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: