Appeal for more school governors

Lancashire County Council is looking for people interested in becoming a school governor.
County Coun Nikki Hennessy on a visit to Westgate Primary School, in MorecambeCounty Coun Nikki Hennessy on a visit to Westgate Primary School, in Morecambe
County Coun Nikki Hennessy on a visit to Westgate Primary School, in Morecambe

Candidates must be aged 18 or over and have time to spare to attend meetings and to read necessary papers.

No formal qualifications are required and full training and support will be given to make sure people are fully equipped to carry out the role successfully.

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County Councillor Nikki Hennessy, chairman of Lancashire's Governors Panel, said: "Despite popular misconceptions, we want school governors from all walks of life. You don't even need to be a parent or to have worked in education.

"We are really interested in hearing from a broad range of people to gain from their wisdom and experience. We want our governors to reflect our Lancashire communities and include representatives with as many backgrounds as possible.

"Governors can make an enormous difference to the performance and attainment of a school. The most important role of a governing body is to ensure pupils are getting the best education they can and we want keen and committed people to apply. As long as you have an interest in education, schools and young people, there is no reason why you can't be a governor at a Lancashire school.

"I'm a governor myself so I've got first-hand experience of how well a school can run when it has a governing body with a variety of experiences, from different cultures and age groups. So whatever your background you could add enormous value to a local school."

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All schools are required to have a governing body. Governing bodies also have a responsibility to the wider community.

Governors are appointed for a term of four years, although there may be differences at individual schools.

School governors' responsibilities include planning for the school's long-term future, the overall performance of the school, allocating and monitoring budgets, making sure that the school provides for all pupils including those with disabilities and special needs, and appointing senior members of staff. The role would give you the opportunity of using existing skills, and developing new ones.

If you would like to be a school governor, or are interested in finding out more, contact the Lancashire Governor Services Central Team on 01257 516147 or [email protected]