School governors

This will vary from school to school, but you should expect to spend between 10 and 20 days a year on your governing responsibilities.

The top end of this commitment equates to about half a day per week in term time. It's most relevant to the chair and others with key roles, such as chairs of committees.

At the start we'd expect your commitment to be nearer 10 days a year. There may be periods when the time commitment may increase, for example, when recruiting a headteacher. Some longstanding governors may tell you they give more time than this. It's common for governors to undertake extra volunteering roles over and above governance.

Taking time off work for your role

• Section 50 of the Employment Rights Act 1996 states you can take 'reasonable time off' to undertake public duties. This includes school governance.
• 'Reasonable time off' is not defined in law, so you'll need to negotiate this with your employer.