The information on this page relates to maintained schools. For details about how the role differs in Academies, please refer to the Academy trust governance guide.
Volunteer as a school governor and support education in Cambridgeshire
School governors play a vital role in education. The governing board:
- plans the strategic direction of a school
- makes sure public money is well spent
- and holds school leadership to account
Schools across Cambridgeshire need people to volunteer as governors. A strong governing board ensures robust debate, which leads to better educational outcomes for children.
What do school governors do?
The governing board has three core functions:
- Ensuring clarity of the vision, ethos and strategic direction
- Holding the senior leadership to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils
- Overseeing financial performance of the school and ensuring money is well spent
Governance is an important part of school leadership. Governors make sure schools work well for pupils, use funding wisely, and have a clear school vision. They also support the school leaders who look after the staff and students.
Who can be a governor?
You don’t need to be a parent or have experience working in education to be a school governor. Governing boards need a variety of perspectives and thrive with people from different backgrounds and lived experiences. Teams are better when they reflect the communities they serve. Your skills could transform a school.
Application Form
How we support school governors?
Governors in Cambridgeshire are supported in their role by having access to information, advice, support, resources and training.
While volunteers don’t need any specific background or experience to become a school governor, completing training means you can be effective from your first day, helping improve educational outcomes for children.
The School Governance Team provides:
- statutory functions for governors
- termly briefings for governors
- programme of training and support
- a professional clerking service
What will I gain?
You will join a welcoming school community. You'll also get to develop skills like planning, leading meetings, managing money, and teamwork. These skills are respected by employers and can help your career or your personal development.
Further information
- To find out more about the governor role visit governorsforschools.org.uk. Governors for Schools is a national education charity that matches volunteers with local schools in need. They also has a number of free eLearning modules, including an introduction to school governance. The charity holds webinars each term on key governance topics. Register for upcoming webinars and watch back previous recordings
