Help plug the gap in school governor vacancies

John McGeoghan, University of Manchester alumnus

“Governors with a broader remit than education bring a different perspective to the board and can move schools on in a more organic way than an educationalist generally would”.

A retired senior leader at Corpus Christi Catholic High Preston, John McGeoghan hadn’t considered becoming a school governor until he was persuaded to do so by the head teacher of the school.

John was able to utilise his expertise and previous experience to make a real difference to the school. He used his experience in data analysis to help raise standards within the school; put his HR and chairing experience to good use in helping shape sub groups to oversee areas such as Standards and Effectiveness and also Finance/Resources; and used his own interest in wellbeing and mental health to support students from disadvantaged backgrounds. All of this has helped in taking the school from 'Requiring Improvement' to 'Good' in just three years.

Alice Littlehailes, head teacher St Luke’s C of E primary school

“I really value the commitment the University gives to developing good governors”, says Alice. “Governing is such an important role in schools and what the University does through has a profound impact.”

Alice Littlehailes has been head teacher in Glossop for more than a decade. The school benefits from two members of University staff on the governing board and Alice is a great advocator of the initiative.

She believes the University’s support holds the key to committed, high-quality governors who come with greater confidence and understanding of the role. “It’s the institution that makes a difference” according to her. Alice has found the University to be a great source of professional skills for the school’s governing board, particularly for good analytical skills and the ability to understand data. “The governors are able to understand what the data is telling us and have an appreciation of Department for Education speak when required to drill down at board meetings”.

Professor Stephen Campbell, non-clinical Professor of Primary Care Research at the University

 “The pupils in my school face a raft of challenges to their learning and while we, the school and the governors, can’t solve social problems, we can take an active role in caring about the pupils and the staff and strive for the very best outcomes.”

Professor Stephen Campbell, a non-clinical Professor of Primary Care Research in the School of Health Sciences at the University, became a governor at the very start of our initiative in 2012.

As a governor, he quickly became aware that while it was imperative to focus on the attainment of the children, it was equally as important to prioritise their wellbeing and their individual needs. Through their link with Professor Campbell, the school has benefited from interventions and activities advertised to the governor network at The University of Manchester.

He used his experience to set up the very first school wellbeing sub-committee in Stockport to enable governors in his school to focus on the pastoral needs of the children. “Every child is their own baseline” became his mindset.

Martin Banks, HR Partner at the University

With a background in higher education, Martin’s awareness and understanding of issues such as equality of access and teaching practices are easily relatable to a school setting.

He has been a governor at Blackrod Primary school in Greater Manchester since October 2016.

Through Martin’s involvement in the school community and on the governing board, the school has reaped the benefits from having someone involved in HR and a Faculty at the University. The school has been able to establish strong links with the School of Environmental Education and Development (SEED) and has been successful in being awarded a SEED Social Responsibility catalyst award to set up a registered charity.