Hackney,
14
June
2021
|
12:51
Europe/London

Young people invited to become governors as part of innovative new scheme

The scheme has been designed in partnership between Hackney Young Futures Commission (co-chairs pictured) and Hackney Council

How do I sign up and learn more? 

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Young people in Hackney can now apply for an innovative new school governors scheme, aimed at bringing their knowledge, perspectives and skills and embedding their voice and experience into the governance of the borough’s schools. 

The 12-month pilot has been designed in partnership by Hackney Young Futures Commission and Hackney Council and aims to increase the diversity of Hackney’s school governors, at a time when, nationwide, only 5% are from a Black or ethnic minority background, and just 2% are under 30.

As part of the programme, young governors will receive bespoke training and peer-to-peer support, including mentoring from a fellow governor, membership of a young governors network and expert guidance from Hackney Council’s school governance team. 

The scheme to pair prospective young governors with local schools and give them dedicated support in the first year is one of its kind in the UK and is inspired by the work of ONBOARD and The Young Trustees Movement. Co-produced with young people in Hackney, the new programme aims to directly support local residents and people under 30 who have attended school in Hackney to become a school governor.. 

It is open to people between the age of 18 to 30 years who are a local resident and /or have previously attended a Hackney school. 

The Council and Hackney Young Futures Commission are hosting an information session for anyone interested in applying at 6.30pm on Tuesday 22 June. More information about the scheme, including about the information event, and how to apply is available below.

Cllr Anntoinette Bramble, Deputy Mayor of Hackney
I’m proud of all the brilliant work schools in Hackney do to promote diversity and inclusion.

This innovative new governors programme follows a recommendation from Hackney’s Young Futures Commission - which is working to help amplify the voice of young people in the decisions that shape their lives and help ensure young people can shape the opportunities that are available to them. 

We have already had a lot of interest from schools who want to take part in the scheme so I would encourage any young person who wants to give back to their community to apply. Through the support the Council is providing to the scheme, we are committed to giving young people the tools to play a part in strategic school governance and leadership in Hackney. This is just one of many examples where we have given young people a platform to define issues in Hackney - and they have come up with solutions.
Cllr Anntoinette Bramble, Deputy Mayor of Hackney
Shekeila Scarlett, Co-Chair Hackney Young Futures Commission
Having been co-chair of Young Futures Commission, I’m passionate about making sure the voices of young people in Hackney find their way onto school governing boards. It’s important that youth voices are available to governing boards for perspective as well as a positive contribution to the school community. I’m excited for the programme launch and happy that Hackney will be leading the way in diversifying governing boards with this pioneering pilot project.
Shekeila Scarlett, Co-Chair Hackney Young Futures Commission

Become a young governor - more info

We’re launching a new scheme to support young adults aged 18-30 to become school governors in Hackney - and applications are open now. 

The scheme is aimed at diversifying school governing boards, bringing young people’s experience onto boards and offering incredible experience for young adults to develop skills as part of governance and leadership boards. 

This is a 12 month pilot project, co-produced and delivered with young adults and our governor community.

The scheme aims to: 

  • Diversify membership by widening knowledge, perspectives and skills of our governing boards, reflect the communities we serve and inspire greater trust 
  • Enhance understanding by bringing insight and lived experience about the challenges of youth experience with learning, transitioning to adulthood and seeking employment
  • Offer incredible experience for young adults to participate in strategic governance and leadership, develop skills, connect with experienced professionals and benefit from the shared learning and support of a peer to peer network

To apply, you should be aged 18 to 30 and have the potential confidence skills and dedication for the role. We will match successful applicants with pilot schools that have chosen to be part of the scheme. 

The scheme will be coordinated by our governance services team. We will: 

  • Ensure each successful applicant is matched with a ‘buddy’ on the governing board of their pilot school
  • Offer bespoke training: co-delivered by youth leaders, our team and governors
  • Offer a support network for young people – including membership of a young governors network, facilitated by our team and offering guidance and peer to peer support during the 12 months of the project 
  • Review and evaluate the pilot and capture the essence of what works well, what value it brings and how best to widen the programme 

How do I sign up and learn more? 

Why is it important to have more young adults on Governing Boards?

Young adults bring an authentic lived experience, an understanding of young people and an accurate perspective about the challenges and social injustices associated with learning, transitioning into adulthood and seeking employment. 

What's in it for me?

By becoming a school governor, you can contribute to making a worthwhile difference for young people in our community.

You will gain first hand insight of strategic governance and decision-making that leads to improvements for a better and socially just society. 

You will gain experience and develop skills and understanding in how schools are governed to make sure they meet the needs of all pupils, especially those who are most vulnerable and /or most disadvantaged. 

You will have access to free specialist training, a buddy and peer network of support

You will get the chance to develop skills and attributes that can also help advance your own career. This will include confidence in contributing your point of view, teamwork, strategic leadership and financial planning and decision making. 

What's in it for schools? 

Younger voices on governing boards will re-balance knowledge and perspectives, and enhance diverse thinking. Seeing governors from younger age groups and diverse backgrounds will help nurture a stronger sense of belonging for children and their families, leading to more informed decision making that helps inclusive schools to thrive.

What would I be committing to? 

As an associate governor, you will be committing to about 4 to 5 hours per month outside of working hours. You will attend at least 3 governing board meetings per year, need time to read papers beforehand and also have time to attend training and networking opportunities.