Become a school governor or academy trustee

Become a school governor or academy trustee

You can volunteer to become:

• a school governor – a member of a school’s governing board
• an academy trustee – a member of a multi-academy trust’s board of trustees

The governing board and the board of trustees are strategic decision-making bodies for their school or trust.

There’s different guidance if you want to be a governor in Wales or be a governor in Northern Ireland. There are no school governors in Scotland.

What governors and trustees do

Governors and trustees:

• set their school or trust’s strategic direction
• hold the headteacher to account for their school or trust’s performance
• ensure that their school or trust’s budget is properly managed

They must hold at least 3 meetings of the full board each school year. 

They may also look at issues in their school or trust in more detail, like:

• pupil performance
• curriculum
• staffing
• finances
• premises management

They can do this as part of sub-committees, who report back to the full board.

Who can be a governor or trustee

Anyone can be a governor or trustee.

You do not need to:

• be a parent or carer
• have any specific knowledge or skills – training can be provided

You will not be paid, but you can get expenses covered like travel or childcare costs.

How to volunteer

You can contact:

• a school near you
• a trust that manages schools in your area
• your local council
• recruitment charities like Governors for Schoolsor Inspiring the Future