Guidance

Recruiting governors and academy trustees: resources

Updated 13 October 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 has a central role in the recruitment and appointment of foundation governors and directors. Diocesan education teams can provide further information.

Resources: recruiting governors and academy trustees

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.

What do most people understand about school governance? – a report about the perceptions of the roles of governors and academy trustees from those in the governance sector and the public.