School governors

Being a school governor can be rewarding, providing opportunities to develop your own skills, while giving back to your community and supporting future generations. As volunteers, school governors carry out a valuable role in supporting and constructively challenging our schools in the best interests of pupils.

What experience do you need?

None. You don't need experience in the education sector, and you don't have to be a parent. People with lots of different backgrounds and from all walks of life can make excellent school governors. An interest in education and commitment are key qualities in helping a school to be the best it can be. You could be a great data interrogator, have an eye for problem solving or even be good at fact finding and planning. Perhaps you are a great visionary. Are you good at seeing the bigger picture and able to share your skills and insight for the benefit of young people?

No matter the background or experience, diverse perspectives on governing boards enable good decision making. Don't worry if you don't know what you're doing straight away, it usually takes around a year to get familiar with a governance role and there are plenty of training opportunities to help you on your way. Your governance role may also help you gain skills that you can use in your personal and professional life.

In Norfolk we have about 5,500 governors - all local people serving the schools and young people in their local communities, could you be the next one? All governors have to be aged over 18 and will be subject to DBS checks.

If you'd like to volunteer as a school governor, you can fill out our application form and explore these webpages to find out if the role is right for you or someone you know.

You can also email governor.services@norfolk.gov.uk for more information.