Clerk to the School Governors Ysgol Friars

Salary: Gweler Hysbyseb Swydd

Details
Job Advertisement

(This is an advertisement for the post of a permanent Governors' Clerk at Ysgol Friars, Bangor for which the ability to communicate through the medium of Welsh and English is essential).

Person Specification

QUALIFICATIONS AND RELEVANT TRAINING

ESSENTIAL

Educated to GCSE level (or equivalent)

Willingness to attend relevant training (e.g. clerking, school governance, safeguarding)

The successful applicant is expected to complete the qualification/training for Governors' Clerks within one year of the appointment date.

DESIRABLE

A recognised qualification or previous experience in administration.

Previous attendance at governor training courses.

RELEVANT EXPERIENCE

ESSENTIAL

Experience of administrative work, ideally in an education or governance setting

Experience in preparing agendas, taking accurate minutes, and managing confidential records

Experience of working with senior stakeholders and maintaining professional standards

Experience working independently and managing deadlines

DESIRABLE

An awareness of the School Governance field.

Experience of working effectively with other workers at all levels.

Previous experience working with a school governing board or in education administration

Experience using governance platforms

Familiarity with preparing documents for Estyn or compliance inspections

SKILLS AND SPECIALIST KNOWLEDGE

ESSENTIAL

Excellent written and verbal communication skills in Welsh and in English with the ability to communicate effectively.

Excellent organisational skills with strong attention to detail

Understanding of or willingness to learn about school governance, statutory frameworks, and relevant education legislation

Ability to interpret regulations and policies, and provide clear advice to governors

Understanding and knowledge of data protection and GDPR

Awareness of safeguarding principles and procedures.

Ability to draft accurate minutes and correspondence

Confident in the use of IT (email, MS Word, online meeting platforms like Zoom/Teams)

Ability to remain impartial and maintain confidentiality

Ability to work independently, manage own workload and respond flexibly to changing priorities

DESIRABLE

A knowledge of the organization of School Governing Bodies.

Familiarity with school policies, statutory responsibilities of governors, and education legislation

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES

ESSENTIAL

The ability to co-operate and work as part of a team.

Able to build positive relationships with a range of stakeholders

The ability to achieve set targets.

Self-motivated and proactive

Reliable, professional and diplomatic when dealing with a range of stakeholders (e.g. governors, SLT, external agencies)

Discreet and trustworthy

Reliable, punctual, and flexible

Commitment to professional development and staying up to date with legislative changes

DESIRABLE

-

LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS

Listening and Speaking - Higher

Able to follow a conversation or discussion through the medium of Welsh and English on a professional level and discuss general day to day topics in the field in order to present information and express opinions. Able to give a pre-prepared presentation and respond to any comments and questions on it in Welsh or English.

Reading and Understanding - Higher

Able to understand standard written Welsh and English; both formal and informal. Able to gather information from various sources such as letters, reports, articles through the medium of Welsh and English in order to fulfil the post.

Writing - Higher

Present written information confidently by letter, more detailed and technical report formats, and respond to written requests conveying information, ideas and opinion in Welsh and English.

Job Description

JOB PURPOSE

Ensure that the people of Gwynedd are at the heart of everything we do.

To provide clerical support to the School Governing Board.

Administer and support the work of the governing body in accordance with authority guidelines, working effectively with the Chair of Governors and the Head teacher.

This authority is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

MAIN DUTIES AND KEY TASKS

Collaborate with the Chairperson and Head Teacher on the agenda content for meetings, providing background papers for those meetings - five working days prior to the meeting.

Prepare and send the agenda to members of the Governing Body - five working days prior to the meeting.

Check with the Chairperson any matters acted upon between meetings and which need to be reported to the Governing Body.

Attend meetings of the full Governing Body as well as the statutory sub-committees and take appropriate minutes (up to 6 meetings annually). The Clerk may claim payment for additional meetings and any meeting that runs over 2 hours.)

- It is statutory that a Governing Body holds at least one meeting of the full body per term.

- Formal Governor and Parents Meeting if required, following parent petition

- Statutory sub-committees if required for additional payment if 6 meeting have taken place

Ensure that the Governing Body determines dates for meetings in advance and that this information is made known to the Local Authority (LA).

Produce and send draft copies of the minutes to the Chairperson and Head Teacher before producing a finalized version to be sent to all members of the Governing Body and to the LA.

Record Governors' attendance at meetings and notify any Governor who is at risk of being disqualified due to non-attendance.

Keep a record of each Governor's term of office and contact the LA on occasions when a term of office ends or when there are resignations.

Correspond on behalf of the Governing Body, as required.

Keep in order all minutes, correspondence and other documents relating to the work of the Governing Body.

Assist the Chair and Governing Body to prepare an Annual Report to Parents.

Attend and take minutes at the Formal Governor and Parents Meeting if required.

Assist the Governing Body to provide evidence for the Quality Awards for Governing Bodies.

Attend courses organized for Governors' clerks, and complete the mandatory course for new clerks. Distribute information about training to the Governing Body, and keep a record of the governors' attendance.

Keep a current record of all governors that need to attend mandatory training. And notify any governor who is at risk of being disqualified due to non-attendance of a mandatory course.

The Clerk should ensure that Governors CRB Certificates are current and Declaration of Interest forms are completed annually.

Responsibility for self-development.

Ensure compliance with Health and Safety rules in the workplace in accordance with the responsibilities note in the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Council's Health and Safety Policy.

Operate within the Council's policies and procedures in relation to equal opportunities and equality.

Responsibility for information management in accordance with the Council's information Management standards and guidelines. Ensure that personal information is handled in compliance with Data Protection legislation

The above list of duties is only an outline. The post holder will be expected to undertake any other duties relevant to the nature and scale of the post, in accordance with Reasonable requests from the Line Manager.

EXTENDED ADVISORY CLERKING SERVICE

The Clerk of Governors will provide advisory service:

- Giving guidance on the statutory legal responsibilities of the governing body;

- Ensuring that the governing body is properly constituted in accordance with legislative requirements;

- Arranging for the drafting, signing and maintenance of the governing body's Instrument of Government;

- Advising on Instruments of Government, school government regulations, statutory circulars, relevant legal judgements and measures associated with school governance that may impact on the role of the governing body;

- Advising on eligibility, quorums, election procedures and disqualification regulations;

- Giving guidance on the establishment, compositions and (statutory) review of committees (including terms of reference for those committees);

- Giving guidance on constitutional and procedural matters;

- The monitoring of follow up action points and correspondence arising from decisions taken at meetings;

- Ensuring statutory policies are in place, and that a file is kept in the school of policies and other documents that have been approved by the governing body;

- Conducting research as required by the governing body;

- Undertaking any other duties and responsibilities commensurate with the post.

SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES

• Required to work unsociable hours as Governing Body meetings are mainly held in the evening
• Required to minute at least 6 meetings annually, individual Governing Boards may require additional meetings at an extra cost
• Required to minute at sub-committees at an extra cost
• Required to minute at Formal Governor and Parents Meeting if required, following parent petition

GOVERNOR CLERK HOURS (GS4) SECONDARY

Preparation before meeting 4hrs per meeting

Preparation of minutes and correspondence 8.5hrs per meeting

Meeting 2 hrs

Total hours per meeting 14.5hrs

14.5hrs x 6 meetings = 87.5 hrs per annum

Annual Administration (12.5 hrs) - DBS, Governor Interests, Courses, Governor Elections and Nominations, Membership, School Policy lists

Administration = 12.5 hours

In addition the annual wage includes 2 hours pay for training

NOTE

• 6 Governor meetings annually
• A Governor Meeting should last no more than 2 hours, should any meeting over-run-the Clerk may claim overtime.
• Should the Governing Board require the Clerk in any sub-panel or more that 6 meeting per annum, the Clerk can claim overtime.