Job Description
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Keys Co-operative Academy Trust are seeking new board members and trustees to contribute towards the good governance of our co-operative academy trust. If you live and/or work in Maldon, Brentwood, Colchester, Clacton or Witham area and would like to become more involved in a voluntary education governance position, then please get in touch for an informal discussion. Individuals offering business/legal skills are particularly welcomed.
The Trust believes that great things happen when people co-operate. Through learning we empower and inspire individuals, co-operatives and communities to use co-operative values and principles to build a fairer world. Get involved , join the team and make a real difference to young people's lives.
Trustees make a valuable contribution to children's education, opportunities and futures.
Being a trustee 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.
Academies trusts need boards that have a balance and diversity of knowledge, skills and experience to enable it to be effective. Ofsted (the national inspection body for schools) has repeatedly noted that the most effective schools demonstrate effective leadership and management - including by the governing board.
Anyone aged over 18 can be a governor or trustee (but there are some exceptions) and you do not need to be a parent. There is no requirement for you to have an understanding of the education system, just the necessary skills, character and time to contribute. There is plenty of training available to help you learn about education. Schools needs and benefit from a range of professional knowledge on their governing board including education, finance, human resources, legal, marketing and public relations, property and estates management, and organisational change.
As a governor or trustee, 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 in to decision-making in the interests of the school community
What governors and trustees do?
The governing board provides strategic leadership and accountability in schools. It has three key functions:
· Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent
· Holding the headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils
· Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction
Governors or trustees set the aims and objectives for the school or group of schools and set the policies and targets for achieving those aims and objectives. They monitor and evaluate the progress the school is making and act as a source of challenge and support to the headteacher. In action, this means:
· Appointing and performance reviewing the head teacher and senior leaders, including making decisions about pay
· Managing budgets and deciding how money is spent
· Engaging with pupils, staff, parents and the school community
· Sitting on panels and making decisions about things like pupil exclusions and staff disciplinary
· Addressing a range of education issues within the school including disadvantaged pupils, pupils with special needs, staff workload and teacher recruitment
· Looking at data and evidence to ask questions and have challenging conversations about the school
· Governors and trustees must be prepared to adopt the Nolan principles of public life: selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership.
Governors and trustees should also be committed to their role and to young people; confident in having courageous conversations; curious with an enquiring mind; able to challenge the status quo to improve things; collaborative to build strong relationships; critical to improve their own work and that of the board; and creative in problem solving and being innovative.
Governance is a voluntary role and therefore this opportunity is not paid.
If you would like to be considered for this position, please contact us via hr@kcat.co.uk.
Information about the School
Mid Essex Co-operative Academy is an 4 – 16 school for 135 young people most of whom have found it difficult to be successful in a mainstream school.
We are very proud of the provision we offer. Students are taught in small groups and they study the core curriculum at both Key Stage 3 and 4. In addition to the core curriculum, we provide rich and varied extended curriculum opportunities ranging from music therapy, targeted literacy intervention, horse riding to vocational courses and work experience placements. Small classes benefit students and enable them to make good progress as staff can ensure that learning is tailored to individual student needs.
At Key Stage 3, in partnership with local schools, we focus on supporting young people to return to a mainstream school. At Key Stage 4, we focus on providing the opportunity for students to gain 5 GCSEs to ensure a successful transition to post 16 education or training. Many of the young people who attend Mid Essex Co-operative Academy arrive here at a point of crisis or conflict in their lives. It is our aim to ensure that we help them to regain a sense of confidence and self-esteem which allows them to compete on equal terms with their peers, despite the disruption to their education caused by leaving mainstream school. We have an ongoing target that none of our Year 11 leavers are NEET (Not in education, employment or training) and we regularly maintain this excellent target.
The Primary unit for Key Stage 1 and 2 students is located in Witham. The school opened in January 2021. As with the secondary unit, this serves young people, most of whom have found it difficult to be successful in a mainstream school. We are very proud of the provision we offer. Students are taught in small groups and they study the core curriculum. In addition to the core curriculum, we provide rich and varied extended curriculum opportunities ranging from music therapy, targeted literacy intervention, horse riding to vocational courses and work experience placements. Small classes benefit students and enable them to make good progress as staff can ensure that learning is tailored to individual student needs.