School governors 'the hidden heroes of education' needed in Crawley

Yet, while everyone knows what teachers and headteachers do, most people would struggle to describe the important role school governors play

in the success of our local schools.

While headteachers undertake the day-to-day running of schools, school governors work in partnership to determine the school’s strategies, policies, budgeting and staffing. Their work involves a combination of meetings, school visits, and reading around the issues facing the school.

With over a quarter of a million people currently undertaking the role, school governors are the largest body of volunteers in the country.

Boards of governors are drawn from a range of different groups of experience, including teachers, parents, local authority representatives and the local community. They play an essential role in the success of any school and yet many of Crawley’s schools struggle to recruit governors.

With meetings taking place after school and employers legally required to provide reasonable time off for school governors to undertake their duties, it is one of the best routes available for those in-work to get involved in their local community and help shape education for Crawley’s pupils.

At present, there are 11 primary schools and five secondary schools in Crawley operating with at least one or more governor missing from their boards, providing plenty of opportunities for people to help drive forward the success of local schools. So why not get involved?

In the words of Nick Hilton, vice-chair of Three Bridges school governors: “Helping to run a school is a big commitment, but I can’t think of a better way to give back to your community than ensuring the next generation to get the education they deserve.”

In Crawley, there are currently vacancies for school governors at the following schools: Brook Infant School, Holy Trinity CofE Secondary School, Ifield Community College, Maidenbower Infant School, Maidenbower Junior School, Manor Green College, Manor Green Primary School, Northgate Primary School, Oriel High School, Pound Hill Junior School, St Andrew’s CofE Primary School, St Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary School, St Margaret’s CofE Primary School, St Wilfrid’s Catholic Comprehensive School, Three Bridges Primary School and West Green Primary School.