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How to encourage parents/carers to become governors or trustees

Follow these tips to create an advert and encourage parents/carers to stand for election to your governing board.

Last reviewed on 9 December 2025
School types: All•School phases: All•Ref: 4294
Contents
  1. Explain what the role involves and who can apply
  2. Highlight the impact and benefits
  3. Encourage a wide range of people to apply
  4. Clearly explain the recruitment process
  5. Tackle common concerns head on
  6. Publicise your vacancy in the right places
  7. Host an open evening to explain what the role involves
  8. Promote the role all year round

We worked with school governor recruitment service Governors for Schools to create this article.

If you're looking for guidance on the election process, take a look at our other article on parent governor/trustee elections.

Explain what the role involves and who can apply

Create an advert that sets out in clear and approachable language:

It's worth getting this advert spot on, as you have a responsibility to make sure that parents/carers are well informed about elections. This is set out in section 4.2.1 of the maintained schools governance guide. Taking the time to get the advert right will