Schools in outer London are struggling to recruit governors and desperately need volunteers to sign up, a charity has warned.
Figures seen by the Evening Standard reveal that schools in Ealing have at least 78 vacancies on their governing bodies, while in Croydon 77 more are needed.
But in schools in central London demand is much lower because it is easier to recruit young City workers. The charity Governors for Schools, which recruits governors, said these enthusiastic staff sign up to boost their CVs and give back to the communities near their offices.
In Hackney, just 11 new governors are needed and in Tower Hamlets the figure is 16. Up to 12 people are needed to run a governing body, including parents, teachers and community volunteers.
The board of governors makes vital decisions about school life and members should have finance, legal, HR and property management skills to help them with school finances, the curriculum and standards.
Louise Cooper, chief executive of Governors for Schools, said if a school does not have the right mix of people it may not run as effectively as it could. Issuing a call for people living in outer London to volunteer she said: “There are benefits to volunteers such as gaining board-level experience which is useful throughout their careers.
“They learn about setting strategy and holding senior leaders to account for an organisation with a budget of up to £10 million, depending on the size of school. Volunteers also have the personal satisfaction of contributing and giving back to their communities and knowing that children will have a better education as a result.”
She appealed for more volunteers in the worst-affected boroughs of Ealing, Bromley, Croydon, Enfield, Hounslow, Hillingdon, Merton, Bexley, Barking and Dagenham and Brent.
Ms Cooper said high-profile governors — such as former Tottenham football star Garth Crooks — can also help boost volunteer numbers. Crooks has been chair of governors at Capital City Academy in Willesden since 2015.
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Education Secretary Damian Hinds has written to thousands of company chiefs asking them to persuade senior staff to become governors, in a joint letter with the Institute of Directors.
I’ve built my skills
Raj Senthilnathan, a governor at The Minster Nursery and Infant School in Croydon, said he decided to volunteer to become more involved in the area where he grew up. Mr Senthilnathan, 41, works in software consultancy and development. He said: “Supporting young people’s education, seemed like a great way to give back to the community.”
After joining the governing body in 2016, he has drawn on his experience in project management to help improve internal communications. “The feedback I have received since implementing these changes has been hugely positive.”
He said training courses had helped him develop as a manager.
