Bringing a designer’s eye to the governing board

We speak to Liam Anderson, a passionate and ambitious design and technology teacher from Berkshire, who says becoming a governor has given him a more in-depth view of school life and boosted his professional development.

He tells us how he brings his designer’s eye and creative skills to a governing board, what he's learnt from being a governor, and in turn, how it's affected his teaching in a positive way.

When did you become a school governor and what have you learnt so far?

I became a school governor in February 2022 at a primary school in Newbury, West Berkshire. My role is focused on curriculum development, a central focus in schools, and also really interesting for me as a teacher.

I learnt a lot from being part of the school’s headteacher appointment panel - alongside inspiring and experienced members, from ex-headteachers to someone working in children's services. It was great to see how the selection process worked at a senior level (very different from appointing a classroom teacher) as there’s so much to consider about the candidates vision and direction, leadership style, prior skills and experience. I was involved in designing the interview tasks that helped us assess their ability in these areas, and gave us lots to consider when making a choice.

What have you learnt from being a governor and has it affected your teaching?

In my short time as a governor I’ve gained so many new insights and perspectives about the 360-view of school life, including top level decisions about operational and strategic leadership, and the management of a school. It’s also helped me better understand how decisions made by school senior leaders filter down to day-to-day classroom work with staff and pupils. As a governor I‘ve also been involved in rich discussions with senior leaders about the curriculum, which has helped me reflect on what I do in my own practice leading the curriculum as a head of department. 

Have you managed to bring your design experience into your governance role?

As a designer, you’re constantly analysing systems and processes, and thinking critically about how these could be developed and improved. This critical reflection has been the most useful skill I’ve brought to the board, alongside my ability to challenge and support school practices and systems. As a governor with a focus on the curriculum I‘ve also used my design knowledge to support, question and challenge the thinking behind the school’s curriculum vision, structure and sequencing, and how these components are brought together into a successful outcome. 

You've had an essay on professional development published, what motivated you to write this and how important is professional development?

I’ve always had a real thirst for professional learning and have been restless with wanting to do and achieve more personally and professionally. I wrote the chapter to hopefully share with others how they can best develop professionally and filter through my enthusiasm for ongoing professional learning. It’s so important to support the next generation of teaching talent and it’s great to be a small part of that for the design and technology teaching community.

What's next for you?