JOB DESCRIPTION

Title: Clerk to the Board of Governors
Reports to: Chair of Governors; Headteachers
Based at: Whilst much of the role can be carried out at home, attendance will be required at all Council and committee meetings which are generally held at one of the schools within the trust. Attendance will be required at the annual away day, normally based in London and one-two days per week during term-time. Time in the school is encouraged at all other times.
Working hours: 21 hours per week per week on average, flexibly deployed between all schools within the Trust. Attendance at some evening and weekend meetings will be required.

Your duties

The School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

The following duties will be deemed to be included in the duties,which you may be required to perform:

Governance

Job Purpose: Reporting to the Chair of Council and working closely with the Heads and Chief Operating Officer, the Clerk will provide administrative services to the Council, Governors and their committees to ensure corporate compliance and effective governance.

Key Responsibilities:

Council meetings and proceedings

• Set a programme of meetings well in advance, serve the Council (three meetings a year) and the committees (currently 12 meetings a year), prepare, commission and circulate papers in good time, using the governors’ section of the Trust website as much as possible, and follow up on action items.
• Convene and attend all Council and committee meetings, record attendance, take notes and prepare minutes for signature, and record all decisions.
• Serve as necessary any working groups that may be set up from time to time.
• Arrange and attend annual Strategy Day.
• Maintain and update all terms of reference for committees and working parties.
• Ensure that Council and committee meetings are properly constituted and meetings are quorate.
• Ensure that council policies are updated regularly according to schedule, using e-mail for agreement as appropriate to amount of council business and significance of any changes.

 Legislative updates and training

• Maintain a good working knowledge of all legislation, regulation or guidance pertaining to governance as may be published by the Charity Commission, Companies House, AGBIS, ISI and other bodies as necessary.
• Provide regular updates to Council members on regulation and guidance pertaining to their statutory obligations and governance.
• Advise Council members, the Heads and senior teams on company law and governance matters, and reply to queries on statutory and procedural matters.
• Ensure that the governing instruments meet the needs of the schools and advise the Council of appropriate or necessary amendments.
• Conduct for all new Council members on behalf of the Chair of Council: formal identity checks; right to work in UK checks; DBS check; registration with Companies House as a director (as necessary);completion of declaration of interests, code of conduct and trustee appointment letter.
• Administer induction and facilitate training programmes for council members, end of first year feedback interviews with Chairman, and exit interviews as appropriate.
• Facilitate safeguarding checks and training for members.
• Liaise with legal advisors to ensure council members are full apprised of the legal implications of their decisions where relevant.

Council members and relationships

• Be accountable to the governors, working closely with the Chair of Council, other Council members, the Heads and other stakeholders.
• Be responsible for maintaining databases of Council members and their term of office, and membership of committees and working parties; and keeping the relevant web pages up-to-date.
• Maintain a record of the skills matrix of the Council, working with the chair of Governance and Nominations Committee on arrangements for appointments.
• Organise and serve any panels that may be necessary to hear appeals or deal with any grievances, complaints etc.
• Keep the governors’ portal on Firefly (or any successor computer system) up-to-date.

 Statutory documentation

• In conjunction with Chief Operating Officer (COO), ensure that statutory annual returns and other filings are sent to Companies House, and that the schools’ responsibilities to Charity Commission are met.
• Liaise with COO on preparation of annual report and accounts.
• Ensure periodic audits of governance as recommended by AGBIS.
• Ensure whatever may be required statutorily if overseas school is developed is delivered.

General

• Attend training and to develop relevant knowledge and skills.
• Other tasks to be specified that are associated with the nature of this job.
• The Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff to share this commitment.

Child protection, discipline, health and safety

• Promoting and safeguarding the welfare of children and young persons for whom you are responsible and with whom you came into contact.
• Maintaining good order and discipline among the pupils and safeguarding their health and safety both when they are on the School premises and when they are engaged in authorised school activities elsewhere.

Appraisal

• Participating in any arrangements that may be made for appraisal.

 Further training and development

• Reviewing from time to time your methods and programme of work.
• Participating in arrangements for your professional development.

Undertaking such training as may be reasonably required by the School to enable you to adapt to the changing requirements of the School and your role as may be necessary to fulfil the School’s statutory or regulatory obligations.