"The Governing Body presented as active, sophisticated and engaged. Its grasp of statutory activities was very good, and it was evident that there was expertise and commitment. There was both documentary and anecdotal evidence that the Governing Body was operating in a determined and comprehensive way; in the reviewer’s experience considerably more effectively than many other schools." (External Review of Governance, March 2019)There is currently a vacancy for a co-opted governor to serve on the Board of Governors of Matravers School. Co-opted governors can be anyone with relevant skills, including parents of children at the school, and local authority or school employees, as well as other members of the community.
We also have a vacancy for a parent governor (and another coming up in October). Parent governors are elected by and from other parents and are vital to our governing board. You do not have to be an expert on education to be a school governor, your role would be as a typical parent bringing a parent's perspective to the running of the governing board and the school. We value the experience that all governors bring to the role. The procedure for recruiting parent governors is slightly more complex than for co-opted governors, and a longer timeframe will apply.
Why become a Governor?
Becoming a school governor involves taking on one of the most important and valuable roles in education – the strategic leadership of a school. Governors are one of the biggest groups of volunteers in the country. As a member of the Governing Board you would support the school in providing the best possible education for its pupils, as governors and the Headteacher set the school’s strategic priorities and policies together (although the Head is responsible for day-to-day leadership and management).
These are exciting times for Matravers School. We have been on a journey of transformation over the last 6 years, and results for 2018 were in the top 8% of schools nationally when compared with students with starting points similar to those at Matravers. It is our intention to ensure this upward trend continues. During these past few years, governors have played an important role working with the Headteacher to set the vision for the school, and supporting him in working towards it. We now have ambitious plans for improvements to the school premises, including a new maths and science block due to be completed towards the end of 2019.
Who might apply:
Guy Davies and Brian Ralph, Co-chairs of the Board of Governors, would like to invite parents/carers, and people from the local community who may be able to bring valuable skills to the school, to consider putting themselves forward for the vacancy.
They would especially welcome applications from people who have experience of leadership and management in the public or private sectors for the co-opted vacancy. Prior involvement in school governance would be an advantage, but not essential as induction and training will be provided.
The successful candidate will share the Board’s vision for Matravers to be a "world-class centre for teaching and learning at the heart of our region, the secondary school of choice for young people in the area. "Applicants must be IT literate, be confident in the use of email and have a basic understanding of Microsoft Office 365 as all our documents are stored in a collaborative working environment on our governor SharePoint site. (Training in the use of MS Office 365 can be provided if required)
Governors are expected to commit themselves to the role and this will require them to attend two Tuesday evening meetings a term (six terms per year) for formal governor meetings. In addition, they will be expected to attend some training events throughout the year relevant to their role on the Board. There are also occasional daytime visits to the school (to be attended if possible) to enable governors to ‘see the school in action’ as well as to support occasional governor related panels and working groups. You would also need to find time for reading documents in preparation for meetings, and other communications and circulars.
Applicants would be expected to complete an application form and skills audit, and if appointed – to undergo a referencing process and DBS check. This is necessary to comply with the school’s safeguarding obligations.
How to find out more:
To find out more about being a governor at this school, please refer to the further information provided on the school’s website. Alternatively, you may prefer to contact the clerk, Mrs Jessica Yeatman, who will be happy to arrange for an existing governor to talk to you. She can be emailed at Jyeatman@matravers.wilts.sch.uk, or you can leave a message at the school.
If you would like to put yourself forward for either role, please complete and return the application form by the 24th May 2019. Forms are available on the Matravers website, or can be obtained from the school’s reception desk.
(Updated 02/05/2019)
(Updated 02/05/2019)
