Governors
Become a School Governor
Wickersley Partnership Trust consists of a group of thirteen Primary and Secondary schools predominantly in Rotherham. The children and young people it serves are aged from three to eighteen and total almost seven thousand! Each school is supported by its own community based Local Governing Body made up of parents/carers, local community representatives and businesses.
Schools across the country require people to volunteer as Governors on their Local Governing Bodies. Despite the fact that an estimated 250,000 people volunteer in this way each year, there is still a shortage.
So, why not give back and help give children and young people the best start in life, whilst developing your own skills in a way which can benefit your career. We like to think of it as a win-win situation!
You can make a positive difference to the lives of young people in your local community by becoming a School Governor and helping to drive school improvement. A school’s Local Governing Body plays an important role in a school’s success, working together as a team to support and challenge senior school leadership and guiding their strategic direction.
School Governors need to reflect and represent the local communities they serve. They also need people with a good blend of knowledge, skills and experience. So, whatever your age or background and wherever you are in your career, you will have a lot to contribute and gain from being a School Governor.
Schools are complex organisations and the skills you gain can help you in your current job and future career.
This could include:
- Strategic Leadership
- Project Management
- Influencing & Negotiating
- Budget Control
- Teamwork
- Communication
- Problem Solving
What’s the commitment?
You will need to attend half-termly meetings, typically outside of school hours, and do the necessary preparatory reading. The time commitment is in the region of 2-3 hours a month depending on the school or additional responsibilities you take on.
The Trust has an extensive programme of support with regular, bespoke training sessions, Governor network meetings, extensive Governor online resources, an annual WPT Governor’s conference AND additional training opportunities through Learners First Partnership – all free of charge.
How to apply
What is School Governance?
ONE
Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction
TWO
Holding executive leaders to account for the educational performance of the organisation and its students and the effective and efficient performance management of staff.
School Governor Champion
Wickersley Partnership Trust working alongside Inspiring Governance
Wickersley Partnership Trust and Inspiring Governance have been in partnership since 2018 working on a number of joint-enterprises to raise the profile of governance.
The aim is to add significant value across the Trust by:
- raising awareness of school governance,
- starting an internal recruitment drive for new Governors,
- matching skills (employees of the Trust) to vacancies on LGBs,
- further building/strengthening relationships across the Trust and in particular the interconnections between schools.
Transferrable Skills Gained Through Governing
- Analysis of data
- Budget / financial management
- Chairing
- Collaboration
- Communication
- Confidence
- Diplomacy
- Empathy
- Influencing
- Interpersonal
- Interviewing
- Leadership
- Listening
- Negotiation
- Organisation
- Patience
- Performance and people management
- Safeguarding
- Strategic planning / oversight
- Teamwork
- Tolerance
- Time management
The well-being and ‘feel-good’ benefits of school governance
It is important that we don’t overlook the ‘feel good factor’ that volunteering can have on our everyday lives. The opportunity to make a civic difference through school governance is there for both individuals and organisations. Organisations get a chance to show their corporate social responsibility and commitment to local communities. Individuals get the feel-good benefits and camaraderie of tackling tough issues as a team with a range of people and personalities you might not meet in your own professional or personal lives.
WPT is committed to:
- Acting as an advocate and supporter of school governor volunteering.
- Encouraging and supporting staff to be governors and to register their interest with the Trust.
- Nominating a named lead as an internal school governor champion to liaise with our named contact at the Trust.
- Creating a 'Be a School Governor' space on the Trust website.
- Providing the opportunity for Inspiring Governance to visit the Trust to explain the role of school governor.
- Considering how the Trust will support staff who volunteer as governors: supporting a governor network and ensuring staff have time to govern.
- Providing a wide range of resources and training to support those who govern.
Quotes from our serving governors
Staff, parents, pupils and governors have come a long way together since I joined and together with the Governing Body and the support of the Head teacher we are all determined to ensure that our children receive the very best education possible.
I feel my experience working in education is still being put to use in a very worthwhile voluntary role as a governor. I particularly enjoy visiting the school on a regular basis and working alongside the students, staff, SLT and other members of our governing board is a privilege.
As a governor I have been able to access training courses that have not only supported me in school governance but also personally and professionally. I have gained in confidence through chairing meetings, and have the joy of attending school concerts and events.
