Free online ‘match-making’ for schools and governors launched
A free online service, backed by Lord Nash and teaching unions, was launched on Tuesday to help schools find governors.
The Inspiring Governance scheme will connect skilled volunteers interested in serving as governors and trustees with schools and colleges. It is being run by the National Governors Association (NGA) and Education and Employers, a careers charity, in partnership with the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) and the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT). It will receive funding from the Department for Education for four years.
Following an NGA survey which found that 61% of governing bodies had difficulty attracting new recruits to serve as governors and trustees, Education Minister Lord Nash said it was important to tackle the issue:
“As the people who appoint Head Teachers and chief executives and hold them to account, governors and trustees should be the driving force behind school improvement, so it’s essential that we do more to attract talented and committed volunteers.”
The service will also offer free, expert support for volunteers and governing bodies, as well as for employers wanting to run programmes for their staff serving as governors.