Schools are struggling to attract people to serve on their governing bodies with almost 40,000 vacancies across the country.

The latest figures come as the Government begins work to shore up school governing bodies, which are considered “ineffective” by one in five head teachers.

The long hours of unpaid and often thankless work puts many parents off signing up to become governors but the Department for Children, Schools and Families hopes to entice greater talent into the role.

Jim Knight, Schools Minister said: “We want to raise the profile of school governors, attract talented and skilled people into this vital role, and provide them with the best support. I want every school to be governed with a strong focus on driving up standards and securing the best outcomes for every child.”

There is a wealth of evidence to suggest that governing bodies are not representative of society as a whole. Typically they are overrepresented by women, white people, professionals and older members of the community and lack people with business knowledge. A study last year also showed

Chris Keates, general secretary of the UK’s largest teachers’ union NASUWT said the present system of school governance is unworkable. “The current system of school governance which depends on well-meaning and untrained volunteers cannot be considered fit for purpose.”

Tom Philpott, from School Governors’ One-Stop Shop, which seeks to match schools with potential governors, said the “myths” surrounding the role were to blame for the shortages. “They think you need to be a parent, or middle aged, the only requirement is that you are over 18.” One-Stop Shops recruits governors from companies such as Barclays, HSBC, Land Rover and BP.

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