For the last five years, Julian has worked in Health and Safety. Over the last few months, Julian has also started volunteering as a school governor.
School governors like Julian give their time, energy, and expertise to help schools thrive. This National School Governors’ Awareness Day, we want to recognise their impact and celebrate the vital role they play in shaping education.
Join one of our webinars on Tuesday 8 April at 12pm or 6pm to find out how you can get involved.
Meet Julian
“I had been thinking generally about a volunteering role for a while and learned through SUSSED that the University supported and encouraged staff to become school governors.
“The staff webinar finally gave me the push I needed to apply for a role.
“The webinar was very informative and useful for someone who knew little about the types of governor positions, what is involved, how you can make an impact, the time commitment and the application process.
Intense and interesting
“I have been a school governor since November 2024 and it has been a pretty intense and interesting period. As well as meeting other governing board members and teaching staff, I became involved in the recruiting process for a new Head Teacher. I had no idea the governors were so involved in this process, including application screening and the two-day interview which was supported by the local authority.
“We appointed an enthusiastic Head Teacher, and the governing body will support and challenge him as appropriate. We have also received training concerning the governor’s role in OFSTED inspections.
You feel very supported
“If you are after a rewarding volunteering role, I would not hesitate to encourage staff to think about school governing and to watch a webinar!
“There is also a large volume of training material available, both online and face to face, including ‘how to become an effective governor’. You do feel very supported and have the opportunity to apply your skills and experience to the role.“
Thank you to our students, staff, and alumni who are transforming education in our communities across Hampshire and the UK in their roles as school governors.
Could you join them?
School governors are one of the largest volunteer forces in the country. However, there are approximately 20,000 vacancies on governing boards nationwide.
Anyone can be a school governor: your skills could transform a school.
Join one of our webinars on Tuesday 8 April at 12pm or 6pm to find out how you can make an impact and get involved.
As a School Governor you could:
✅ Have a positive impact on children in your community while meeting new people and gaining a sense of purpose and achievement.
✅ Gain peer support from our School Governors Staff Network and Teams channel as well as comprehensive training.
✅ Use and learn new skills, like strategic planning, chairing, and financial planning.
✅ Benefit from the University’s special leave policy to help you fulfil your role.