Jess Bates

Jess Bates is an award-winning thought leader spearheading the STEM Governors for Schools Skills Programme. School governors help to shape school policies and aims, allowing teachers to focus on delivering high-quality educational experiences. However, over one third of schools in England have one or more vacancy on their governing boards. This is a massive problem that Jess and Governors for Schools Skills Programme are aiming to fix. Jess has revolutionised the concept of STEM Governance, anchoring industry professionals within school leadership teams to drive STEM attainment while delivering tailored curriculum support. Under Jess’s Leadership, a team of 80 STEM governors delivered over 26,000 hours of voluntary time to over 35,000 under-represented young people. With a strong commitment to diversity, half of the STEM Governors are women, and 25% come from the early careers community. Beyond STEM Governance, Jess has designed a learning and development pathway enabling team members to progress from STEM Ambassadors to STEM Governors, integrating continuous professional development opportunities and enhancing employee retention and progression. Jess’s approach strategically focuses on increasing representation in girls’ schools, schools in areas of deprivation and SEND settings while building strategic alliances with organisations like STEM Learning, the Careers and Enterprise Company and the Department for Education.