Governor Application Pack

FAQ’s:

Foreword from Sarah Bennett, Chief Executive Officer Inspiring Futures through Learning Expand

I am delighted to introduce this governor application page, the aim of which is to help recruit and retain high-quality governors in all of our schools.

If you are interested in becoming a governor, you will find the following pages very useful in making your mind up whether this is something for you!

As our family of schools has grown, I have become ever more grateful for the quality of support and challenge provided by trustees and governors alike. Week in, week out Trustees work selflessly behind the scenes making sure that as a Trust we remain on track to meet our high-level strategic goals.  At a school / local level, governors work strategically and closely with headteachers and senior leaders to make sure that our children have the best education possible.

Together as a team, we share a sense of great responsibility to the thousands of children and adults who belong to our IFtL community. They have invested trust and faith in our ability to be the best we can be, to be at the forefront of educational excellence and above all, to prepare our children so that they can go on to live successful and fulfilling lives.

The role of trustees and governors is crucial as we continue along our journey. Bringing their own unique skills and life experience is invaluable as we ensure governance across IFtL is characterised by a diversity of perspectives and insight.

I welcome your interest in becoming a governor. Providing strategic leadership and accountability in our schools is a big job and it may not be for everyone. However, if you are reading this, then there is a very good chance that you are already thinking seriously about joining us. So, do please take the next step and speak to your local Chair of Governors or get in touch with our Head of Governance, Stephanie Boak.

Hopefully, one day we will meet at a school near you!

Sarah Bennett

CEO

 

How do schools achieve success for their pupils, staff and communities? Leaders like YOU…….!!!! Expand

Behind every successful school is a team of strategic leaders; different one from the other but kindred in spirit and ambition. Famously described as ‘unsung heroes’, these school governors give generously of their time in pursuit of one shared purpose; to ensure our children and young people receive the very best education and support possible.

Across our schools, we are looking to recruit governors from a range of backgrounds who will strengthen the team. We need people who are passionate about the education and life chance of our young people and their communities but not necessarily from an educational background. In fact, we are looking for people who bring a diversity of skills and experiences who think strategically and offer different perspectives.

Strong governance extends beyond the Board Room and at IFtL we encourage governors to visit the school and witness first-hand our staff and pupils hard at work. Getting to know your school is a very important part of your role and will help you in becoming a valued member of an effective Local Governing Body.

If you are interested in becoming a governor, you will be invited to meet the Chair of the Local Governing Body, the Headteacher and the Clerk to Governors and to have a tour of the school. Where everyone is happy to proceed, your application will be forwarded to the Trust Board for approval and ratification.

Once appointed, you will be able to access high-quality training so that you are able to hit the ground running. Being a governor can also help develop other skills in your personal and professional life as you gain insight into the strategic world of school business.

If being a school governor is something that may interest you please contact the Chair of Governors via the school office, or Stephanie Boak, Head of Governance at Inspiring Futures through Learning:  sboak@iftl.co.uk or call  01908 533283 

How does Governance work across IFtL? Expand

There are 3 tiers of governance;

  1. Members
  2. Board of Trustees and their committees
  3. Local Governing Bodies (Governors)

Legally, trustees are accountable for the educational and financial performance of each of our schools and to do this effectively they separate these functions across 2 main committees; (i) Education Excellence, (ii) Finance & Future Growth and (iii) Audit & Risk. 

What is the role of the Local Governing Body (LGB)?    

The Board of Trustees also delegates specific and very important duties to Local Governing Bodies to ensure that in each school close attention is paid to:

  • The standards of educational performance for all pupils,
  • The wellbeing and safety of all pupils and adults
  • The role the school plays within its local community.

Across each tier of governance, trustees and governors work hard to ensure IFtL offers the very best education and life chances for every pupil. 

How are Local Governing Bodies constituted?

Local Governing Bodies are formed of governors representing different sectors of both the school and the local community. Each LGB comprises of at least 7, but no more than 12 members:

  • Parent governors (2 elected by parent group)
  • Staff governor (at least 1 elected by staff)
  • Trust appointed governors (between 3 – 8 appointed by Trust Board)
  • Headteacher (ex-officio member)

Whether you are a parent or work in a local business, whether you are professionally qualified or a keen volunteer, there is a place around the table for your skills and experience. 

Am I the ‘right person’ – could I be a governor? 

Governors are appointed because they have a passion for education and possess a variety of skills and experience that they bring to the table. These attributes combine to provide an effective forum for strategic discussion and supportive challenge focused on how well the school is doing.

Governors work collectively as a ‘corporate’ body making decisions as a Board.  There needs to be a healthy balance of skills and professional backgrounds around the table so typically, we look to recruit governors with expertise in relevant fields such as finance, HR, legal, safeguarding, health and safety and of course education. However, this list is by no means exhaustive and above all, we need people who have the desire and can commit the time to make our schools wonderful places for our pupils to be safe, happy and learn.

What am I expected to do as a governor?

LGBs meet half-termly (6 times per year, for approximately 2 hours, often of an evening) and it is important that you can attend these meetings so that you are up to date and able to contribute fully to discussions.

In addition to this, you will be expected to visit the school during the day (a minimum of 3 times per year) and may be assigned a specific ‘link role’ to champion certain elements of governor responsibilities. These governor visits are an important part of getting to know the school and provide first-hand insight into many of the items discussed at LGB meetings.

Effective governance is crucial to the success of a school and so as a Trust, we ensure that you are provided with appropriate induction training soon after you take up office and ongoing mandatory development training (up to 6 times per year).  Governors are also supported throughout their term within their Board, by their Governance Professional, by the Head of Governance and with access to a National Leader of Governance (NLG).

You are also expected to abide by IFtL’s ‘Code of Conduct‘ which sets out the standards of behaviour expected of all governors at all times. You are required by law to undertake an enhanced DBS check to confirm suitability for appointment as a governor.

I wish to become a governor, what are the next steps? Expand

Being a governor brings responsibilities but also huge rewards, many professional related but many more personally. There is nothing more important than helping to make sure this generation of young learners, go on to achieve their full potential. It is they after all, who will be looking after our interests in the years to come!

If you are interested in joining our team, then please speak to the Headteacher / Principal  or Chair of Governors, who you will be able to contact via the school office or call our Head of Governance at IFtL, Stephanie Boak on 01908 533283 or email sboak@iftl.co.uk 

We will arrange to meet with you and to have a tour of the school. We will also ask that you complete the form below including the names of two referees so that your application can be processed and forwarded to the Board of Trustees for consideration.

More information on Governance in IFtL

Are you ready to apply?

Before completing this form you will need to know:

  • Your two referee’s contact details and supporting statement
  • If you have a current DBS, your DBS date (if known)

Governor Application Form

Name(Required)
DD slash MM slash YYYY
Address(Required)
Type of Governor(Required)
Please state whether you would be willing to serve on a different LGB if there are no vacancies at first preference.
Current employment: Please state your employer, role, length of time in the role and a summary of responsibilities. Include details of any relevant previous employment.
Please state the institution, qualification received and classification. Include details of any further relevant training.
Other relevant interests and experience This may include any hobbies, volunteering and charity work, personal interests or achievements that may help you become an effective school governor.
Please explain why you wish to become a school governor.

Please include any skills and experiences you have from either your professional or personal background, or any other area of expertise, which you feel are relevant and support your application.

Parent / Staff governor applicants: please note that where there are more nominations than places available, a ballot will held. In these cases, the information contained in the ‘Supporting Statement’ section of this form will be made available to the parent body / staff body as appropriate as part of the election process.

Skills Audit

Please tick to indicate how confident you are in the following areas: (1 being not confident/no experience and 5 being very confident/professional level of knowledge or expertise)
Strategic planning(Required)
Setting a vision, values and goals(Required)
Public sector or charity governance(Required)
Knowledge of the education sector(Required)
Teamwork and collaborative decision making(Required)
Communication skills(Required)
Financial management(Required)
Fundraising/ income generation(Required)
Performance management(Required)
Human resources(Required)
Data analysis(Required)
Legal skills(Required)
Health and safety(Required)
Premises management(Required)
Curriculum and assessment(Required)
Safeguarding(Required)
Special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)(Required)
Approving and monitoring the implementation of policies(Required)
Compliance(Required)
Marketing/public relations(Required)
ICT or technology skills(Required)
Procurement(Required)
Procurement(Required)
Further or higher education(Required)
Knowledge of the local community(Required)

References for Local Governing Body Application

As part of the application process, in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) 2022, you will be required to provide contact details for two employment referees to support your application. If you do not have employment details, please provide details for 2 referees. In the first instance, they should be an individual with professional standing eg: doctor, teacher, nurse, lawyer, religious leader etc. They must be over 18 years of age and have known you for at least two years. (If you are unsure about the availability of references, please do contact us to talk this through) Referees will be contacted prior to appointment to verify that you are a suitable person to be involved in school governance.
Name of Referee 1(Required)
State how long you have known Referee 1 and in what capacity.
Name of Referee 2(Required)
State how long you have known Referee 1 and in what capacity.

Disclosure and Barring and Recruitment Checks

* IFtL is legally obligated to process an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check before making appointments to relevant posts. * The DBS check will reveal both spent and unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands and final warnings, and any other information held by local police that is considered relevant to the role. Any information that is “protected” under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 will not appear on a DBS certificate. * If you are going to be involved in regulated activity, the DBS check will include a barred list check. * Any data processed as part of the DBS check will be processed in accordance with data protection regulations and IFtL’s privacy notice.
Do you have a DBS certificate?(Required)
If you have lived or worked outside of the UK, IFtL may require additional information in order to comply with ‘safer recruitment’ requirements. If you answer ‘yes’ to the question below, we may contact you for additional information in due course.
DD slash MM slash YYYY
Have you lived or worked outside of the UK for more than 3 months since the age of 18?(Required)
* Your position as governor will be conditional on the satisfactory completion of the necessary pre-employment checks. * We will not ask for any criminal records information until we have received the results of a DBS check. * Any convictions listed on a DBS check will be considered on a case-by-case basis. * Applicants should be aware of the following circumstances which might prevent them from being appointed as a governor: - Inclusion in the list of those unsuitable to work with children - Have been sentenced to 3 months or more in prison (without the option of a fine) in the 5 years before becoming a governor or since becoming a governor - Have received a prison sentence of 2 and a half years or more in the 20 years before becoming a governor - Have received a prison sentence of 5 years or more - Have been fined for causing a nuisance or disturbance on school premises during the 5 years prior to or since appointment or election as a governor

Section 128 Check

IFtL will carry out a section 128 check. A person issued with a section 128 direction under the Education and Skills Act 2008 is prohibited or restricted from taking part in the management of a school. This includes trustees, and governors on local governing bodies who have been delegated any management responsibilities.

Data Protection Notice

Throughout this form, we ask for some personal data about you. We will only use this data in line with data protection legislation and process your data for one or more of the following reasons permitted in law: * You have given us your consent * We must process it to comply with our legal obligations
Consent(Required)
Consent(Required)
Name(Required)
DD slash MM slash YYYY

If you would like to receive a paper copy of the application form please email sboak@iftl.co.uk