School Governor - Dorset

What will you be doing?

Governing bodies are responsible for the strategic management of a school and make decisions about a wide range of issues. 

The core responsibilities involved are: 

• Ensuring accountability 
• Acting as a critical friend to the head teacher 
• Monitoring and evaluating the school’s progress 
• Budgetary allocation and control 
• Shaping plans for school improvement and overseeing their implementation 
• Setting the school’s aims and values 
• Appointing senior members of staff, including the head teacher 

The governing body is usually split into a small number of committees, each responsible for one area such as finance or pupil achievement. These committees meet separately from the main governing body to discuss relevant issues in more detail. Discussion is then fed back at a full governing body meeting. 

A school governing body is made up of representatives from the school, the parents, the local authority, and the local community. 

What are we looking for?

You don’t need any specific skills or experience to be a school governor. You must be over 18, but you don’t need to be a parent or have experience working in education. Often, it’s the outside perspective you can bring that a school needs. 

Professional experience in areas such as HR, finance, law, or project management is useful to a school. Soft skills such as leadership, communication, and problem solving are also great additions.

What difference will you make?

Governors make decisions that affect schools for years to come. Our recent impact survey found that our volunteers bring £9.9 million worth of value to schools each year, and 9 in 10 volunteers would recommend being a governor to a friend. 

As a governor, you can visit the school to gain an understanding of the culture and ethos and to get the most out of the role. You’ll also have the opportunity to meet children, parents, and teachers, and see the impact of your work first-hand.

Before you apply

You will need to complete an application form and will have an interview with the school. DBS checks will be taken up.