Call for Employers to Recognise School Governors as Non-Executive Directors

The contribution made by school governors should be given the same recognition as company non-executive directors, especially by recruitment consultancies and future employers, says a leading education charity.

The call to action by the School Governorsí One-Stop Shop (SGOSS) accompanies the release of research commissioned by them, carried out by the University of Hertfordshire, and released today. One of the key findings of the report entitled ëAdding Value to Governanceí is that governors are critical to the successful shaping and direction of a school, and perform a role similar to that of a non-executive board.

ìThe role of todayís school governors is equivalent to that of company non-executive directors,î says Steve Acklam, SGOSSí Chief Executive, with head teachers indicating that the most essential governor skills are analytical skills, problem solving, decision making, effective communication, team working and listening. The report indicates that head teachers are also extremely appreciative of technical skills in areas such as marketing and public relations.

Steve continues: ìIdeally, we would like to see a measurable change in the way governors are perceived within the next five years. We are also keen that recruitment agencies and employers are actively seeking governors as potential employees.î

Following the significant changes to the remit of schools, governing bodies now have non-executive responsibilities for the appointment of senior staff, the strategic direction of the school and financial management; and work in partnership with the head teacher and the senior team in these areas. The process is not one way, and the report discovered that governors, recruited through channels such as SGOSS, are not only bringing essential life experiences and sector specific skills to management of their schools, but were also enhancing both personal and work related skills in critical areas such as general management, financial management, HR and self confidence.

Sophie Relf, Head of Marketing for leading online recruitment company Totaljobs.com, comments: ìThe modern non-exec director acts as the glue between strategy, vision and ultimately success. And in order to achieve strategic objectives they have to be able to recognise and encourage the right type of behaviour from staff. This touches on all business functions regardless of the sector that they work in. Essential skills include financial control, talent management, stewardship, and multi-tasking. Underpinning all of these skills is the ability to find creative solutions to new challenges and most importantly to be able to communicate and implement a plan of action.î

Steve comments: ìItís clear that school governors contribute considerably to the strategy, planning and development of schools, and itís key that this contribution is both recognised, and acknowledged by the wider community. As schools continue to meet their tough remits, itís essential that governors are recruited with the right skill and mind set. However, itís a job that is open to all because passion, energy and commitment are important factors.î

The report confirms the feedback SGOSS has been receiving since 2000, that governance is a mutually beneficial opportunity which allows people to make a positive contribution whilst developing both new and existing skills.

KEY SGOSS FINDINGS:
44% of governors claim they act as a non-executive director

Vice Chair/Chair
A skills-based model of governance offers added value to schools

11% of respondents chair their governing bodies while 18% are vice chairs, showing a definitive link between transferable skills and non-executive director level governance

30% of respondents are in the most responsibility-heavy roles

Tasks and Roles
At least 80% said they had been involved in high level tasks including committee chair, appointing staff and Head Teacher Performance Reviews

78% said governance was being a ëcritical friendí and 71% said they acted as support for the head teacher

Other popular roles include monitoring plans, analyst, financial manager and strategist

Skills
45% of respondents identified both functional and managerial skills as being of ëconsiderable valueí to their role

Other valuable transferable skills identified: chairing meetings; working in a team; seeing different perspectives, listening and patience

Respondents claimed to have learned skills in making staff appointments and in financial management, similar to those roles of non-executive directors