Chair of Governors

Do you want to be inspired by the impact of education? Do you have the skills to lead an established board of governors? A school in Gosforth, Newcastle is looking for a skilled volunteer to drive school improvement by becoming a chair of governors.

What will you be doing?

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

The core responsibilities involved are:

Ensuring accountability

Providing support and challenge to the schools senior leadership team

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

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

What are we looking for?

This vacancy is for a First School (ages 3-9). The school is looking to find a Chair of Governors who is a great communicator who will quickly form solid relationships with the Headteacher and other governors. You’ll have an interest in Primary Education although you don’t necessarily need to have been a governor before or worked in education. You will have an appreciation though of how your skill set can contribute to the wider governing board. You need to be confident to lead and challenge but have a genuine interest in the wellbeing of the SLT and staff in the school.

You must be over 18, but you don’t need to be a parent or have children of school age. Often, it’s the outside perspective you can bring that a school needs. Professional experience in areas such as safe guarding, change management, and leadership skills are all useful to a school. Soft skills such as communication and problem solving are also great additions.

What difference will you make?

Governors make decisions that affect schools for years to come. Chair of Governors work in partnership with Head Teachers and the Senior Management Team to help deliver the best possible education, and help children realise their expectations and aspirations.

Our recent impact survey found that our volunteers bring £9.9 million worth of value to schools each year, and 9/10 volunteers would recommend being a governor to a friend.

As a chair of governors, you will be encouraged to 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.

What's in it for the volunteer?

Volunteering as a chair of governors is a challenging but rewarding role. As part of the governing board, you’ll:

Have support from the vice chair(s) and the clerk, to ensure the effective functioning of the board by keeping it focused on its core functions. You will also encourage the board to work together as an effective team, building its skills, knowledge and experience.

help schools overcome challenges to ensure a bright future for children in your community

work collaboratively with people from different backgrounds, challenging your own perspective and broadening your network

gain experience outside of your job description and skills you can bring back to work

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.

About Governors for Schools

Objectives

Governors for Schools exists to improve educational standards so that children and young people have the chance to realise their full potential.

We believe the key to improving school performance is effective governance. By finding, nurturing and supporting a committed network of governors we help to drive systematic change in how schools operate. We have been connecting schools across England for over 20 years, and expanded our service into Wales in 2020, with skilled and committed volunteers, supported by our business and university partnerships.