A number of people have said to me over the years, ‘Why are you a School Governor and what are the benefits?’ Good question, but easily answered.

I first became a School Governor at my daughter’s primary school. She is now studying to become a Primary School teacher and I am still on that Governing Body having been its Chair for over five years. The role of Governor has changed a great deal over the years, but without doubt it is one of the most rewarding roles that I have taken on. There are over 300,000 school governors around the country, making it one of the largest volunteering groups in the UK.

I have recently retired after working over thirty nine years in the banking industry, principally for one bank, although for the last three years I have been at one of the new ‘challenger banks’, which was a very exciting time.

Governing bodies require volunteers that are able to bring various skills to help perform its core duties. You do not need formal qualifications to become a School Governor, just a good experience of life and a strong commitment to support the school. 

One of the three core responsibilities of a Governor is to oversee the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent and with my experience in this sector I can help support the Academy. Being on a governing body is now similar to being on a board of directors of a limited company. It is a Corporate body that has to fulfil its statutory obligations ensuring that the right questions with the appropriate level of challenge are made at the right time. But what other benefits do I also enjoy? One of the greatest areas of satisfaction is working with like minded people to positively impact the lives of school children.

I became a Governor at The Ramsey Academy nearly two years ago and I have thoroughly enjoyed the time that I have spent getting to know the school and the community. The school, under the leadership of Mr James and his team has continued the excellent work of the previous head and its success is evident in the positive ethos and commitment to learning within the school and in its results.

Each Governor at the school takes on an area of curriculum responsibility and I volunteered to take on a subject which was a passion of mine when I was at school: Mathematics. I have met with the Head of the Department a couple of times with another planned shortly and I find these visits very helpful in my role.

Undoubtedly, with the country still under the grips of various austerity measures there are a number of challenges that the Academy will face over the coming years but I am very confident that The Ramsey Academy will continue to flourish and be one of the best outstanding secondary schools in Essex. - Mr M Bailey