Parent Governor Vacancy
Due to the term of office coming to an end for one of our Parent Governors, we now have a vacancy on the Governing Body. Any parent or carer with parental responsibility of one of our students is eligible to stand as a candidate for this position.
Parent Governors are an important element in achieving an effective and well-balanced Governing Body. They are representative of the parental voice on the Governing Body and they contribute to the strategic direction of the school from that perspective.
The Governing Body sets the strategy in which the school operates and all Governors have a vital role to play in ensuring that every child gets the best possible education. You do not have to be an expert on education to be a School Governor, and we value the experience that all Governors bring to the role.
What do School Governors do?
- School Governors set the strategic direction of the school which directly affects the education and well-being of the students.
- They work closely with the Headteacher and Senior Leadership Team, holding them to account for the decisions that they make in relation to the leadership of the school. They also play an important role in improving standards by monitoring the performance of the School and ensuring that the school’s budget is closely scrutinised.
- They may also be involved in staff recruitment, student discipline matters, student admissions and admission appeals and they approve school policies and procedures.
- Parent Governors provide a vital means for parents to get their views heard by the Governing Body as a whole.
Are you interested?
If you are interested in becoming a Parent Governor but feel a little daunted by the responsibility you may be taking on, please remember that full training will be available and you will always act as part of a team. No particular experience or qualifications are required. Your role would be to bring a parent’s perspective to the running of the Governing Body and the school.
Your commitment:
If you become a Governor, you will be taking on the following commitments to help make sure the School is well managed;
- Share the responsibilities of the Governing Body as summarised above.
- Attend and participate in Governors’ meetings on a regular basis – the Governors generally meet once a month.
- You will need to set aside time to be able to be an effective Governor: including time to prepare for meetings, for visiting the school and undertaking appropriate training (this will include completing relevant safeguarding training).
- You may also be invited to sit on appointment panels or attend events at the school.
There are certain circumstances that disqualify an individual from serving as a School Governor which are listed at the end. If you wish to stand as a candidate, it will be necessary for you to complete a self-declaration of eligibility to state that there are no reasons for disqualification.
Unless later disqualified, an appointed Parent Governor will serve a four-year term but can resign at any time. If your child leaves the school, you can continue as a Governor until the end of your term of office.
If you wish to propose yourself as a candidate:
Please complete the nomination form and return it to the Clerk to Governors, Mrs Debbie Ellis, via debbie.ellis@calday.co.uk by no later than 12.00 noon on Friday 3rd January 2025.
If there is only one candidate then that parent will be elected unopposed and parents/carers will be notified of the successful parent. If there is more than one candidate then a voting paper, listing the names of all eligible candidates proposed and including any personal statements received by the due date, will be issued to all parents/carers eligible to vote.
Please note that if you are elected you will be asked to complete a Disclosure and Barring Service check.
Should you wish to know more about the role of Parent Governor, or the appointment process, please do not hesitate to contact Mrs Ellis on 0151 6252727.
SCHOOL GOVERNOR ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
To qualify to become a Governor you must:
- be aged 18 or over at the date of the election or appointment and not be a registered student at the school;
- not be paid to work at the school for more than 500 hours in a year;
- not be an elected member of the Local Authority;
- not have had not had your estate sequestrated and the sequestration order has not been discharged, annulled or reduced or be the subject of a bankruptcy restriction order or an interim order;
- not be subject to a disqualification order or a disqualification undertaking under the Company Director’s Disqualification Act 1986 or to an order made under section 429(2)(b) of the Insolvency Act 1986 (failure to pay under county court administration order);
- not be disqualified from being a director by virtue of any provision in the Companies Act 2006 or disqualified from acting as a trustee by virtue of section 178 of the Charities Act 2011 (or any statutory re-enactment or modification of that provision);
- not have been removed from the office of charity trustee or trustee for a charity by an order made by the Charity Commission or the High Court on the grounds of any misconduct or mismanagement in the administration of the charity for which you were responsible or to which you were privy, or which your conduct contributed to or facilitated;
- not be included in the list of those considered by the Secretary of State as unsuitable to work with children or young people;
- not be disqualified from working with children;
- not have received a sentence of imprisonment (whether suspended or not) for a period of not less than three months (without the option of a fine) in the five years before becoming a governor or since becoming a governor;
- not have received a prison sentence of 2.5 years or more in the 20 years before becoming a governor;
- not have at any time received a prison sentence of five years or more;
- not have been fined for causing a nuisance or disturbance on school premises during the five years prior to or since appointment or election as a governor;
- be willing to undertake an enhanced Disclosure Barring Service Check.
