How to recruit maintained school governors

Work through this step-by-step process to recruit new governors. It covers identifying your needs, advertising the role, screening candidates and making the appointment. Use our template letter to approach organisations to find candidates.

Last reviewed on 23 August 2023
School types: AllSchool phases: AllRef: 3864
Contents
  1. Conduct a skills audit to identify your board's needs
  2. Clarify who does what in the recruitment process 
  3. Use a free recruitment organisation like Governors for Schools for co-opted positions
  4. Create a tailored advert
  5. Explain how rewarding the job is
  6. Attract the right people
  7. Create an application pack
  8. Screen candidates
  9. Appoint/elect and induct your new governor

We used the Governance Handbook, advice from governor recruitment charity Governors for Schools, and our governance expert Matt Miller, to write this article. 

Use our other article if you're looking to recruit trustees and local governors for trusts and academies.

Conduct a skills audit to identify your board's needs

The first step when recruiting new governors is to identify what skills and experience your board needs from a new member, for it to be effective. 

Use our skills audit to do this. It's based on the Department for Education's competency framework. 

If any third-party organisations are helping you recruit new governors, share your skills audit with them.

Clarify who does what in the recruitment process 

The recruitment process will vary based on:

Headteachers are usually more involved in filling parent and staff governor vacancies, due