For most people, becoming a school governor or trustee for the first time is a step into an unfamiliar environment that can be quite daunting.

At HFL Education, we provide a range of advice and support to help you to understand your new role and to give you the skills and knowledge you need to do it well.

What does the role of a school governor or trustee involve?

As a governor or trustee you will be part of a corporate body known as the Governing Board. The role of the governing board is critical to the effectiveness of the school or academy.

Governors or trustees come from every walk of life and there is no requirement for you to have an educational background.

The exact role in any school or academy will depend on the institution's circumstances (e.g., its size or perhaps the outcome of a recent Ofsted inspection) but will always contribute to the over-arching work of the governing board and link to the main focus of school or academy improvement, ensuring the children and young people are able to achieve to the best of their ability, in a safe environment.

What would I have to do?

Your appointment as a school governor or trustee comes with responsibilities and it’s important to understand what you’re going to be taking on. As a general rule, you will be expected to:

• Commit to attend meetings (full governing board and committees)
• Attend training
• Visits to the school or academy during the day
• Work as a team

Is training available?

Access to an online Introduction to Governance (2 modules) course will provide you with the basics that we recommend for all governors within the first month of appointment.

To deepen the understanding of the governor or trustee role, we strongly recommend booking on the half-day Governor Induction programme, delivered by one of HFL Education’s experienced trainers, within 3 months of your term of office.

In addition to that, accessing the online Safeguarding and Governance module will provide the basics. We recommend this is also undertaken in the first month, and would encourage you to book onto our Safeguarding Children training, delivered by one of our Hertfordshire County Council Child Protection team.

Please check with your Chair of Governors or governor/trustee who oversees training for details of how to book. Alternatively, you can contact us by email.  

How do I make enquiries about becoming a governor or trustee?

If you’re interested in becoming a governor or trustee please complete the application form below and email it to us. The information contained in your application will assist in matching your experience with a suitable vacancy in your preferred location. 

Please note if you are a parent and would like to join the governing board of your child’s school, you should contact the school directly regarding potential vacancies.

See the Hertfordshire County Council: School Governors volunteering page.

If you would like more information or an informal discussion about becoming a governor or trustee in Hertfordshire, please contact the Governance team.

If you are seeking to become a governor outside of Hertfordshire you can register with Governors for Schools