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Chair of Governors - Casual

Barton Court Grammar School, Canterbury

  • Ref:KCC886-5444-245S
  • Posted:06/01/2022
  • Pay:N/A
  • Start Date:March 2022
  • App Close Date:28/01/2022 at 09:00
  • Interviews:TBC

Advert

Barton Court Academy Trust (BCAT) is a multi-academy Trust which was established in 2017. It currently consists of two secondary schools: Barton Court Grammar School, an 11-18yrs, mixed selective school in the heart of Canterbury, rated “Good” with many outstanding features by Ofsted in February 2020, and The Charles Dickens School, an 11-16yrs mixed non-selective school in Broadstairs, which came out of special measures in June 2019 and is a rapidly improving school. The Trust is also opening Barton Manor School, an 11 – 18yrs non-selective mixed school in the heart of Canterbury, on the former Chaucer School site, in September 2022 to Year 7.

The Role

The Chair of the Local Governing Board is a leadership role that provides clear direction to the Board who work as a team to challenge, support and contribute to the strategic leadership of the School. See the “Role of Chair in one of BCAT School’s Local Governing Body” document for more details.

We require an experienced school governor to join our already established and experienced Board of Governors of Barton Court Grammar School to provide leadership as Chair. We seek someone who can offer additional experience and expertise and can provide challenge and support from a different perspective. Previous experience as a School Governor is essential and previous experience as a Chair of the Board or Chair of a Sub-Committee is desirable.

The role of Chair of the Board is a voluntary one, requiring a high degree of commitment and confidentiality.

It is expected that the Chair of the Board will be able to participate fully in the work of the Local Governing Board and where possible in the life of the school. An average of 4 – 6 hours a month in order to fulfil the following expectations is required:

  • To Chair 6 Board Meetings a year, each lasting approximately 2 hours, there is an expectation to have read’ documents sent in advance for the meeting
  • Monitoring Visits in school 2-3 times per year
  • Attend 6, one-to-one, meetings per year with the Headteacher
  • Be available to Chair, or contribute as a member of a panel that may be convened to hear complaints, exclusions as required.
  • Form a strong team of governors who have a thorough understanding of their role; lead 1:1 annual reviews, ensure training and development needs of the Board are met.
  • Governor professional development which includes, but not exclusive to: an induction programme run by the NGA, Chair training programme run by the NGA, annual online training to include Safeguarding, Prevent and GDPR and a governor training event 1 x ½ day in the year
  • Invitation to school events on an ad-hoc non-compulsory basis
  • Attend the Trust Board Meetings for Finance (4 times per year) and Quality Assurance Committee Meetings (3 times per year)

If you feel the role of Chair of Governor is one that you could contribute to, then please send your CV and a brief personal statement giving information about your skills to clerk@bartoncourt.org

Information about the school

Barton Court Grammar School is an 11-18 years, selective, co-educational, grammar school close to the heart of Canterbury, Kent. The School is highly popular and has an excellent reputation in the local community and was recognised by Ofsted, in February 2020, as a “Good” school with many “Outstanding” features including Leadership & Management, Personal Development and Behaviour & Attitudes.

Barton Court Grammar School is part of Barton Court Academy Trust which is a small, yet ambitious Trust in East Kent. Currently BCAT comprises of Barton Court Grammar School, The Charles Dickens School, a non-selective school in Broadstairs and Barton Manor School, a free school that opened in September 2022. Being part of a small Trust affords us the opportunity to engage in meaningful collaboration and develop more personalised CPD for staff at all levels. Career opportunities have been enhanced for support staff, teachers and School leaders as a result of the collaboration within BCAT and a significant number of staff have secured new roles that see them having impact on staff and students alike across more than one school in our Trust.

BCGS has excellent facilities and we opened a new multi-million-pound learning facility housing state of-the-art science laboratories, new canteen facilities and 6 new Mathematics classrooms just before the pandemic.

We are very proud of our student achievements with consistently strong GCSE and A Level results and the vast majority of our students going onto secure university places. Barton Court Grammar School is an innovative and forward-thinking school. It attracts many international students Post-16, which supports our culture and ethos of developing responsible global citizens, with cultural and international awareness, who positively contribute to our school and the wider community.

Excellence in teaching and learning is at the heart of our school. In January 2023 the School was re-accredited for the third time as an Advanced Thinking School in recognition of the outstanding work we do in cognitive education. A Thinking School is “A learning community in which all members share a common language; where thinking strategies and tools are used across the curriculum and teachers and students have sound understanding of metacognition where the school generates high levels of achievement and an excitement and enthusiasm for learning” (Thinking Matters). We are extremely proud to be the only Thinking School in East Kent and one of a few Advanced Thinking Schools in the UK.

We have an ambitious curriculum with all students studying a compressed KS3 and opting at the end of Year 8 for their GCSE courses. Students take their GCSEs at the end of Year 11. An individualised learning curriculum catering for the needs of learners is in place at KS4. The School is currently looking for ways to further innovate its curriculum offer in the Sixth Form. The School offers a supportive environment where teachers, leaders and support staff are all challenged to develop and grow.

We hope your application will enhance the quality of staff we have in the school for the benefit of students and staff alike.

Job Contact Information

  • Name:Kate Trevor
  • Address:Longport, Canterbury, Kent, CT1 1PH
  • Telephone: 01227 464600
  • Email: ktrevor@bartoncourt.org

Fax: 01227 781399

Documents

Below are documents that have been added to this vacancy.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all our students. You are advised that this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and therefore this post is subject to an Enhanced Disclosure Application to the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). Please be aware that schools are also required to undertake online recruitment checks on shortlisted candidates under changes to Keeping Children Safe in Education.