Parents Parent Governor Vacancy - February 2025

24 February 2025

Dear Parent

I am writing to inform you of an opportunity to join our Local Governing Body as a Parent Governor. There is one vacancy.

The role of the Local Governing Body

The Academy's Local Governing Body is a committee of our Trust Board and its role is to uphold Lincolnshire Gateway's vision, values, policies and priorities, to provide oversight and assurance for the Academy's educational performance and to develop and strengthen the Academy's links with the local community. Each local governor is expected to challenge, question and support the Academy's leadership. The Local Governing Body is passionate about education and committed to continuous school improvement to ensure the best possible outcomes for our students.

The role of a parent governor

As a parent governor, you will work with the Local Governing Body to ensure it effectively carries out the duties referred to above. You will also play a vital role in bringing a parental perspective to the Local Governing Body, but you are not there to speak ‘on behalf' of the parent body.

To be a parent governor you should have:

• A strong commitment to the role and to improving outcomes for children
• Good interpersonal skills, curiosity, and a willingness to learn and develop new skills
• Excellent communication, critical listening and the ability to ask effective questions
• Skills and experience in any of the following areas: understanding of data, knowledge of education, leadership and management skills, risk management skills, legal expertise or marketing and communications skills.

Expectations of governors

Local governors are expected to attend regular meetings (usually between 3 and 6 per academic year), be committed to training, be keen to take on a Link Governor role, eg SEND/safeguarding, etc.

The term of office is for a 4-year term. New governors must undertake to complete a full DBS check before commencement of their term.

How to apply

Parents who wish to apply please complete the electronic nomination form via this link: https://forms.office.com/e/kV5eX0WJgr by no later than 9:00am on Monday 3 March 2025. The QR code overleaf can also be used to access the electronic nomination form. Alternatively, a paper copy of the form can be collected from the Academy Reception office.

For further information on becoming a governor please visit: https://lincolnshiregateway.co.uk/lincolnshiregateway/media/files/governor-handbook.pdf.

If we receive more nominations than vacancies, a secret ballot will be carried out. I will inform you closer to the time if we have to do this.

Yours faithfully

Miss K Revell
Governance Professional

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Annex

Qualifications and Disqualifications to serve as a Parent Governor

A person must be aged 18 or over at the date of their election or appointment. No current pupil of the academies in the Trust shall be a governor. A ‘parent’ for the purpose of the election is a person with ‘parental responsibility’ as defined by the Children Act 1989.

A person shall be disqualified from holding office or continuing to hold office as parent governor if:

• s/he becomes incapable by reason of illness or injury of managing or administering his own affairs;
• s/he is absent without the permission of the Governing Body from all their meetings held within a period of six months, and the governors resolve that his office be vacated;
• s/he has been declared bankrupt and/or his estate has been seized from his possession for the benefit of his creditors and the declaration or seizure has not been discharged, annulled or reduced; or
• s/he is the subject of a bankruptcy restrictions order or an interim order;
• s/he is subject to a disqualification order or a disqualification undertaking under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986; or
• s/he is subject to an order made under section 429(2)(b) of the Insolvency Act 1986 (failure to pay under county court administration order);
• s/he ceases to be a governor by virtue of any provision in the Companies Act 2006;
• s/he is disqualified from acting as a governor by virtue of section 178 of the Charities Act 2011 (or any statutory re-enactment or modification of that provision); or
• s/he is otherwise found to be unsuitable by the Secretary of state;
• s/he has 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 he was responsible; or to which he was privy; or which he, by his conduct, contributed to or facilitated;
• s/he has, at any time, been convicted of any criminal offence, excluding any that have been spent under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 as amended, and excluding any offence for which the maximum sentence is a fine or a lesser sentence except where a person has been convicted of any offence which falls under section 178 if the Charities Act 2011;
• s/he has not provided to the Trust a criminal records certificate at an enhanced disclosure level under section 113B of the Police Act 1997;
• s/he is an employee of the Academy or has a close family member, such as spouse, partner, parent or child, who is employed by the Academy.