School Governorship: is it worth it?

Interesting that the majority of this discussion has been along the lines of "what can I get out of this"? "what does it mean to me / my career"? You never know, try and you might make a valuable contribution to a school, which should be reward enough. (And yes, I can comment on this, as I've recently become a school governor)

My comment wasn't? Mine was around how I felt I couldn't make a difference. At the time I was mainly a full time mum so it had no impact on my career or future career as that wasn't my focus.

Hi Annabel. Thanks for your feedback. I suppose we're all driven by different things at the end of the day, whether that's personal development, making a difference or a combination of the two and I think that's okay as long as the person is fulfilling the requirements of the role.

I'm really sorry to hear you've had that experience, Ann. I know it can be like that in some schools but equally, it can be a very different and valuable experience. I'm a school governor for my local primary school and I was co-opted specifically for my HR experience. Although we have local authority HR support, to which I am quick to defer if something is outside my ability to advise on, or has the potential to get difficult, the Head really appreciates my input - for example I recently was able to advise on the impact of the Apprenticeship Levy and explain the situation about childcare vouchers during a period of nil pay when these discussion arose during our Resource Management Committee meeting, which meant that we could deal with the issues immediately rather than waiting for further advice. I've also chaired a rather difficult pay appeal hearing which centred around performance issues - great experience for me and it meant that the problem was dealt with thoroughly - as acknowledged by the union rep. ;-)

I really feel like I've had a positive impact on the school - the governors are very focused on being strategic and our recent Ofsted report referred to us as a'shrewd and formidable body' which is exactly what we were aiming for! ;-) I would heartily recommend becoming a governor, but visit the school and speak to the head and the chair of governors first to see if it feels like the sort of place you could really add value.

I am currently a Parent Governor at a Secondary school. My main involvement is attending the quarterly Governor's meetings with any HR support limited to specific projects, mainly around absence management.

My reason for getting involved was to be more informed on the whole education system and practice - from both a parental and employer perspective (the students are our future talent pool).

My experience is generally positive and this is a well performing school. I would agree with a previous reply that it is quite clear that the Chair and the Head have discussed and decided outcomes on many topics prior to the meeting. This means the meeting is typically a formality however there is the opportunity to challenge any area and this is welcomed.

I wouldn't imagine you would get much opportunity to work strategically if that really is the main objective for you.

... 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.

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.

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.