Money hacks Seven ways to help your local school thrive

An important part of a school's leadership, a governor helps provide strategic direction for its running.

- Helen Dewdney

Become a governor The role usually involves termly meetings of the full governing body and membership, and meetings of one of the sub groups. You will also be expected to be on any complaint, exclusion and disciplinary panels. There is always a lot of paperwork to read.

The National Governor Association provides lots of information and advice about what the role involves. Schools inform parents or carers about vacancies on their governing body. You can also sign up with Governors for Schools, a service in England that matches schools with volunteers.

Start or support a PTA If a parent-teacher association does not already exist at your school, talk to the headteacher or a leadership team member to ask whether they would like one established.

Contact parents and carers through the newsletter asking who would like to be involved and ask the school to share a contact email address. Arrange your first meeting at a mutually convenient time for the school and parents. Explain the aims and what it could do.

Identify skills and people willing to become PTA members and take key roles, such as chair, secretary and treasurer. The website Parentkind offers lots of resources to help you set up a group.

Where there is an existing PTA you could support it by helping to organise or publicise events.

Give expertise Staff cannot be specialists in every area in which they teach, so external experts can help extend pupils' knowledge and skills.

You may have skills that can obviously be taken into a classroom - say, for example, you're a professional dancer or chef - but other jobs may also give you expertise you can share with pupils.

A business strategist, for example, could bring real-life experience to economics courses.

You could help with lessons or, if you have more time, run or assist with an after-school club.

Schools welcome specialisms such as web design, drama, art, entrepreneurship or sport.