A CHARITY is appealing for more business professionals to volunteer as school governors to help tackle Barnsley's poor performance in school league tables.

Provisional figures released by the Department for Education put Barnsley 13 out of 15 local authority areas in Yorkshire and the Humber, according to charity SGOSS - Governors for Schools.

SGOSS says strengthening governing bodies could help raise standards and that the business community was well-poised to help.

Spokesman Will Mason-Jebb said: "We need skilled volunteers who could make a huge difference to local education in Barnsley to come forward and become school governors."

** The full story appears in the Barnsley Chronicle, dated December 5. **