LSE’s School Governor Scheme has seen its highest level of staff and alumni participation since launching four years ago.
So far this academic year, eight staff members and 25 alumni have joined the scheme, bringing the total to 17 staff and 36 LSE alumni placed in schools across the country.
What is the LSE School Governor Scheme?
The LSE School Governor Scheme is delivered collaboratively by the LSE Widening Participation Team, Philanthropy and Global Engagement Team and education charity Governors for Schools.
The scheme aims to facilitate LSE staff, alumni and students with a diverse range of life experiences, skills, and expertise to make a meaningful contribution to society by giving their time as school governor volunteers.
This year, the LSE WP team are also targeting the student body as Governors for Schools have expressed that governance benefits from a mix of perspectives, and students can bring fresh insight, relevant skills, and a strong commitment to public service.
What it's like to be part of the School Governor Scheme
Marta Almeida Hill, Senior Access and Participation Delivery Manager, said serving as a School Governor, and now also as a Chair of a Local Governing Board, has been a "genuine privilege", providing an unique opportunity to contribute directly to the education of young people while gaining valuable insight into the challenges faced by secondary school leaders, teachers, and staff.
She says this positively impacts her work at LSE: "My work in higher education benefits enormously from this perspective, and personally it pushes me to confront the wider structural issues in our education system and how essential strong educational outcomes are in driving equity and shaping life opportunities for all."
"As Governors, we get to celebrate the wins, whether that’s improved attendance, stronger outcomes, or students progressing to selective HE institutions. We get to support the changes we believe matter in education. We act as critical friends to dedicated leaders, gaining a deeper understanding of the challenges many students face and the realities of the communities we serve. And we have the privilege of supporting the people who strive to make a difference every single day."
Supporting our school governors
The LSE School Governor Scheme supports prospective governors through dedicated termly information sessions and will launch a Teams channel in April to enable best‑practice sharing, provide access to resources, and highlight upcoming events within the school governance space. The channel is designed to help governors strengthen their professional development and confidence in the role.
How the School Governor Scheme is Shaping the World
The School Governor Scheme also provides an impactful opportunity for alumni to join in LSE’s Shaping the World Campaign. which invites alumni, friends and partners to support the ideas and initiatives that create change and shape communities. Becoming a school governor is one way for the wealth of knowledge in our alumni community to be shared to change outcomes for young people across England and Wales.
The contribution of alumni volunteering through this scheme counts towards the Campaign’s target of 300,000 volunteering hours by 2030. To date, 36 LSE alumni volunteers have generously given over 5000 volunteering hours in support of their local schools through the programme.
Find out more about the School Governor Scheme
Have you ever thought about shaping the future of school education? Do you want to use your skills to support local schools and help young people thrive?
Lunchtime information session
Join us for a lunchtime online information session hosted by LSE and Governors for Schools to learn more about LSE School Governor Scheme and how we support our students, staff and alumni to make a meaningful contribution to society by volunteering as a school governor.
In this session, representatives from Governors for Schools will explain the roles and responsibilities of a school governor, plus you'll also hear first-hand accounts from current volunteer governors – including Marta Almeida Hill – as they share their personal experiences and perspectives.
This session is open to all LSE staff, alumni and students who are curious about school governance and want to learn more.
LSE's commitment to widening access to LSE
The School Governor Scheme supports LSE's commitment to widening access, as set out in our Access and Participation Plan. It is part of the School's commitment to working in partnership with schools and colleges to raise attainment and improve equality of opportunity for underrepresented groups.
LSE's work on education and student experience (ESE) spans a wide range of projects and initiatives, all focused on ensuring every student has a consistently excellent experience at LSE and feels part of the School community.