Your local school needs YOU! (From East London and West Essex Guardian Series)

Your local school needs YOU!

5:07pm Tuesday 2nd December 2008 in

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"What's that large building at the end of my street?" That's what I often pondered as I walked my dog on Wanstead Flats. A large red brick building with "Leyton School Board" written on it, and pointy green iron railings all around.

Obviously, I'd spotted the children being taken to and from Davies Lane Primary School, but as I am not a parent myself, I knew very little of what went on there. As someone who is active in their community, and has pride in it, it somehow seemed wrong that a part of society was a mystery to me.

One day I spotted an advert in the local Guardian, which appealed for members of the community to become governors at the school. I googled, and discovered that governors were responsible for all sorts of things such as setting the school budget; appointing the Head teacher; monitoring progress and standards; and even meeting the Ofsted inspectors. It sounded interesting, but daunting.

After a quick chat with my mother (who had been a governor at my own school) I decided to apply. It would be another way that I could make a difference - as a community governor I could forge links between the school and the neighbourhood. In fact, it became much more than that. I got to know my local school and care for it, watching as it has gone from being a newly formed school (from former infant and junior schools) to now having SATS results well above the national and local averages. I'm proud to recommend it to prospective parents, and pleased to have been involved.

During my time as a governor, I was on a panel which appointed the Head teacher, giving me valuable experience of assessing and interviewing - and which was also quite enjoyable. Although there was the responsibility of getting it right, governors at all times make group decisions, so there's no personal liability.

The only abberation I noticed is that the makeup of the governing body doesn't quite reflect the demographics of the school; in general not enough people from ethnic minorities apply to become governors. A shame, because it's open to everyone, and really ought to reflect the balance of the local community.

Governors are appointed for four years at a time, and as my term draws to a close I can look back and see how much I've packed in. As well as the management-type experience, I've also enjoyed the social aspect - I've been to plays and bazaars, and organised a photo exhibition at the school as part of Leytonstone Festival. Many of the visitors to that exhibition commented on what a lovely premises the school has - they'd never been inside before. How sad that they knew nothing about that big building at the end of the road!

Davies Lane School is no longer a strange structure to me, but somewhere I now understand and feel welcome.

So could you be a governor too?

Waltham Forest has many vacancies for community governors, and there are more spaces for parents. So if you would like to do something rewarding, and gain new skills at the same time, do consider getting to know and support your local school in this way. People from ethnic minorities are especially welcome as they are currently under-represented. Don't worry - it's not daunting or difficult, you just need to be interested and willing.

To find out more, see http://www.walthamforest.gov.uk/school-governors or contact governor.services@walthamforest.gov.uk.