Could going back to school boost your career? School governors are the largest volunteer group in the UK with more than 300,000 individuals supporting schools in both the state and independent sectors. Many of the skills needed by school governors are identical to C-suite and non-executive director roles, such as responsibility for governance, strategy setting, overseeing financial direction and holding senior leadership to account. Although governor roles are voluntary, the transferable skills governors gain are invaluable in the boardroom and beyond.
Yet schools across the country are facing a shortfall of governors and the National Governance Association (NGA) is reporting that one in four governors, and one in three chairmen of governors, are considering leaving the position. Added to this, figures from the National Foundation for Education Research show that only 3.5 per cent of school governors identified themselves as black, Asian or minority ethnic and only 9 per cent were aged under 40.
In order to ensure that school governors effectively reflect the communities they represent, a campaign is under way to supercharge recruitment and to highlight the benefits for would-be governors in improving their own career skill set. February 29 has been designated as National School Governors Awareness Day to shine a light on available positions and the breadth of skills that volunteers can learn in the job.
Hannah Stolton, chief executive at the charity governorsforschools.org.uk, which recruits new school governors, said: “You don’t need to be a parent or education expert to volunteer as a school governor. Schools require a combination of hard and soft skills to ensure their boards operate effectively. Whether you’re an experienced professional or embarking on the first stages of your career, there will be an appropriate school where you can make a difference and enhance your own career.”
A growing awareness of the impact of social mobility initiatives means that more young people are beginning to step up as governors, even before they become parents. Honey Fafowora, a Bank of England trade policy adviser, became a governor in her early twenties in a secondary school in Hertfordshire. She said: “Society is changing, and quickly. Becoming a governor allows me to help ensure children are being supported to understand and expand their horizons.
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“In terms of developing me professionally, being able to engage with a complex institution at a strategic level has been highly beneficial. I am at an earlier stage of my career than others on my governing board, however my voice is equal to theirs and holds just as much weight. It has developed my ability to develop and communicate a view, stand by it and to speak credibly to my beliefs.”
Alongside this, there is an increased need for “co-opted governors” who are appointed on to the governing body by the other members because they possess a particular skill set. The latest NGA report shows that budgeting is the biggest stress point for schools: three in five governors report that they are struggling to balance income and expenditure, largely because of the energy crisis and concerns about staff pay. Safeguarding, pupil attendance, staff wellbeing and support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are also areas where co-opted governors can make a genuine difference.
As Stolton concluded: “Almost two thirds of the governors we place actively encourage their personal and professional networks to take up school governance positions. It really is a role that changes lives at every level.”
Tips Being a school governor is a vital but rewarding role. Here Governors For Schools shows the skills that you need to go to the top of the class.
• Be yourself Schools need governors with different perspectives, skills and experiences to bring the widest possible range of views. Consider what you can offer and also what skills you want to learn.
• You don’t need to be a parent or work in education So long as you want to support your community, are over 18 and have a desire to learn, you could be an excellent addition to a school board. It can be invaluable for a younger person beginning their own career.
• Curiosity is key You’ll need to be genuinely interested in schools, ready to ask questions and show active listening skills. Curiosity informs the setting of strategic direction for the school and is a trait you can take away to any board-level position.
• You’ll need to be impartial Think about how decisions affect different groups of pupils and help a school to ensure that their needs are met.
• Time commitment Governors tend to spend between half a day and a day each month on their duties but most meetings are held in the evening, making it easier to fit around an existing career.
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Case study
Mark Nicholson, 43, is a deputy head at the independent Hampton School, in southwest London, and serves as a school governor for the award-winning Reach Academy Feltham state school in west London. He said: “Volunteering as a school governor is incredibly rewarding and enriching both at a personal and professional level. Governors have to be prepared to be a critical friend to school leaders if issues become apparent and help head teachers and senior staff navigate challenging situations.
“Reach Feltham is one of Hampton’s partner schools and the governor’s role has allowed us to deepen connections, enabling both schools to grow together and to give back to our local community.
“While there are no specific qualifications or requirements for the role, every governing board needs a balance and diversity of knowledge, skills and experience. I would encourage anyone interested in improving the life chances of children to get involved as a school governor.”
Workers put in 104 hours’ free overtime
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Four in ten employees are taking on significant extra responsibility in the workplace, averaging an additional five tasks on top of their day-to-day duties. A new study from the recruiter Michael Page found this added workload equates to an average of 104 hours of effort on top of workers’ contracted time each year. Doug Rode, managing director, said: “This ‘boundary-blurring’ highlights a growing norm within the modern workforce where workers find their previously agreed remits expanded across teams and tasks to fit business needs.”
Professionals’ quest for work-life balance
Work-life balance is second only to pay for professionals searching for a new role, the workplace specialists Hays claim. Almost a third of professionals would be prepared to accept a lower-paid job for a better work-life balance and six in ten rate their work-life balance as positive, an all-time high. Hannah Pearsall, head of wellbeing at Hays, said: “Achieving a good balance between your personal and professional life is a crucial way for people to improve their wellbeing.”
Staff feel “judged” by their names
Almost a third of working adults have felt “judged” at work by their name, rising to 48 per cent of staff from diverse ethnic communities. The report from Samsung showed that 12 per cent of non-white employees have even felt the need to use a different name in job applications or interviews. Jessie Soohyun Park, of Samsung UK, said: “What’s important is that we celebrate the coming together of different cultures and values that we share and experience every day.”
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Firms struggle with pay demands
A quarter of UK companies are struggling to manage pay increase requests from employees, yet more than half have resorted to salary rises to retain employees, BrightHR and the Peninsula Group have found. To help HR teams to award competitive but realistic rises, the firm has created a salary calculator to assess the average, higher and lower bands for 50,000 jobs regionally. Thea Watson, of Bright HR, said: “Salary research is a must for employers looking to retain their staff and fill vacancies.” See brighthr.com/salary-calculator/
APPOINTMENT OF THE WEEK
The Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) is seeking a non-executive director. The role is primarily based in London with occasional travel to USS’s Liverpool office and other UK locations.
As the principal pension scheme for universities and higher education institutions, the USS is one of the UK’s largest pension schemes. It holds assets of £75.5billion and works with 330 employers to build a secure financial future for 528,000 members.
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The board has significant responsibilities for the governance and oversight of a business providing complex operational and advisory functions within a heavily regulated environment, so applicants require exceptional strategic thinking, leadership, communication, influencing, teamwork and decision-making skills.
Other desirable skill sets include pension industry experience as a pension trustee, member of the management team of a DB/DC pension fund or member of committee responsible for pensions matters, alongside corporate governance expertise and board management knowledge.
The time commitment is at least 35 days per annum and the term of office is three to four years, with the possibility of reappointment.
For further information and fee details, visit appointments.thetimes.co.uk. The closing date for applications is 24 March 2024.
