When academy trusts first emerged, the layers of governance were often misunderstood.
Over time, like many trusts, we’ve refined our approach – learning what genuinely adds value, what strengthens decision-making, and what helps children thrive. Three lessons stand out.
Parents are the beating heart of our governance structure
Parents aren’t just stakeholders – they’re partners. We have parents involved at every tier: one trust member, two trustees, and typically two parent governors on each local governing board.
There’s a long-standing myth that parents pursue personal agendas. In reality, we’ve found the opposite. Parents usually go out of their way not to discuss anything related to their own child to avoid the appearance of bias.
What they do bring is a powerful mix of professionalism, community insight and a deep commitment to ensuring every child succeeds.
Local governance remains essential, because context matters
Some trusts have reduced the role of local governing boards, but our experience shows that strong local governance is a major driver of school improvement.
A key enabler has been our template for headteacher reports, built around principles from the government’s Understanding your data: A guide for school governors and academy trustees. The headteacher reports give governors clear national and local comparator data, allowing them to challenge, support, and ask the right questions.
This isn’t about duplicating scrutiny between the central team and the local board. It’s about benefiting from different perspectives. Local governors bring something no dataset can provide: lived experience of the community.
Recent examples include:
- Families taking term-time holidays to see relatives abroad: This has become an increasingly common occurrence, sometimes leaving school leaders unsure whether carrot or stick is the best approach. Governors who reflect the backgrounds of the school community have been helpful in deepening leaders’ understanding of the reasons why some of these absences are occurring and this has been a great support for decision making.
- The ripple effect of a high-profile local safeguarding case: When there were serious issues with a family in the community, governors who lived in the area gave helpful feedback about the community’s thoughts and feelings. This was crucial in helping the headteacher to navigate a very delicate time with timely communications pitched at the appropriate level
In both cases, local governors helped us look beyond the numbers and understand what was really happening for families. That is why local governance matters – and why we continue to invest in it.
Governance thrives when the right people are in the right roles
Governance is not one-size-fits-all. Some volunteers want the hands-on experience of supporting a single school, seeing rapid change and building relationships in one community. Others prefer a strategic role across multiple schools where decisions have a system-wide impact.
Having served as both a local governor (REACh2) and a trustee (Coventry Diocese Academy Trust), I’ve seen the contrast first-hand. Both roles are rewarding, but the focus, responsibility, and skills needed are very different.
For example:
- Trustees often make financial, strategic, and compliance decisions, which is ideal for those with skills in areas like finance, HR, estates, law, or audit.
- Local governors offer insight into a school’s unique community – best filled by people deeply rooted in the locality.
- Matching people to the role that fits them best is one of the most important decisions a trust can make.
So how do you become a governor or trustee?
Start with your strengths and your motivation.
If you want to make a difference to children in your community and enjoy seeing progress up close, a local governor role is likely the best fit.
If you want to shape strategy, use your professional expertise, and influence outcomes for thousands of children, consider becoming a trustee.
Either way, governance is one of the most meaningful ways to give back, and our schools need talented, committed people more than ever.
Your thoughts