Who are school governors and what do they do?

School governors are the largest volunteer workforce in the country and work by having a strategic overview of their school. Governors work with headteachers to support and challenge schools and to make sure that children get the best possible education and experience of school.

In York there are around a thousand school governors and they are supported by our Governor Support and Development Service. For more information on school governors, please see the documents 'School Governors - Who they are and what they do' and the 'Governor Code of Conduct'.

What do I need to be a school governor?

Governors offer enthusiasm and a commitment to helping schools achieve the best outcomes for children. A school governor is someone who cares about improving education, who can work as part of a team, who accepts that they might need training, who can ask questions and who is open to new ideas. Almost anyone aged over 18 can be a governor, with a few exceptions.

For more information, please see our leaflet 'Schools Need Governors ... '

If you are interested in becoming a school governor, please get in touch with us - we would love to hear from you.

What qualifications do I need?

None. Schools need volunteers with experience of life. They don't have to be parents and they don't have to have professional skills. We provide a variety of free training for governors, including sessions for new governors and we also run a governor helpline, so there's lots of support available.

Please contact us if you'd like to find out more about school governors or are interested in becoming one.