Guidance

Recruiting governors and academy trustees: resources

Published 24 September 2025

Applies to England

Recruiting governors and academy trustees

Recruiting governors and academy trustees for schools and academy trusts remains a challenge nationally. Difficulties in recruiting the right people to fill the right roles leads to gaps in the governance structure. This can:

• affect strategic direction, decision-making and accountability
• lead to additional pressure on the board and committees, increasing workload

Methods of appointing governors and academy trustees

Consider all aspects of diversity to ensure a variety of perspectives on the governing body and academy trust board, including:

• age
• gender
• ethnicity
• socio-economic background
• educational experience

Expanding the recruitment search leads to a wider, more diverse pool of candidates. To effectively advertise and appoint school governor and academy trustee vacancies, schools and academy trusts can use a combination of:

• services – DfE’s teaching vacancies service and Governors for Schools offer a platform to advertise and find vacancies for governors and academy trustees
• local outreach – communications to parents, schools within the academy trust and local businesses, direct invitations for co-opted governors
• digital promotion – social media

Recruiting governors and academy trustees requires dedicated time, effort and, where appropriate, financial investment. Like staff recruitment, finding and retaining the right people for governance roles is a strategic activity that benefits from careful planning and resourcing.

In church schools and trusts, the church is responsible for the recruitment and appointment of foundation governors and directors. Diocesan education teams can provide further information.

Resources: recruiting governor and academy trustee

Find a school governor – guidance on advertising and recruiting volunteer vacancies, and resources for recruiting school governors and academy trustees, including posters, social media content and letter templates.

Governor and teaching vacancies – the service on which to advertise and recruit governor and academy trustee vacancies.

Recruiting governors and academy trustees – guidance and resources to help governing bodies and academy trust boards recruit the right people.

National Black Governors Network – guidance for existing or prospective governors, academy trustees and governance professionals.

Building diversity into our workforce strategies – considers approaches in governance to expand the pool of governors and academy trustees and retain them.

Getting volunteers on board – a webinar supporting governor and academy trustee recruitment.  

Educators on Board campaign – advice for recruiting educators to a governing body or academy trust board.

Attracting new governors and academy trustees

Volunteering as a school governor or academy trustee is a rewarding way to make a lasting difference in education, support schools and help every child to thrive.

When recruiting, try to:

• make governance visible – provide up-to-date, accessible information about governors and academy trustees and celebrate the positive impact they have
• communicate the benefits of volunteering as a governor or academy trustee – actively promoting the personal and professional development that governance roles can offer will increase interest
• be clear about the skills and experience required, time commitment and role expectations – this is essential to securing and retaining governors and academy trustees
• provide induction and training – a well-planned, timely induction helps new governors and academy trustees feel welcomed, informed and supported in their role

Resources: transparent recruitment and effective induction

Becoming an academy trustee – free e-learning about the role of an academy trustee.

Finding your next chair – a guide to help maintained schools and academy trusts make succession-planning part of their long-term practice.

Governing board skills audit – used by governing bodies and academy trust boards to support recruitment and training.

Academy trustee knowledge audit – a rapid audit tool for academy trustees.

Governing board diversity indicators form – help for governing bodies and academy trust boards to gather data on their membership and use this as a basis for discussion and action.

Become a governor or academy trustee – general information and advice about becoming a governor or academy trustee.

Become an effective new school governor series – support and resources for new governors.

Introduction to school governance – free e-learning with an introduction to the school governance roles.