Governors play an important role in our schools and by becoming one, you could transform the lives of children and young people by improving educational standards. Interested?

To become a governor, you just need to make a commitment of your time, have a passion for improving the chances of young people and possess a willingness to learn.

We spoke to the chair of governors at Mayfield Primary School, Emily Bishop, to find out more about what the role involves.

‘Passionate about education’

Emily has previously been a teacher at both Coston Primary School in Greenford and Mayfield Primary in Hanwell. She left teaching in 2005 to retrain as a podiatrist but maintained a keen interest in education and became a governor at Mayfield in 2010.

She said: “I am really passionate about education, particularly primary education. Personally, I think it’s the most important phase. It’s fundamental to the rest of a child’s educational career, and I wanted to continue to be part of that narrative and decision making.”

The governing body is made up of different types of members. Some are parents, voted for by the parents, others are co-opted governors appointed by the governing body who are volunteers with particular skills and experience.

Emily added: “We hold the senior leaders and headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school, but we are also there to support them. Governors don’t get involved in the day-to-day running of the school, that’s not our role. It’s a strategic overview; long-term planning; what we want the school to look like; how we are going to get there. All our decisions are linked to our long-term vision.”

Outdoor learning

In discussion with senior leadership, the governors at Mayfield formulated a long-term vision with the school about more outdoor learning. And, in October, the school is looking forward to opening a forest school for reception children, and later for other year groups.

Interested in being a governor?

Full training is provided, and, on average, the total time commitment is around 6 to 10 days per year. If you work, your employer should give you reasonable time off to carry out your duties as a school governor, though not necessarily paid. For more information, visit the Ealing Grid for Learning website or email governors@ealing.gov.uk

School heroes

Do you know of someone who works for a school and does a great job? We want to hear about it. Read more about how to nominate a school hero.