New scheme to shine a light on school governors

Plans for a brand new School Governor Recognition Scheme have been given the green light by the County Council in time for this September.

There are currently 7000 volunteers who are governors and trustees in Lancashire schools, and around a quarter of a million nationwide, according to the National Governance Association.

School governors play a hugely important role in leading their establishments,  overseeing financial performance and helping schools to provide the best possible education.

The plans, approved today (Thursday, May 23) at a meeting of full council at County Hall, will see governors who have contributed significantly to Lancashire schools being formally recognised for long service or for special projects.

In practice, this means that governors will be nominated by their headteachers or colleagues at any point during the school year. The winning governors and their schools will then be unveiled in the council's annual Chairs' conference in March, receiving a special certificate from the County Council's cabinet member for Education and Skills, County Councillor Jayne Rear.

County Councillor Jayne Rear, cabinet member for Education and Skills, said:

"Lancashire has around 7000 volunteers who are governors, both in our LEA schools and in academy trusts.

"They play a crucial role in maintaining high standards in our Lancashire Schools, ensuring that our children and young people have the best possible education.

"We are hugely grateful to them for their dedication, hard work and expertise, but Lancashire currently has no formal mechanism to recognise their hard work and sterling contribution to schools in our county.

"This scheme will ensure that we shine a light on the dedication and contributions made by individual governors in Lancashire schools, both in terms of significant contributions or years of service. We will  formally recognise and reward their vital efforts to support Lancashire's schools, children and young people."