and your organisation – for free

We are thrilled to have welcomed eight new organisations, including local authorities, education trusts, universities, legal and finance, as School Governor Champion partners, who have all committed to promoting the role of school governor to their staff. The David Ross Education Trust, North Lincolnshire Council, Sheffield Student Union, Somerset County Council, Burges Salmon, Charterpath and Wiltshire Council – it’s fantastic to have you all on board!

If you are an employer looking for a way to develop the skills of your workforce, for free, signing up as a School Governor Champion offers a fantastic way to do just that. Supporting school governance also allows your organisation to build strong links with local communities and give the next generation – the next workforce – the best start in life.

How does volunteering as a school governor benefit employees and how does it benefit the organisation?

Volunteering as a governor presents a free development opportunity; employees gain valuable professional skills that they bring back to the workplace and at the same time, local schools benefit from the highly sought-after experience that volunteers from outside education bring to the table.

A school’s governing board works as a team to support and challenge senior leadership, guide the strategic direction of the school and ensure public money is well spent. There is no easier way for employees to gain experience of operating in a board-level environment.

What support is available for School Governor Champions?

Inspiring Governance School Governor Champion receive a package of support, including:

  • A dedicated partner page on our website with bespoke sign up form to track registrations
  • Social media announcement on our channels, plus ready-to-go creative assets for your own
  • A quarterly tracking report, providing number of sign-ups, numbers placed and volunteering hours undertaken
  • A quarterly meeting to identify additional support required
  • Regular ready-made communication pieces and social media assets linked to campaigns such as Volunteers’ Week
  • Lunch and Learn online sessions for staff or the wider community to find out more about becoming a governor

The North East Local Enterprise Partnership, the first LEP to sign up as School Governor Champion, partnered with us to champion the role of school governor and support staff members to become governors in local schools. They said:

“Being a school governor is a rewarding experience and people from all sectors of industry have valuable skills and experience to share and gain. By signing up as School Governor Champions, we recognise the value and importance of school governance and how, as an organisation, we can help promote opportunities in our area and support staff and colleagues to become governors themselves.”

Our Head of Employer and Volunteer Engagement, Suzy Broadhead, works with employers and professional networks across the country to provide these benefits and more. We are always keen to hear from organisations and networks that are looking for ways to support the development of their workforce or membership, so if you’d like to find out more you can read more and get in touch with us here.