Support for school governors and trustees

School governors and trustees play a key role in young people's education, opportunities and future lives.

Effective governance is vital to our ambition to transform how computing is taught in schools across England, enabling more young people to benefit from studying this important subject.

We can help you to confidently support your school to develop its computing provision and provide appropriate challenge around the implementation and impact of the curriculum, working alongside senior leaders and supporting teachers to provide excellent education to all students.

Improving your school's computing offer

To help promote a stronger computing offer, school governors and trustees should:

  • understand how computing shapes student experiences and the importance of preparing them to be creators, rather than only consumers, of technology
  • know the expectations around the teaching of computing as a compulsory subject at key stages 1 to 4
  • have the confidence to start conversations and challenge current provision to ensure their school is making the most of the free, high-quality support provided by the National Centre for Computing Education

Questions for governors and trustees to ask:

  • How are the computing subject leader and teachers supported in developing their knowledge?
  • Is computing/computer science sustainable in the school?
  • What happens if the subject leader/ specialist teacher leaves?
  • What is our curriculum intent for computing?
  • Is the school prepared for an Ofsted deep dive in computing?
  • Secondary: Are there teachers of other subjects with spare capacity, who could pick up computing as an additional subject, or who might want to upskill?
  • Secondary: If we are not offering computer science at GCSE, how can we work towards this?

Becoming a governor or trustee

Taking on the role of a governor or trustee can be both challenging and rewarding and is a great way to develop your career and contribute to your community. Our guide for IT and computing professionals offers an overview of the support available to help you as a volunteer.

Find out more