From Bob the Builder to John Peel, Richard Branson to Victoria Wood, governors know who they would like to work with.

For nearly two years, The TES has been asking ordinary board members who their fantasy governor would be. And our completely unscientific review of your choices has thrown up some interesting findings.

Virgin boss Richard Branson was the individual with the single largest number of nominations (three), with The TES’s own columnist Ted Wragg close behind (on two).

Branson headed up a group of business people nominated for their financial acumen and decision-making powers, which also included Anita Roddick, a former teacher and founder of the Body Shop; John Harvey-Jones, the industrialist and management guru who famously described the Office for Standards in Education as “an absolute pain”; and Bill Gates, Microsoft supremo.

Penny Kendall, vice-chair of Isis C of E middle school in Oxford, reckoned Mr Branson would be “inventive with our slender resources, and supportive of the excellent work with children with special needs”, while John Holmes, of Penketh high school, Warrington, felt he would be inspirational and a good role model for pupils.

Phil Raynsford, parent governor and vice-chair at West Twyford primary, west London, nominated Anita Roddick for her “personality and drive without alienating other people”, while Derek Burke, an LEA governor at Millbrook community school, Southampton, was impressed with Bill Gates’s “ability to conjure up money and make things happen”.

Ted Wragg’s nominations, along with one each for David Moore, OFSTED’s chief inspector of schools, and Gervase Phinn, inspector, writer and after-dinner speaker of choice, means the educationists match the businessmen.

There were also four nominations for figures from fiction or fantasy - Darth Vader, Bob the Builder, Lara Croft, and “someone who can read Department for Education and Skills information and instantly translate it into plain English”, (Lyn Werrell, of Stephen Freeman primary, Didcot, Oxfordshire).

Professor Wragg - “he’s so funny and thought-provoking” said Rosalind Beeson, of Ilkley grammar school, West Yorkshire - was flattered to be in the same list as Luke Skywalker’s dad.

“Me and Darth! I’m not a school governor at present, but I have been for many years. Last time was a few years ago, at St Thomas high school, Exeter (now West Exeter College of Technology),” he said.

Actors Liz Hurley and Tom Cruise won “eye candy” votes from governors of the opposite sex. Caron Frame, teacher governor at Bettws high school, Newport, Gwent, said: “When the meetings are long, you need something pretty to look at,” while Clive Boyles, of Coedcae, Llanelli, reckoned “everyone” would want to become a governor if Hugh Grant’s ex-girlfriend were on the board.

Fellow thespian Robin Williams (“great sense of humour, and you need it”, said Carolyn Yaghooby, of West Twyford primary, Ealing, London) should, however, probably join the six-strong group of comedians nominated by governors. French and Saunders would be “absolutely fabulous” reckoned Liz Constantinides, a parent governor at Hazelwood infant and juniors, Enfield, while Victoria Wood’s “plain speaking would be a welcome alternative to jargon”, said Jacqui Bailey, parent governor at Ecclesall C of E juniors, Sheffield.

Billy Connolly would be a laugh, said Sailesh Mehta, a co-opted governor at Chiswick community school, West London, as would Harry Enfield, according to Penny Rodrigues, a governor at Betty Bayward primary, north London.

But while governors nominated comedians for positive reasons, politicians and civil servants were usually singled out almost as an act of revenge.

Malcolm Wright, of Rush Common primary, Abingdon, wanted a DFES mandarin on board “to bring such people down from cloud cuckoo land”. Judith Bennett, of Chalgrove primary, Oxfordshire, felt the author of last year’s consulation on school governing bodies needed a similar brush with reality to “discover what being a governor is really like”.

And Mary Wallis-Jones, of Chalcot special school for boys with emotional and behavioural problems, Camden, wanted Prime Minister Tony Blair to “get acquainted with the day-to-day reality of social exclusion”.

There were some exceptions: London mayor Ken Livingstone (“he is not beaten down by the system,” said Conservative councillor Joan Ansell, of Springhallow special school, Ealing); Nelson Mandela (“my hero for everything”, gushed Heather McCauley, of St Anne’s school special school, Ealing); and former Tory minister Edwina Currie (“she’s a mover,” reckoned Helen Maskew, of Tenbury Wells junior and infants school, Worcestershire).

But perhaps most reassuring is that the single biggest category of nominees is “Ordinary Joes” committed to children’s education who narrowly beat both the politiciansmandarins and the comedians by nine votes to seven. Masood Ahmed, of Iqra primary school, Bradford, spoke for many when he nominated “a governor who is here for the pupils and no one else”.

The final word goes to Gerry Danby, parent governor of Bradshaw primary near Halifax. “Everyone has something to offer.”