School Governor - Voluntary Position City of Wolverhampton Council Appointment status: This is a fixed term appointment for a maximum of four years from the date of appointment Hours: We are looking for someone who can attend approximately six full governing body meetings per academic year and around six committee meetings per year. Meetings are held in school, usually on an evening but some schools hold meetings during the day. These meetings are usually around 2 hours long. Governors also spend time in school during the day, around two visits per term. Salary : This is a voluntary and unpaid appointment Role Summary: Being a school governor is a challenging but hugely rewarding role. It will give you the chance to make a real difference to young people, give something back to your local community and use and develop your skills in a board-level environment. You will also be joining the largest volunteer force in the country: there are over a quarter of a million volunteers governing state funded schools in England. Schools need governing boards that have a balance and diversity of knowledge, skills and experience to enable it to be effective. As a governor you will be a volunteer who makes a vital contribution to the success of the school. School governors have three main roles. Governors ensure clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction. The governing body helps to set long-terms plans for the school, decide where improvements need to be made and how to make them. Governors hold the headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and the effective and efficient performance management of staff. The governing body looks at the quality of education being offered and ensures the head is doing everything possible to improve results. Governors oversee the financial performance of the school and make sure its money is well spent. Governors examine budgets and spending proposals to monitor whether the school is getting value for money and ensure the money is spent in the right areas. This role may be particularly of interest if you have skills in finance/accounting, human resources, data or education but we invite applications from anyone who is interested in helping the school be the best it can be – having a diverse group of people on the governing body is vital to ensure that all viewpoints of stakeholders are taken. Full training is available, and governors are encouraged to attend regular training sessions, either in person or online. As a Governor, you will be able to: Use your own experience of education and life beyond school to inform conversations • Develop and utilise your skills in a board-level environment Make a valuable contribution to education and your community Support and challenge the school so that it improves for pupils and staff Bring your unique experiences, perspectives and insights into decision-making in the interests of the school community. Anyone aged over 18 can be a governor and you do not need to be a parent. All governors will be required to undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. Remember, there is no requirement for you to have an understanding of the education system, just the desire to support school, education, and have time to contribute. There are currently a number of vacancies across the City. For an application pack, please contact Sarah McElduff, School Governance Coordinator Sarah.mcelduffwolverhampton.gov.uk Our working arrangements All council roles are allocated to either a fixed, field or flexible work style. Some roles are agile which enable and empowers employees to maximise their performance and productivity, whilst maintaining a healthy work life balance. Roles with a fixed workstyle work in a fixed permanent council location. Roles with a field workstyle are usually allocation where employees are required to be out working in the community with a minimum requirement for 'touch down' space at any council location. Roles with a flexible workstyle have a flexible base location to meet the needs of the business and employees can work from a mixture of home or any council office, partner/client, or external location, as required to meet service requirements. Please refer to the Job Description for further information on the workstyle assigned to the role you are applying for. For more information about working for our organisation including the culture of the Council, the Council plan and vision, staff equality forums, core HR policies and much more please click here. Diversity We are committed to building a workforce that is reflective of the diverse community we serve. We want to attract the best applications from people of all backgrounds and underrepresented groups because we strongly believe in adding value through diversity, inclusion, and equality. Our employees enable us to deliver services that are accessible, inclusive, and reflective of Wolverhampton residents. Our status as a Disability Confident Employer showcases our commitment to people with disabilities or health conditions, advocating for their opportunities and potential. We've received the Stonewall Silver Award, emphasising our dedication to the LGBT community by nurturing an inspiring, inclusive, and equal workplace. As of March 2023, the RACE Code Quality Mark signifies our active engagement with racial equality. These recognitions validate our continuous efforts towards fostering an inclusive work environment that respects and values our diverse employees. As part of our commitment as a Disability Confident employer, a Gold Award Armed Forces employer and our commitment to supporting care leavers - we offer a guaranteed interview as long as your application meets the essential criteria for the post. We encourage, inspire and value an inclusive culture here at the council where employees can flourish, thrive and be themselves. We have four staff equality forums for employees to join. These help to ensure our employees have a voice, they feel empowered to speak up and where everyone is treated with respect - Learn more about the staff equality forums here Recruitment of Ex-Offenders We are committed to the fair treatment of all our employees, potential employees, or users of our service regardless of offending background. The Council uses the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) for any vacancies that require a DBS check to obtain information about applicants to assess their suitability for employment in positions of trust. We do not discriminate unfairly against any individual on the basis of a conviction or any other information revealed as a result of a DBS disclosure - Learn more here Employment Information & Support If you are considering applying for an apprenticeship or a role where the salary is (Grade 2-5), and would like to visit us to learn about the application, interview process and what it is like to work for the council, please click on this link to find out more - Learn more here