Lime Walk Primary School

We are looking for governors to join our Governing Body at Lime Walk Primary School. As a governor you will be a volunteer who makes a vital contribution to the success of the school.

Being a school governor 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.

Schools need governing 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 18 or over can be a governor (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 need 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.

School governors have three main roles.

• Governors ensure clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction.

The governing body helps to set long-terms plans for the school, decide where improvements need to be made and how to make them.

• Governors hold the headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and the effective and efficient performance management of staff.

The governing body looks at the quality of education being offered and ensures the head is doing everything possible to improve results.

• Governors oversee the financial performance of the school and make sure its money is well spent.

Governors examine budgets and spending proposals to monitor whether the school is getting value for money and ensure the money is spent in the right areas.

This role may be particularly of interest if you have skills in finance/accounting, human resources, marketing, or education but we invite applications from anyone who is interested in helping the school be the best it can be.

Full training is available, and governors are encouraged to attend regular training sessions, either in person or online.

We are looking for someone who can attend approximately six full governing body meetings per year which are held in the evenings.

Visits to the school are warmly welcomed. Please contact Andrew Kerse on 01442 262341 to arrange.

Applications should be preferably made electronically, please email admin@limewalk.herts.sch.uk