Why Ethnic Diversity in School Governance Matters
Across the UK, the school population is becoming more ethnically diverse every year, yet the people who govern our schools do not reflect this reality.
Children from ethnically diverse backgrounds now make up a significant proportion of pupils in England, but that diversity is not matched in the adults who shape school policy, culture and strategy.
Representation is not symbolic; it shapes aspiration, belonging and trust in the education system.
Ethnic Diversity in Schools: Local City and Region Perspectives
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is one of the UK’s most culturally diverse regions. Census data shows that around 34.0% of children and young people in Greater Manchester identify as from an ethnically diverse background, a notably higher share than the all-age population in the area.
Certain parts of Greater Manchester, such as Manchester city itself, have a particularly diverse community: in the City of Manchester, over 40% of residents identify as Asian, Black or Mixed heritage.
Despite this, the landscape of school governance has not kept pace with the diversity of the pupils and communities that those governors serve.
London
London is the UK’s most ethnically diverse city; the capital’s overall population includes a large proportion of residents from ethnically backgrounds, with Asian and Black communities representing significant shares of its population.
Pupil data by borough shows that many areas of London have majority ethnically diverse school populations, including large proportions of Black, Asian, Mixed and other ethnically diverse pupils, far outstripping the national average.
Yet, just as across the country, this rich diversity among pupils is not mirrored in the composition of governing boards in most London schools a missed opportunity for inclusive leadership and role modelling.
Birmingham
Birmingham is one of the UK’s first truly super-diverse cities. Census figures reveal that 66.9% of residents under the age of 16 are from ethnically diverse groups, including Asian, Black, Mixed and Other heritage communities.
Looking specifically at school pupils, about 68.4% of pupils in Birmingham are from Black, Asian, Mixed or Other ethnically diverse backgrounds, reflecting a demographic profile very different from the overall national picture.
Yet once again, this diversity at pupil level does not translate into equivalent representation in school leadership and governance structures.
Why This Local Data Matters
These regional examples from Greater Manchester, London and Birmingham are important for three reasons:
- They show how much the pupil population has changed locally, with children from Black, Asian and Mixed heritage backgrounds forming an increasingly visible majority in many school communities, yet governors still overwhelmingly remain White.
- Children in diverse areas deserve to see leaders and decision-makers who reflect their identities and lived experiences. Representation at governance level sends a powerful message about belonging and aspiration.
- Local patterns of diversity highlight the urgency of targeted recruitment and support for ethnically diverse governors, especially in urban centres where the gap between pupils and governors is most stark.
Note: While national pupil diversity data is readily available, detailed ethnic diversity statistics for school governors by local authority or borough are not regularly published in the same way. However, available national evidence shows ethnically diverse governors remain significantly under-represented compared with pupil populations nationally.
The Changing Face of Our Schools
According to the Department for Education’s latest figures:
- 38% of pupils in England are now from ethnically diverse backgrounds
- In many urban areas, this figure is well over 50%
- This proportion has steadily increased over the last decade
This means that more than one in three children in our schools today come from Black, Asian or Mixed heritage communities.
Yet this diversity is not reflected in school leadership or governance.
The Hidden Inequality in School Governance
Research from Governors for Schools and national workforce surveys shows:
- Around 90% of school governors identify as White
- Only 3.5–6% of governors come from ethnically diverse backgrounds
- Many governing boards have no ethnically diverse members at all
This creates a stark contrast:
38% of pupils are from ethnically diverse backgrounds, yet fewer than 1 in 20 governors are.
Governors play a critical role in shaping school priorities from behaviour policies and curriculum choices to safeguarding, recruitment and community engagement. When boards lack diversity, they also lack lived experience of the communities they serve.
This Is Not Just a Governor Issue
The under-representation of ethnically diverse governors mirrors wider inequalities across the education workforce:
- Only around 14–15% of teachers are from ethnically diverse backgrounds
- Approximately 92% of headteachers are White British
- Many schools have no Black or Asian teachers at all
So, while children may come from richly diverse backgrounds, they are far less likely to see themselves reflected in positions of authority and leadership.
Why Representation Matters
1. Children Need Role Models at Every Level
Seeing someone “like me” in leadership builds confidence and aspiration. It sends a powerful message: you belong here, and you can lead here. This is especially important for children who already experience inequality or exclusion in wider society.
Governors may not be visible every day in classrooms, but their influence is felt in every decision made about school life.
2. Diverse Boards Make Better Decisions
Evidence consistently shows that diverse boards:
- Challenge groupthink
- Bring broader perspectives
- Make fairer, more informed decisions
- Better understand the needs of their communities
Ethnically diverse governors bring insight into cultural awareness, community engagement, and the realities faced by families from different backgrounds.
3. Trust Between Schools and Communities
For many families from ethnically diverse communities, trust in institutions has been shaped by past experiences of exclusion or discrimination. Seeing people from their own communities involved in school leadership helps rebuild that trust and strengthens partnerships between schools and parents.
Barriers That Must Be Addressed
Many people from ethnically diverse backgrounds want to serve as governors but face barriers such as:
- Lack of awareness about the role
- Perception that governance is only for professionals or insiders
- Time and financial pressures
- Limited outreach by schools
- Lack of mentoring and support
These are not talent gaps, they are access gaps.
A Call to Action
If we are serious about equality in education, we must act.
Schools, local authorities and national bodies should:
- Actively recruit governors from ethnically diverse communities
- Use targeted outreach through faith groups, community organisations and workplaces
- Provide mentoring and training for new governors
- Review recruitment practices for bias and accessibility
- Collect and publish diversity data transparently
Representation cannot be left to chance. It must be intentional.
Why This Matters Now
Our schools are preparing children for life in modern Britain a society that is proudly diverse. Yet leadership structures remain rooted in an outdated picture of who holds power.
Children deserve to see themselves not only in textbooks, but in leadership.
Not only in the classroom, but in the boardroom.
If we want an education system built on fairness, opportunity and belonging, then our governing bodies must reflect the communities they serve.
This is not about tokenism.
It is about justice.
It is about aspiration.
And it is about the future of our children.
Author Bio
Alyson Malach is a Company Director at Equality and Diversity UK, a school governor and Chair of Governors, and chair of a Police Disproportionality Panel a Police Scrutiny member, and an active member of the Greater Manchester Race Equality Group and other GMCA community networks. She is also an author, poet, Research and Development Officer, and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) practitioner with a long-standing commitment to social justice and community empowerment.
After analysing national and local data on the ethnic diversity of teachers, headteachers and school governors, Alyson has established an EDI Education Network to support schools in recruiting and selecting diverse individuals who genuinely represent their communities and help to build trust with staff, pupils and families at every level.
Several years ago, Alyson conducted a survey with ethnically diverse children and parents about their experiences of schools and colleges. She was deeply concerned to hear many children say they did not feel a sense of belonging within their institutions. Alarmingly, some shared that the people they felt safest speaking to about anxiety, complaints or trauma were not teachers or senior leaders, but ethnically diverse caretakers and cleaning staff individuals who reflected their backgrounds and had lived experience of the cultural and social challenges they faced.
These findings strengthened Alyson’s belief that representation in leadership and governance is not optional, but essential for children’s wellbeing, trust and educational success.
She encourages parents, young people and community members to join her Courageous Conversations About Race sessions which run every 6 weeks via
www.equalityanddiversity.co.uk, to continue the discussion about the urgent need for change and to consider applying for roles in school governance, teaching and leadership to help shape a more inclusive education system for future generations.
The data is clear, and the voices of children and families are even clearer. My work with ethnically diverse pupils and parents has shown that belonging cannot be created through policy alone it must be reflected in people.
If children feel safest speaking to caretakers and cleaners because they see themselves in them, then our education system must ask hard questions about who holds power and who is visible in leadership.
Through the EDI Education Network and Courageous Conversations About Race, Alyson is calling on schools, communities and decision-makers to act now: to recruit, support and champion ethnically diverse governors, teachers and leaders who truly represent the communities they serve. Our children deserve to see themselves not just in corridors, but in classrooms, boardrooms and beyond.
- “Children should not have to find safety only in the people who clean their schools they deserve to see themselves reflected in those who lead them.”
- “Representation in school governance is not symbolic; it shapes belonging, aspiration and trust.”
- “When 38% of pupils are from ethnically diverse backgrounds but fewer than one in 20 governors are, the system is out of step with the children it serves.”
- “If we want inclusive schools, we must build inclusive leadership not by chance, but by design.”
- “Belonging is created through people, not policies alone.”
- “Our children deserve to see themselves not only in textbooks, but in the boardroom.”