Clerk to Governors & Trust at Abbey Gate College

Chester CH3 6EN, , United Kingdom -

Full Time

Start Date

Immediate

Expiry Date

19 Oct, 25

Salary

8042.0

Posted On

20 Jul, 25

Experience

0 year(s) or above

Remote Job

Yes

Telecommute

Yes

Sponsor Visa

Skills

Excel, Outlook, Training, Interpersonal Skills, Powerpoint, Teams

Industry

Human Resources/HR

Description

Responsibilities

Ensuring that governance is carried out in accordance with the Governing Instrument for Abbey Gate College with particular reference to:

Size and membership of the governing body and Trust.
Retirement of existing governors and Trust members, and appointment of new governors and Trust members.
Regularity of meetings.
Maintaining a record of attendance at meetings.
Maintaining relations with nominating bodies.
Ensuring the appointment of officeholders.
Ensuring that decisions are made, and recorded, in accordance with governing protocols.
Ensuring that the Governing Instrument still meets the needs of Abbey Gate College and advising the Governing Body of appropriate or necessary amendments.

Preparing, reviewing and updating additional governance protocols:

Identification of Committees and Working Groups.
Ensuring that appropriate Terms of Reference exist for the Board, Committees and Working Groups (normally prepared by their Chairs and ratified by the full Governing Body).
Recording membership & Chairmanship of the Board, Committees & Working Groups.
Ensuring appropriate reporting structures from such Committees to the full Governing Body.
Ensuring that clear rules exist to determine the decision-making authority for Committees etc.

In liaison with the HR & Staff Wellbeing Manager, conducting for all new governors, on behalf of the Chair of Governors:

Formal identity checks.
Right to work in UK checks.
DBS disclosure check or equivalent.
Registration with Companies House as a director (for incorporated schools) and as a trustee with the Charities Commission.
Completion of all necessary documentation.
Conflict of interests.

Induction and training of new governors:

In liaison with the HR & Staff Wellbeing Manager, organising agreed and appropriate training for all governors, as agreed by the full Governing Body, and recording such training.

Ensuring that all governors are aware of their statutory responsibilities, especially their responsibility for the safeguarding of all pupils at Abbey Gate College:

Arranging and monitoring regular training and updates for governors in these areas.
Ensuring that the systems through which College leaders and staff report to governors are fully robust and effective in helping governors to fulfil their statutory responsibilities.
Supporting all governors with any practical arrangements and scheduling, to enable and ensure a regularity and effectiveness of in-person contact and involvement with the life of the College.

In addition to matters of statutory compliance, ensuring compliance with instructions of the Charity Commission and Companies House:

In liaison with the Finance Manager, ensure that audited accounts and any other annual returns are uploaded as required, together with any Board resolutions.
Ensuring all information regarding the Governing Body (date of appointment, date of re-election and date of retirement) and the Trust (date of appointment and correspondence details) is kept updated.

Ensuring the efficient functioning of governance:

Communication with governors between meetings.
Maintaining and updating the governors’ area of Abbey Gate College website and ensuring all information required by Board and Committee members is up to date and accessible via the relevant Teams folders.
Preparing and circulating timetables of meetings of the full Governing Body and its Committees.
Preparing and circulating agendas for meetings of the full Governing Body and its Committees, in consultation with the Chair of Governors, the Chair of the respective Committees and relevant College leaders – it is possible that some meetings may be virtual or hybrid.
Ensuring satisfactory circulation of pre-meeting papers in consultation with relevant College leaders.
Ensuring practical organisation of and arrangements for all meetings, including for the Trust AGM.
Ensuring appropriate minuting of these meetings & the prompt circulation of these minutes with the approval of the Chair of that meeting.
Ensuring each meeting is Quorate.
Overseeing occasional audits of governance (either internal or external), as instructed by the Chair and maintaining the Board-approved Strategic Plan.
Working with the Chair and with any Committee that might have been established for this purpose, ensure that an appropriate process exists for succession-planning for the Governing Body, maintaining a skills matrix (if appropriate) and advising the Chair accordingly.
Following instructions from the Governing Body regarding routine appraisal of the Head.
Following instructions from the Governing Body regarding processes for the appointment of the Head when the need arises.
Organising and making appropriate arrangements for the establishment of any panels of the Governing Body that may, from to time, be required to hear appeals or to deal with complaints or grievances (including the identification of independent members to join these panels where appropriate).
Completing an annual conflicts of interest check and alerting the Chair of Governors to any conflicts as a matter of urgency.
Maintaining full and appropriate records of all governance activity.