Who's the governor….a view from an informal educator

Last month I was featured in London Borough of Tower Hamlets ‘The Power of Diversity in Governance’, a toolkit to help local governing bodies better reflect their community. As the academic year ends, this interview prompted me to reflect more deeply on my own journey.

In my line of work, I’ve seen children and young people deal with chaotic lifestyles, complex trauma, and countless levels of discrimination.? The pressure on the formal education sector to deal with this multitude of crises is phenomenal and cannot be underestimated.? As a professional youth & community practitioner I have always had a civic passion for supporting young adults with similar experiences through personal & social development programmes.? I chose Saint Francis Xavier (SFX) Sixth Form College because it mirrors my commitment of supporting a cultural and social mix of 16 - 19-year-olds in a safe, creative, and nurturing space.? By becoming a governor this has given me the opportunity to bridge the gap between societal injustices bestowed on young people and the wider themes associated with formal education.

Going back to the college all seemed scary at first because previously I was a student there and my last memory was me holding my transcript that read, ‘A Level Geography - N; A Level Government & Politics - E. ? In my 30’s I was diagnosed with dyslexia, so harbouring some resentment towards the then teaching staff was natural, but the college has come a long way since then and so have I.? My fears of being surrounded by a bunch of ‘suits’ and not believing I’ve got the right to be here were quickly abated and once I got to understand all the abbreviations, something that our chair, Nadar Sheta has always been very good at highlighting, I was good to go.

It’s been two years now since I was appointed by the Archdiocese of Southwark and I’m part of a governing body from multi sector backgrounds, that is responsible for upholding the vision, ethos and strategic direction; scrutinizing the educational performance; ensuring the financial probity and being an all-round critical friend of the college….however, for me it’s more than that, it’s a two-way process. I’ve enjoyed talking to my link departments (Geography and Travel & Tourism) to see how I can support and connect them with my professional networks; I’ve been invited into classrooms to see teaching first-hand and facilitate workshops as part of Careers Week; I’ve participated in Quality Mornings and Learning Walks as part of INSET days; and contributed to the Curriculum Standards & Quality Committee.? I’ve also learnt a lot through reading the annual College and Strategic Development Plans and getting a better understanding of the new T Levels, the multi academy trusts, or the MATS, as the sector loves to call them and the Ofsted and the Catholic 6th Colleges Inspection Frameworks. I’m involved in ongoing discussions around the future of Catholic Post 16 Education in London and I'm constantly keeping my eye on the horizon for any changes coming into the sector to spot opportunities for innovation and hazards that might lead to insolvency. This has helped me in my appreciation of the work done by my fellow governors on the Audit; Finance & Resources; Appeal; Remuneration; & Governance committees.? What's been good is my induction and CPD has not just been guided by the Clerk of Governors and my peers on the governing body but the college staff and students too.

For someone who operates within the neurodiversity paradigm with an informal learning style, I know where I’ve contributed to the college and at the same time enhanced my personal toolkit. I love working outside the ‘box’ and using my practical approach that I have developed in youth work to cross professional boundaries and disrupt systems. My own learning has informed my professional practice and thinking around adolescent & childhood development.? I’m a strong advocate for wrap-around holistic extended care and extracurricular programmes like breakfast & after school clubs and the Duke of Edinburgh's Award.? I know interventions like creative based therapies also safeguard students and pupils by being trauma-informed, helping them to develop emotional and social competences, resilience, and agency, as well as obtain better educational outcomes.? I believe cross-organisational collaboration with youth partnerships, family hubs and the HAF programme will also lead to a ‘whole school approach’, ensuring educational institutions, like ours are more hyperlocal and don’t operate in a vacuum.

Under the Equality Act 2010 we all have a duty of care to understand how our policies and decisions affect the equality of opportunity for persons who have protected characteristics.? Educational institutions are no different.? Based on my own practice and experiences, to increase and sustain governor engagement, leadership teams and governing bodies need to ensure strategic thinking is aligned to EDI policies, planning, marketing, recruitment, and retention.? A way to measure this is to use the EqualiTeach ’s School Auditing Equality Tool.? In Saint Francis Xavier (SFX) Sixth Form College , EDI is at the heart of everything we do as it’s part of our values and strategic objectives.? As such we have a dedicated committee, in which my peer Chukwuweta Uraih , is the lead governor on this.

London Borough of Tower Hamlets have produced a recruitment film targeting people connected to the borough, however local authorities and other governing bodies around the UK are looking for ordinary people like you and me to take up these governorship roles in our communities. The benefits to the individual governor are immense from developing their own personal skillset to becoming a co-opted governor that represents the interests of the local community.? If an educational institution is working towards a Quality Mark like Investors in People and/or Volunteers, they can also use the social metrics to measure the longitudinal impact to identify the added value the governors bring to their establishments.?

This experience has complimented my full-time role as a service manager in a local authority, as well as contributed to my mental wealth through the Ways of Wellbeing by me CONNECT-ing and spending time developing relationships with cross-sectoral associates, staff, and students; by me KEEP LEARNING new skills; and by me GIVE-ing my time to strengthen the link between the college and the local community.

My personal ambition is to see how the vision for the Saint Francis Xavier (SFX) Sixth Form College is directly linked to the student experience and decolonising the whole education curriculum. However, I would also like to see everyone associated with the college work towards a greener based economy as well as look at ways in which we can utilise the college so that we become a hub of the community.? I believe there is a space for different approaches in leading and governing educational institutions.? I know we’re not quite there yet but for now I’ve found my place and you can too.

#EqualityDiversityandInclusion #Culturalcompetence Graham Thompson Karen Foan Somayina Ebele Eleanor Lewis Dave Navarro Paddy Ann Rowe Sharon Long Keith Shipman Vicki Harrison-Carr Amy Rumball Anthony Hamilton Jude Simmons National Youth Agency Outdoor Play and Learning (OPAL) CIC GovernorHub Governors for Schools Inspiring Governance Wandsworth Council Lifelong Learning Richmond and Wandsworth Councils