Our Governors

Being a local governor has its challenges but can also be immensely rewarding.  Anyone becoming a governor is taking the opportunity to make a huge difference to the academy and community.

There are no particular qualifications required and anyone over 18 years of age can become a governor provided that they have the enthusiasm and willingness to learn, have time to give to the role and a capacity to work as part of a team.  We seek people from different backgrounds with a wide range of professional and personal skills. Our christian values are important to us and we expect our governors to be supportive of these. Commitments vary from academy to academy but will require time for preparation for and attendance at meetings plus visits to school.

As a local governor, you will be expected to attend meetings of the Local Governance Committee (LGC) and visit the school for monitoring purposes or to support the school leadership. LGCs will also usually allocate oversight for a specific area (eg Health & Safety, Pupil Premium, Special Educational Needs) to individual governors.  It is important that governors undertake regular training to help them make an effective contribution to the work of the governing board and to stay abreast of changes in the world of education.

The different categories of governors in St Benet’s academies are as follows:

Category

How they are appointed

Number

Trust appointedGovernors from the local community appointed by the Trustees6-10
ParentGovernors who have a child at the academy and are elected by the parent bodyMinimum of 2
StaffGovernors who are employed by the academy and are elected by the staff body1
Co-optedGovernors appointed by the governing board for their specific skills and expertiseMaximum of 2
HeadteacherMember of the governing board by virtue of their office1

We currently have academies with vacancies for governors.  If you are interested in becoming a governor please send an email to governance@donesc.org stating the area where you live (so that we can match you to a school not too far from you) and a brief summary of your skills and experience.