April/May 2007 - London Borough of Hillingdon

Could you be a school governor?
With more than 1,200 school
governor posts in Hillingdon
and 170 of these posts
currently vacant, we need
you.
You don’t need to be a parent, know about
education, or be a particular type of person to be
a school governor. If you’re over 18 and want to
help children receive the best possible standard of
education, you can get involved.
But what does a school governor
do? Hillingdon People met a school
governor to find out.
Sean Boyce is chair of governors
at Hillside Infants in Northwood.
He works full time as a Sky TV
presenter, presenting shows including
At the Races and Sky Poker.
What made you decide to
become a school governor?
First and foremost I wanted to find
out more about the whole
education system. I felt as though
the changes that had taken place
since I was at school had left me
with a pretty poor understanding of
what lay ahead for my kids now
that they had started school.
I’d also been very impressed with
the head and the staff at Hillside
Infants School where our eldest
two had just begun their school
lives and was happy to help any
way I could. I had no idea what was
involved or what I would get out of
it when I set out but I’m very glad I
gave it a go. I’ve learned a huge
amount in a small space of time,
and for relatively little input in
terms of time and commitment. I
now have a hand in the
achievements and successes of a
great school.
How long have you been a
school governor?
Not long at all, not much more
than a year in fact. I’ve been able to
pick up an awful lot in that time by
asking lots of questions at meetings
(I’ve no shame at all about
appearing stupid!) and by attending
the training sessions laid on by
Hillingdon Council. They’ve been a
Sky TV Presenter,
Sean Boyce
“It’s one of the most
rewarding things I’ve
ever done.”
huge help and have given me the
confidence to go back and ask even
more questions!
Do you live locally to the
school where you are a
governor?
Yes, we’re lucky enough to live
within a few minutes walk of the
school.
What sort of things have you
been involved in since you’ve
been a governor?
Hillside Infants is a really happy,
thriving school with a well
established team of teaching staff so
I think perhaps I’ve been pretty
lucky in terms of what I’ve had to
deal with so far.
Our intake is very mixed in terms
of culture, nationality, language and
social background but the whole
ethos of the school is very inclusive
and supportive so all sorts of kids
from all kinds of backgrounds do
well. Our last lot of results were
outstanding and well above average
both nationally and locally.
There are still plenty of challenges
though – managing a tight budget
and making tough decisions isn’t
easy. I’m also very keen that we do
a better job in future of involving
our children, our parents and our
staff in telling the whole story of
the school to the wider community.
Some great stuff happens at our
school – as it does at every school
– and now that I’m involved I want
others to know what it’s all about
and what goes on there.
What is the most rewarding
thing you’ve found about
being a school governor?
Easily the most rewarding aspect is
the chance to lend a helping hand
to the team of professionals who
have the huge responsibility of
teaching our kids.They have such
an important job and by becoming
a governor I’ve learned much more
about what they do, and in a small
way have been able to contribute I
hope.
What would you say to
anyone thinking about
becoming a school governor?
Go for it.You’ve nothing to lose but
a few hours of your time. In return
you get to take part in the education
of our children.You can learn about
what goes on in the school and be
a part of shaping the school’s future
success.
There’s no money in it, of course,
but the other rewards you just
can’t get anywhere else. It’s one of
the most rewarding things I’ve ever
done.
Contacts
Email:
schoolgovernor@hillingdon.gov.uk
Tel: 01895 277349
Web: www.hillingdon.gov.uk/
schoolgovernor
School governors one-stop-shop:
www.sgoss.org.uk
education
April/May 2007 • 17