5 June 2023
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Dear Parent/Carer
PARENT GOVERNOR ELECTION – TWO VACANCIES
I am writing to invite you to stand for election as a Parent Governor, or to nominate another parent to do so. The Instrument of Government for Bishop Challoner Catholic College, as constituted under the Education Act 2002, requires that the Governing Body must include two Parent Governors. A Parent Governor is a person who is elected as a member of the Governing Body of the school, by parents of registered pupils at the school and who is a parent at the time of their election. From July, we will have vacancies for two elected Parent Governors due to the expiry of the existing terms of office of the two parents who are currently undertaking this volunteer role.
Nominations can only be accepted from parents or carers who have children registered at the school on the day that nominations close.
The Governing Body, with the Principal, has overall responsibility for the running of the school. The role of a school governor is to contribute to the work of the Governing Body in ensuring high standards of achievement for all children and young people in the school by:
- Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction.
- Holding the Principal to account for the education performance of the school, its pupils and the performance management of staff.
- Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent.
The role of governor can be demanding but very rewarding. Parent Governors serve a four-year term of office. The Full Governing Body meets four times a year, usually on a Thursday at 5.30 pm. Meetings can last between two and three hours depending on the agenda. We would also look to match your skills to one of the six Committees. These will involve one additional meeting per term, usually three per academic year.
Governors are expected to have:
- A strong commitment to the role and improving outcomes for children.
- The inquisitiveness to question and analyse.
- The willingness to learn.
- Good inter-personal skills.
- Appropriate levels of literacy in English.
- Sufficient numeracy skills to understand basis data.
Training is available for all governors.
Please note that not everyone can become a governor. There are some restrictions with further details attached to the nomination form. Please be mindful, parents/carers who have paid employment in the school for 500 or more hours in any consecutive 12 month period or who are elected members of the Local Authority are not eligible to be a Parent Governor. It is also important to highlight that by signing the nomination paper, eligible candidates acknowledge that they must apply for a DBS disclosure certificate and accept that their appointment will be invalid if a satisfactory disclosure is not obtained. The school will assist with this process.
If you would like to stand for election, please complete the enclosed nomination form and return it to the school no later than noon on Monday 19 June 2023. Please include a personal statement to support your nomination. There is no limit to the length of this statement, however, we encourage candidates to be succinct when setting out the skills, experience and attributes that they can bring to the Governing Body to support their nomination. Self-nominations will be accepted, but if you are nominating another parent, please seek their prior consent. Please note all nominations require two proposers.
Should two or fewer nominations be received by the official closing date, the candidate(s) will be duly elected unopposed. In the event of there being three or more nominations a ballot will take place with a closing date of Monday 10 July 2023. If a ballot is required, voting papers will be made available to all parents together with details of the ballot procedure.
If you require any further information, please contact me on j.griffiths@bishopchalloner.bham.sch.uk.
Yours faithfully
J Griffiths
Clerk to the Governing Body