Do you have a passion for education, supporting young people and are looking for an opportunity to give back to the community?

Croxley Danes School is seeking two co-opted governors from the local community to join our School Board in autumn 2024. We are proactively planning for succession and looking for individuals with the time and skills to support the school. We would actively welcome applicants from diverse backgrounds that are representative of our school community.

The purpose of academy governance is strategic leadership, accountability and assurance, and strategic engagement. Governors are there to support and challenge, monitor and have oversight of the school. They do not help run the school day-to-day, that is the responsibility of the Headteacher and senior leadership team. School governors are volunteers from the local community from all different backgrounds and bring a diverse range of views to the governing board. They share their skills and time with schools to help achieve the best possible education for ts pupils. There are over 300,000 school governors in the UK, making it the largest volunteer group in the country.

Local governors in the Danes Educational Trust (DET) play a vital role in the governance of its schools and of the Trust as a whole, helping to ensure that every learner in the care of their schools receives the best possible education and has the opportunities to fulfil their potential. The Trust Board has delegated various powers and responsibilities for the governance of the school to the School Board, which is a committee of the Trust Board.

Safeguarding

The school is committed to safeguarding children and young people and expects all its employees and volunteers to share this commitment. All post holders are subject to a satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. A section 128 check and two references are also required for governors.

All governors, as members of their School Board:

• Perform a ‘non-executive’ function - a thinking role, not a doing role

• Bring their own individual perspectives, views and experiences, to contribute to the diversity of the School Board

• Have equal status, regardless of how they came to be a governor, and are not a ‘representative’ of any particular stakeholder or group of stakeholders

• Act as the local ‘eyes and ears’ of the Trust Board

• Are answerable to the Trust Board and to other stakeholders with an interest in the decisions the School Board takes

• Do not get involved in the day-to-day running of the school

Each governor will:

• Abide by the DET Code of Conduct and the seven Nolan Principles of Public Life

• Act in accordance with DET governance procedures, Scheme of Delegation and Trust and school policies and procedures

• Take account of any advice given to them by the Trust or School Board Chair

Panels and committees

When required by DET policy, and having had appropriate training, governors are expected to serve on panels or committees (of their own school and other schools in the Trust) in order to:

• Review decisions to exclude learners

• Hear parental complaints, staff grievances and disciplinary matters.

Contribution to the School Board

Governors should ensure that they are making a positive and meaningful contribution to the governing body:

• Carry out their duties and responsibilities in line with the Scheme of Delegation

• Ensure that the school operates in accordance with DET policies and procedures

• Evaluate, question and challenge evidence and advice from a range of sources, and contribute to the School Board as a team, drawing conclusions from that and reaching appropriate decisions within their remit

• Attending meetings

• Reading papers and preparing questions in advance for senior leaders

• Establishing and maintaining professional relationships with senior leaders and colleagues on the board

• Getting to know the school by carrying out two link visits (three for safeguarding link governor) per year during the school day and attend two school events per year to engage with stakeholders

• Undertaking induction training and developing knowledge and skills on an ongoing basis

• Take part in the annual governor impact review

Time commitment (minimum)

• Four School Board meetings per year, including meeting preparations and advance questions

• Annual safeguarding update training (by 30th September each year)

• Ongoing training, three development sessions per year

• Two link visits during the day (three for safeguarding governor) and visit report

• Attendance at two school events per year and visit report

• Two exclusions/complaints panels per year for any DET school

• Attendance at annual governance event

Term of office

A term of office is four years and governors may serve a maximum of two terms (eight years).

What support is available?

• Governor induction and training programme, with face-to-face and online training options on a wide range of topics

• Peer support from governor colleagues

• Professional support from our in-house Governance Professionals (also known as Clerks) and the wider DET Central Services team

• Access to resources from the National Governance Association, The Key for School Governors and HFL Education

Further information

Croxley Danes School is an all-ability, co-educational state secondary school in Croxley Green, near Watford, providing high quality education to over 1100 students ages 11-18. We are part of the Danes Educational Trust which currently comprises twelve schools in Hertfordshire.

You can visit our school and trust websites here:

https://www.croxleydanes.org.uk/

https://www.daneseducationaltrust.org.uk/

To ensure a diverse range of voices are heard, parents of Croxley Danes School and employees of the Danes Educational Trust may not be co-opted to join our School Board.

Croxley Danes School Governors’ testimonials

“I really enjoy being a governor and recognise the huge privilege of the role. I have fantastic colleagues and have learnt so much since I started. It is good to know that a well-run school benefits the students in their place of learning and staff in their place of work.”

“I’ve found it a real privilege being a Governor. It's stimulating, challenging and interesting. I really enjoy it and especially like working with the other Governors. I think we’re a good team.”