Become a School Governor

Volunteering as a school Governor is a challenging but rewarding role that offers the opportunity to
make a difference for children and young people in your community.

The Purpose of the Local Governing Board

The Local Governing Board (LGB) has a broad spectrum of Governors who are well trained and
bring with them knowledge of local business, education and the local community. They have an
important role in ensuring that the school provides the best possible educational environment for
the young people in our community.

The purpose of the Local Governing Board is to provide support and challenge to the school on
behalf of the NCL Trust Board, and does this through providing strategic direction at a local level,
promoting high standards and educational achievement.

The Local Governing Board’s key focus is on:

  • In consultation with the school’s Senior Executive Leader (Headteacher), setting the overall vision, ethos and strategic direction of the school. 
  • Using the School Development Plan and the School Evaluation Plan, to drive improvement across the school.
  • Using the Headteacher’s Report, and information from other sources, including Governor visits, analyses pupil and staff data to help inform an understanding of how the school is performing. This is supported by School Visits and Link Governor Visits. 
  • Being part of the local community that the school serves.
  • Supporting the work of the school leadership team to ensure that it is the school of choice for local families. 
  • Approving (as a ‘first review’) the school’s budget prior to final approval by the NCL Trust Board.


You can watch this video to learn more about the role of a Governor.

To fulfil the role, you will need to:

  • Attend regular meetings (around 3 each year)
  • Visit the school(s) occasionally
  • Do some background reading
  • Take part in induction training and ongoing development

Who can become a Governor?

There are no specific qualifications or requirements for the role – every Local Governing Board
(LGB) needs a balance and diversity of knowledge, skills and experience. You don’t need to be a
parent or have a background in education.

To be eligible to volunteer, you need:

  • The time to contribute (altogether, you can expect to spend 10-20 days each year on governance duties, with some meetings and visits taking place during the working day)
  • To be aged 18 or over
  • Not to be disqualified under the relevant Qualifications and Disqualification Rules and Procedures.

Newham Community Learning (NCL) Governor Opportunities

Newham Community Learning (NCL) has 5 LGBs and 1 Interim Executive Board (IEB) within
our schools based in Newham.

You can find out more about the governance structure of our Trust here: Governance and Oversight. 

At the moment we do have vacancies for individuals with varying backgrounds within both
our primary and secondary schools.

If you have any questions, or to find out more please feel free to contact NCL Governance:
governance@ncltrust.net