In reply to Louise:

... this means the meeting is typically a formality however there is the opportunity to challenge any area and this is welcomed.

Indeed. The 'critical friend' aspect.

Great thread everyone.

Just a comment from a novice community member:  Thank you all for the great advice.  I have been thinking about applying for a position as a school governor for a while.  I have an 8 year old, and have been a class rep in a very good and well resourced school (independent, catholic school in London).  However, we moved, and my son is not in a well resourced school anymore.  Hence, I can see a difference good management and organisation can make to our children's learning.  I'm speaking in general, national terms.  I think that there is a huge potential in schools for using HR and/or coaching skills.  The frustrating part of infusing somebody with your own values, is the best learning in negotiating and will come into fruition in any board room.    

Hi Laura,

I have recently applied to become a Governor at my daughter's secondary school, which is an academy, and am attending an informal meeting tomorrow.

My main reason for applying is to help support the education of our 'workforce of the future', with a vested interest in my daughter's education. At the stage in my career, this is more about me believing that I can 'give something back' in relation to HR skills and experience being a vital element in any organisation, and invaluable in driving the organisation forwards.

I have read comments about 'woe betide if you question / challenge', however I would see this as an integral part of a Governor's role, as it would be in a HR role in industry. HR needs to add value and provide competitive advantage, which is something I will explore at my meeting tomorrow.

In summary, my advice would be to think about the reasons this role interests you and how you feel you could contribute to the role. Any benefits you receive as a consequence I believe are an added bonus.

Please do! I'm Chair of Governors at a small rural primary school and I have found it a remarkable experience and opportunity to support the staff with HRM and business related input. The education scene is very fast changing with many school such as mine having to look strategically at how best to provide the high standards of education (Ofsted rated us Good for the second time), in the face of tight budgets. We will need to look at the HR strategy to make sure we have the right staffing balance. We may even need to look at Federation or academisation with other schools which will all have people implications. In terms of time commitment you can certainly limit this to what you can contribute and the Chair of Governors will explain this in detail to you. Please have a chat with any school that interests you!

Hello Laura
I have read this thread with great interest, and thought I would share my experiences as well.
I have been a parent governor at my sons primary school and am now a trustee of the Multi Academy Trust (MAT) that the school is part of.
At a governor level whilst the school was part of the Local Authority (LA) the opportunity to make a difference from a HR point of view was limited as many have already said, however the way we were structured allowed me to sit on the Schools Business and Administration Committee and I was able to use other skills I had such as budget management and H&S knowledge, as well as becoming exposed to some areas I have never experienced and therefore was able to develop myself.
Now as a trustee it is a whole different ball game, my role sits on the trust board and works with the CEO of the trust to define the overall strategy of the business and whilst reviewing the educational performance of the school and putting interventions in place to ensure improvement it is not in the weeds of education as such.
At this level MAT's are looking for people with real business experience as they are now having to run as their own companies and as funding within the LA diminishes and services are cut they are looking for more help from the wider community in these areas.
I am currently looking at people strategy for the MAT with the CEO for things such as talent acquisition, reward and recognition, performance management and even helping them define a competence structure from their vision and values, as well as helping them understand TUPE as more schools join the MAT.
I have to say it is very rewarding and on average it takes a few days a month of my time but it could very easily be more due to the current stage of the MAT's development.
I started getting involved so I could give something back and I certainly feel I have had the and am still having the opportunity to that.
Good luck with your decision making.

Hi Laura

I don't know whether you are aware of the Enterprise advisor role? I've recently signed up and waiting to be paired with a school could be something different to consider to Governorship? www.cipdenterpriseadvisers.co.uk/

Freya

Hi Laura. I was recruited as a Community Governor to a local primary school over 3 years ago because of my HR experience. As it is a maintained school, most of the actual HR support the school gets is from the Local Authority HR team but I specifically assist with Headteacher / Clerk performance management, with recruitment interviews, etc. From my own experience, you can gain really useful strategic / board experience as a governor but it does depend on the school, the Governing Board and the Headteacher. The most rewarding aspect of the role is the pupils - they are inspiring; sometimes I think the role of a community governor is to help the staff of the school to recognise that they operate in a wider world, helping them to connect to businesses / employers / others within the local community - you can thereby use your HR experience / network to enhance the educational experience of pupils and help them to prepare for their post-education life, regardless of their age

Hello
I have been a school governor for a Academy secondary school and found it fascinating to compare the issues we face in the private sector to those faced by education. It was a rewarding experience but potentially very time consuming as there is a lot of pressure on you to attend a lot of training. I was able to apply my professional expertise to assist the school with a restructuring as a result of cuts in funding but did come up against some resistance from some governors who saw HR as an admin function and not a strategic partner. Also check with any school that you approach what their rules are regarding the number of non-parent governors are as I had to step down early when my son moved to another school to do his A-Levels.

Hi Laura,

Quite a few views for you to ponder! As someone who has been a Community Governor for a Junior School, then Chair of Governors and now a Parent Governor for a Secondary School, I think you need to ask about the value you'd bring to the School and what you'd experience as a result. I've had a mixed experience from real involvement in changing the direction of a school to feeling a bit of a spare part with not much input despite my HR experience (which occasionally has been considered). My view is simply that schools need governors and that HR professionals can add to the school. You need to get your voice heard and not sit back (which as someone has said is difficult as finding the time can be challenging - I wouldn't do Chair of Governors again at the moment!) but equally there isn't a huge commitment and sometimes your advice can make a difference. As someone else has also said it may not, however, give you any particular strategic experience akin to that you'd want at the level of a Company Board.

The thread that keeps on giving. Special thanks to those of you posting for the first time and sharing your experience. Much appreciated.

Hi Laura, I have been a governor in a school for many years and would state unequivocally that it has been an excellent arena for implementation of HR skills and competencies. Many schools now require executive/business-like assistance to run their organisations and to develop effective strategic planning. From my own experience I would recommend school governorship for any HR professional.

In reply to Emma Roberts:

Hi Emma
I totally agree with everything you say above. I am going through a similar experience having been a Chair of governors in a primary school and now a Trustee for our new MAT. I am also working with the CEO on putting together a People Strategy that will cover very similar territory.
Yes it is busy and yes it is rewarding and exciting!
Would be good to connect to discuss experiences?
Stella

In reply to Stella Day:

Would be good to connect to discuss experiences?

The platform doesn't make it easy to 'connect' with peers. If both agree I can pass on email addresses. Just let me know.

Laura
I have been a governor for over 15 years starting out at my old secondary school and then moving onto my children's primary school where I am now chair of governors - we recently became part of a Multi Academy Trust and I am now a Trustee with responsibility for HR. At Trust Board level you are running a company and so it is excellent experience.
However the thing to remember is that schools are looking for people who can make an impact for them and ultimately, on the progress and achievement of children. To be a really effective governor you need to be interested in this and in the life of the school and its community.
There is no doubt that the role is about being a 'trusted advisor' and providing challenge to school leaders. As many other people have stated in this thread.
If you are looking for a rewarding experience, are open to learning, and have a genuine interest in creating positive outcomes for your community I would highly recommend being a governor.

Hi Laura

I have just seen your post and I have myself just signed up as a school governor, partly because Im looking for a different perspective career wise and partly to "give something back ". It's very early days yet and the pace is very slow so it takes longer than I imagined to get properly involved. Im sure you'll get benefit from it and that your skills will benefit the school, however I wouldnt expect it to contribute hugely towards your experience of truly working strategically.