Foundation Governor Recruitment
We’re looking for 150 committed people to step forward as school governors.
Foundation governors make a real difference to children’s education, guiding church schools, supporting leaders, shaping the long-term vision, and upholding the Christian character.
In the Diocese of Guildford, we are blessed to have 82 Church of England schools who educate over 20,000 pupils across Surrey and north Hampshire, delivering high-quality, inclusive state education for children across our parishes and communities.
Our schools educate children from a diverse range of social, cultural and ethnic backgrounds, so we are keen that our governing bodies are also representative of the schools and communities they serve.
If you’re passionate about your local community, want its local church school to achieve, and for its pupils to thrive, ask yourself - could you Serve Today, Shape Tomorrow?
What do our serving governors say about their role?
What is a Foundation Governor?
Governors are a key part of the accountability structure in the education system and a critical part of a school’s leadership. They are responsible for setting the strategic direction for each school and for holding the headteacher and other senior leaders accountable for the day-to-day operation of the school.
All governors have three key roles:
- Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction.
- Holding the Headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils, and the performance of staff.
- Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent.
Foundation governors also commit to upholding and promoting the Christian character of the Church school.
What’s involved?
No day is ever the same. One day you may be reviewing school policies and the next you’re invited to attend the school’s nativity production or end-of-year certificate day.
However, the typical responsibilities include:
- actively participate in governors' meetings, often six times a year, with committee meetings;
- take part in the school visits programme arranged for governors;
- undertake governor training as appropriate.
What skills do I need?
We are looking for governors from a range of professional backgrounds with a variety of skill sets and personal qualities.
The governor's role is varied and can involve overseeing the development of school policies, making budgetary decisions and monitoring the implementation of school policies. Therefore, desirable skills could include accountancy, project management, HR, legal, finance and operations.
Beyond your professional expertise, we are looking for candidates who are or want to be actively involved in the life of the local community, who are happy to promote the valuable link between the local church and the local school, and are motivated by making a real difference in the lives of the next generation.
What are the benefits?
✅ Gaining the opportunity to experience leadership at board level at any stage of your career.
✅ A chance to further develop and strengthen your technical and interpersonal skills.
✅ Expanding your professional network with people both within and outside your own industry.
✅ Applying your lived experience and expertise to offer fresh perspectives to a governing board or school.
✅ Helping to ensure that voices from a wide range of groups and communities are represented — including those that may be less often heard in education.
✅ Feeling fulfilled by making a meaningful difference to a local school and helping to shape the futures of its pupils.
👉 Interested in becoming a foundation governor?
If you would like more information, please contact the Diocesan Director of Education or Deputy Director of Education.
👉 Do you know someone who would make a great foundation governor?
You can still help by sharing this campaign with friends, colleagues, and your networks. Someone you know could be the governor a school is waiting for.
Register here to access the promotional materials, including posters, slides, an email signature banner, website banners and social media assets, so you can help spread the word. If you use Canva, you can also access editable templates.
