Inspiring Governance and National Governance Association launch new campaign to bring ‘Educators on Board’

Inspiring Governance and The National Governance Association (NGA) are delighted to announce the launch of our new campaign ‘Educators on Board’. In response to governing boards articulated needs for more education expertise, ‘Educators on Board’ also aims to provide teachers and school leaders themselves with professional development, by inspiring them into School Governance.

School governance provides genuine professional development opportunities by giving aspiring teachers valuable experience of strategic leadership, including areas such as finance and human resources. It also ensures teachers can utilise and grow their skills and experience in a different educational context to their own. So, the opportunities for education professionals are very real.

But don’t simply take our word for it. The ‘Educators on Board’ campaign has the backing of some of the most respected educational organisations in the country. With backers including the National Association of Head Teachers, the Association of School and College Leaders, TeachFirst, The Chartered College of Teaching, Ambition Institute, and the Independent Schools Council.

Dominic Judge, Director of Inspiring Governance at Education and Employers said “Teachers already do an incredible job and we are increasingly seeing them sharing their valuable expertise more widely through being placed as governors in local schools. Becoming a non-staff governor through Inspiring Governance is an easy way to develop your educational networks and broaden your strategic experience across other educational phases and contexts. Teaching is a demanding job, but we would love even more people to sign up to share and develop their skills through governance outside of their immediate school.”

NGA chief executive, Emma Knights, said “Governing boards need to make sure they have the right people around the table and that means including people who have educational knowledge and expertise. Boards, as the employer, will also benefit from creating a culture that enables staff in their school to go out and govern – they can bring back practice from other contexts and will have an understanding of what a governing board does. When considering succession planning to leadership positions, staff will also have experience of strategic leadership and working with a board. It is absolutely fabulous development for educationalists and I encourage teachers, middle leaders and senior leaders to consider governing.”

Inspiring Governance encourages teachers and school leaders to consider the huge opportunities for career development in education that becoming a school governor offers, by signing-up.