Clerk to Governors - London, United Kingdom - Islington Council

Islington Council

Verified Company

London, United Kingdom

2 weeks ago

Posted by:

Tom O´Connor

beBee Recruiter

Description

Clerks to governors play an important part in supporting school governing boards to manage agendas, distribute supporting documentation and quickly turn around accurate minutes.

They also provide advice on governance and procedures to the governors, and manage records in relation to the membership of the governing board.

Clerks to Governors - Islington

We seek two to three people to join the team of clerks. It would be an excellent second job or a great flexible work opportunity.

Clerks to governors play an important part in supporting school governing boards to manage agendas, distribute supporting documentation and quickly turn around accurate minutes.

We are seeking applicants with experience of minute taking, ideally clerking for schools. The role provides an opportunity for flexible working and you must be able to attend evening meetings. The meetings are likely to be a mixture of remote (virtual) and face-to-face meetings.

You will possess excellent people skills and the ability to form and maintain professional relationships with our schools.

It is essential that you can work to deadlines, with the ability to organise meetings effectively, assemble supporting information and take accurate minutes.

You will be required to give advice to governing boards about procedures, with support from the central team. There will be regular briefings to support clerks, including developing your understanding of good practice and statutory guidance. You will use a database to manage the governors' meetings and governing board membership.

In addition, you should possess all of the following:

A good understanding of the role of governing boards in the school system
Excellent literacy and oral communication skills
Ability to work professionally and form strong and trusted relationships with school partners
Proven effective administrative experience, including maintaining records and databases

Experience as a clerk to school governors, experience of governance, and/or other experience of school governance or schools' administration would be an advantage

We will pay a competitive rate for the services provided by you. We will require an Enhanced DBS check and satisfactory references, one from your most recent employer.

The rate will be equivalent to PO2 - £318 for a full governing board meeting, £256 for a committee meeting, to include all aspects of the role.

Interviewswill be held near Highbury and Islington Station on Monday 19 and Tuesday 20 June 2023.

The clerk to the governing body will:

Provide advice to the governing body
Advise the governing body on governance legislation and procedural matters where necessary before, during and after meetings
Act as the first point of contact for governors with queries on procedural matters
Have access to appropriate legal advice, support and guidance, and where necessary seek advice and guidance from third parties on behalf of the governing body
Inform the governing body of any changes to its responsibilities as a result of a change in the school
Offer advice on best practice in governance, including on committee structures and selfevaluation
Ensure that statutory policies are in place, and are revised when necessary, with the assistance of staff
Advise on the annual calendar of governing body meetings and tasks
Send new governors induction materials and ensure they have access to appropriate documents, including any agreed Code of Practice
Contribute to the induction of governors taking on new roles, in particular chair or chair of a committee

Effective administration of meetings

With the chair and headteacher prepare a focused agenda for governing body and committee meetings
Liaise with those preparing papers to make sure they are available on time, and distribute the agenda and papers as required by legislation or other regulations;
Ensure meetings are quorate
Record the attendance of governors at meetings (and any apologies - whether they have been accepted or not), and take appropriate action in relation to absences, including advising absent governors of the date of the next meeting
Draft minutes of governing body meetings, indicating who is responsible for any agreed action with timescales, and send drafts to the chair and (if agreed by the governing body), the headteacher.
Circulate the reviewed draft to all governors (members of the committee), the headteacher (if not a governor) and other relevant body, such as the local authority/diocese/foundation/trust as agreed by the governing body and within the timescale agreed with the governing body
Follow-up any agreed action points with those responsible and inform the chair of progress

Membership

Advise governors and appointing bodies in advance of the expiry of a governor's term of office, so elections or appointments can be organised in a timely manner;
Chair that part of the meeting at which the chair is elected, giving procedu