This report from GovernorHub has exposed the lack of diversity on school governing boards in England, revealing the majority of school governors and trustees to be white, older, and educated to at least graduate degree level.
The findings demonstrate the limited representation pupils have on their schools governing boards, in the midst of calls for schools to do more to protect and safeguard Black pupils, following widespread public outrage at the treatment of Child Q.
The report, which surveyed 4,006 serving school governors and trustees and polled 1,901 members of the public, showed 90% of school governors and trustees describe themselves as white, with only 8% combined identifying as a different ethnic group.
A disproportionately high 79% of governors are educated to at least graduate degree level, with over a third (36%) having been educated to post-graduate, doctorate, or equivalent level. Meanwhile more than half of governors who responded to the survey said they were aged 55 or over, and nearly a third were 65 or over.
Despite the clear need for greater representation on school boards, the report also showed that there is little public understanding of the critical importance of governing bodies within schools, which could play a part in the lack of diversity. The report found that younger people and those from diverse backgrounds are in fact more likely to be interested in the role of school governor – they just need more information on it.