Are you enthusiastic about education and offering the best life chances to young people?

If so, the Central RSA Academies Trust has a number of vacancies and is seeking high-calibre, committed Governors and Chairs of Governors to strengthen its Local Academy Governing Boards (LAGBs).

The Central RSA Academies Trust is a multi-academy sponsor with a mission to transform the life chances of the young people they support.

The Trust is a group of schools with a strong relationship with The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (The RSA).

The RSA has a powerful history of supporting educational innovation, thinking and approaches, going back as far as the Nineteenth Century (https://www.thersa.org/about-us/education-history). Today, the Trust works together as a group of schools, working closely with the RSA, to ensure the best possible educational outcomes for young people in their schools.

The Trust places a high value on good governance, believing that it is an essential part of their strategy to deliver the best possible education for their children and young people. They have sought to create a clear governance structure that places as much decision making as possible in their schools to empower Governors and staff.  

Volunteering as a School Governor is a great opportunity to gain school leadership experience at board level as well as transferable skills that enhance performance and employability. Most of all, you will have the satisfaction of making a real difference to children’s lives and helping them to realise their potential.

The main purpose of a Governor is to:

• Help set the strategic direction of the school
• Hold the leadership to account for the performance of the school
• Make sure that resources are used well and that money is well spent
• To ensure that both they and the school are answerable to the communities they serve, in particular parents.

The Trust is looking for a Chair of Governors that can provide the following key skills & areas of expertise; Governors should have experience in at least some of these areas:

• The ability to work in a team
• An interest in education and a commitment to the school
• Educational delivery in an AP, SEMH, ASD and/or mainstream context
• Enthusiasm for taking on an active role on the Governing Body
• Availability to attend Governing Body meetings and carrying out visits to the school
• A willingness to listen, learn and to undertake training
• Experience of organisational leadership (essential for the Chair)
• Performance Management in the context of outcomes and progression
• Safeguarding
• Financial Management and Fund Raising
• Human Resource Management, including staff development
• Knowledge of the local area, including the labour market

For Governors, the time commitment will be approximately 10 days per year spent attending meetings, visiting the school from time-to-time and undertaking relevant training. The time commitment for Chairs is approximately 2-3 days per month.

There are no specific qualifications for the role of governor. You just need the right attitude, enthusiasm and time to devote to the role.

It is important to ensure that schools are delivering an education underpinned by the values of RSA Academies and that they encourage their LAGBs to keep a strong focus on these as they support their schools and the Trust in delivering their strategic objectives.

The Central RSA Academies Trust seeks a diverse Board and welcomes applications from all sections of the community.

The organisation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and governors to share this commitment. Before your appointment as governor is confirmed you will be required to undertake an enhanced DBS check.

To discuss these opportunities further, please contact Jane Dominese, Head of Corporate Services on: jdominese@centralrsaacademies.co.uk or on telephone number: 0121 270 3117

Thank you for your interest.