On 26 April the 6^th annual school governor conference “Providing a Whole Education for All: Inclusivity in a Diverse World” was held at Chancellors Conference Centre in Fallowfield. The audience was mainly made up of University staff who volunteer as school and college governors in Greater Manchester and beyond, the vast majority of whom have become school governors since the School Governor Initiative (UMSGI) was launched in 2011. 90 delegates attended including 10 keynote speakers and workshop leaders.

We were delighted that so many University staff took time out of their busy work schedules to attend this development opportunity which is provided freely to all governors and to their governing body Chairs and Vice-chairs. The conference is an opportunity for University staff to come together to learn from educational professionals and also to share their experiences with their peers who are all undertaking similar roles but in different school settings. The University provides this opportunity to give back to all our staff who commit their time and energy to this challenging volunteer role.

The conference was supported by individual members of staff who gave keynote addresses and delivered workshops during the day as well as external educational organisations who came to share their expertise on a wide variety of subjects relating to schools and governance. Professor Mel Ainscow and Dr Terry Hanley from the Manchester Institute of Education delivered inspiring key notes and Patrick Johnson, Head of Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity gave a thought-provoking opening address and set the theme for the day.

The school governor initiative now comprises a network of 220 members of staff across all areas of the University and over 400 Alumni governors across England. If you are interested in finding out more about UMSGI please contact Alison Gregory for further information.