Your school in your community 

A school's role in the community extends beyond education. They act as a vital hub for social cohesion and community engagement. Schools educate students, foster social connections, offer community services, and contribute to the local 
economy. They also play a role in emergency response and civic engagement.  

Could you be our new community governor? 

School governors play a key role in ensuring the effective governance of our schools. It is vital that our governing committees are representative of the communities we serve, and there is no fixed idea of what a ‘good’ governor looks like.  

If you can commit a few hours a term, are willing to get involved and keen to make a difference for our children and young people, we want to hear from you, whatever your background or experience.  

As a governor, you will work together as a group to: 

• Monitor and review school performance
• Build relationships with senior staff to provide effective support and challenge
• Undertake termly visits to school to gain assurance that strategies are working
• Engage with pupils, staff, parents and the wider school community to understand their views.

Eligibility 

Any member of the community can put themselves forward to be a governor, so long as they are over the age of 18 and not disqualified from holding office (the Head of Governance and Compliance can advise if you are not sure if this applies to you). 

Application process 

The Board of Trustees appoints community governors. There is a short application form in which we ask you to share your skills, experience and motivation for becoming a governor. If you put yourself forward for the role, you would normally be invited to meet informally with the chair of governors and one or more trustees. This allows potential governors to understand our expectations of the role and to answer any questions they may have.  
Governors usually serve for four years, renewable subject to eligibility and agreement by the Board of Trustees.   

As a governor, you can: 

• Support and enhance children and young people’s life chances by using your personal experience and skills to bring fresh perspectives to the committee
• Work with the school’s executive teams to ensure pupils get the education they need to succeed
• Represent the voice of the local community and ensure that often-overlooked groups are included in discussions
• Contribute positively to your local community, and the wider communities where the academy trust operates
• Build professional networks and acquire new skills to further benefit yourself, the school and its pupils.

What you can expect from the Trust:

• A warm welcome and support from a knowledgeable Chair
• A ‘buddy’ who is an experienced governor or trustee
• Induction material, including tools and resources, to help you familiarise yourself with the role
• Access to training and development opportunities to help you in your role
• The information you need to ask the right questions at the right time
• Professional clerking and a contact point for questions.

What we expect from governors:

• Commitment to prepare for and attend four committee meetings per year, in school, plus one trust-wide ‘governance development’ session every other year
• All governors to attend a minimum of one school visit/event each academic year
• If serving as a link governor, commitment to undertake two visits per academic year in school hours, preparing a short report of your findings to present to the next committee meeting
• If serving as a link governor, attend at least one meeting annually with the link governors from all the governing committees and the link trustee
• Completion of mandatory safeguarding training, declaration of relevant personal or business interests, DBS checks and adherence to the governance code of conduct
• Enthusiasm to participate in the school community and understand what life is like for pupils, and champion the school in the community
• A willingness to undertake additional training in your own time to support you in your role
• Readiness to remain impartial
• Ability to maintain confidentiality.

Governor Vacancies