Are you enthusiastic about education?
Do you have some time to spare?
If so, then you may be just the person we need!
We are looking for committed people to join The Willows Primary School’s Governing Board as Co-opted Governors.
We have a number of vacancies in the co-opted governor category and would welcome applications from people with experience in:
* Finance (Accountant, Finance Manager etc)
* Human Resources
* Legal (Paralegal, Solicitor etc)
* Health and Safety (H&S officer, union rep etc)
* Capital projects management
The Governing Board of our school is made up of parent, staff, local authority and co-opted governors.
The recruitment process initially requires you to complete an application form (attached).
The next stage is the completion of a skills audit, to allow the Governing board to understand your skill set.
The final stage is an interview with the Headteacher and Chair of Governors.
The Governing Board operates at a strategic level and is not involved in the day-to-day running of the school. We are responsible for both the conduct of the school and for the promotion of high standards. We carry out this role by setting the vision for the school, ensuring that the school works efficiently and effectively towards achieving its vision, and that the school provides a high quality education for its pupils. This is done by building a thorough knowledge of the school and its community, by both supporting and constructively challenging the school, and by ensuring accountability and compliance.
Governors need not be experts in the field of education. What they do need is an interest in the school and in the welfare of its pupils, together with the time and willingness to get involved. The skills you have can be very useful to the Governing Board.
Governors also need ‘soft skills’ – the ability to be able to build relationships with a range of people, to be able to work as part of a team, to be able to question, and to make connections between different types of information. All governors are expected to be able to read budget reports and data on school standards.
Our Governing Board has certain expectations of governors, which currently are:
* to attend and contribute to monthly meetings of the full Governing Board,
* when required, to sit on any committee or working party and attend all associated meetings
* to monitor a subject link area within the school, e.g. Numeracy, Literacy, Special Educational Needs, Early Years, etc., and meet with the staff subject leader on a minimum of a termly basis, reporting on each visit to the Governing Board
* to visit the school formally for monitoring purposes as directed by the Governing Board,
* to visit the school informally on occasion,
* to commit to attend training courses,
* to comply with the expectations set out in our Code of Conduct.
In return, our Governing Board commits to:
* provide you with an experienced governor as mentor,
* provide you with a structured induction,
* provide access to quality training via the National College for Teaching & Leadership or local authority Governor Support Unit,
* develop your skills in strategic management,
* offer you an insight into the wider perspective of the school,
* give you the opportunity to make a difference to our school and the outcomes for our pupils.
If you would like to find out more about how you can contribute to governance at our school, or have any questions about anything, then please contact the school office which will then arrange for a governor to contact you.
To apply for one of the vacancies please download the letter at the bottom of this page, complete the attached form and return it to the school office for the attention of the Headteacher.
Yours faithfully
Mrs F Weston
Chair of Governors