Being a school governor for over 30 years

Thursday 29 February is National School Governors' Awareness Day.

School governors are volunteers who work closely with the headteacher and school staff to make sure schools are performing to a high standard. 

Hear from Cllr Roy Bailey, Executive Member for Children, Young People and Learning, who has been a school governor for over 30 years:

“I have been a school governor for 32 years across Bracknell Forest and the Crowthorne part of Wokingham Borough Council. My journey started in 1992 at a school in Crowthorne. From there, I joined the governing board at Ranelagh, where I was also PTA Chair for 6 years. During my several years at Ranelagh, I also became a governor at Garth Hill College, and was on the appointments’ panel when the current headteacher was appointed. 

“For the last 13 years, I have been a governor at Fox Hill Primary School as vice chair, joint chair and chair of the governing board. These roles have enabled me to learn about school education and the importance of delivering the very best for our pupils, to maximise their potential, self-esteem and confidence in a world that is ever more complex and demanding. 

“Our school leaders and staff do a fantastic job and school governors are there to act as critical friends, maintaining a healthy balance between supporting and challenging our schools to do better. Being a governor is not an easy ride. It is a role that must be taken seriously, and we have an outstanding governor services team, who are always there to offer advice and encouragement. The training is excellent and the work is extremely rewarding. I have really enjoyed my time as a governor and I hope others will too.”

Any individual over the age of 18 can apply to become a school governor. 

Register your interest as a school governor

View our school governor pages to learn more about the school governor role.