Head of Governance in Cheam

Head of Governance at Girls' Learning Trust
About this Role The opportunity:
This is an exciting time to join the Girls' Learning Trust. With Weald of Kent Grammar School joining in November 2026, the Trust is growing to four schools, extending its geographical reach and increasing the scale and complexity of its governance and compliance arrangements.
The successful candidate will join an organisation with strong governance foundations already in place, including established structures, clear processes and experienced Trustees, governors and senior leaders. The opportunity is therefore not to rebuild, but to strengthen, refine and develop these arrangements as the Trust continues to grow.
The role has a broad remit across governance, selective admissions, internal scrutiny and data protection. It also plays a significant part in supporting Headteachers and other school leaders, providing trusted advice and helping them navigate complex governance, compliance and statutory processes.
As a member of the Executive Leadership Team, the Head of Governance will also contribute to wider Trust development and decision-making. There is genuine scope to shape systems, assurance and future practice, while helping ensure that governance and compliance remain proportionate, effective and supportive of strong school leadership.
What we offer:
To support the achievement of our education mission, we recognise that our strength lies in the talent and dedication of our staff. We are committed to attracting and retaining high-performing people who share our ethos and want to contribute to the success of our schools.
We are continuously developing the support available to colleagues, both professionally and personally. This includes opportunities for professional development and career progression, a strong focus on staff wellbeing, access to employee support schemes, generous leave arrangements and flexible working where appropriate to the role.
We offer great flexibility. While there is an expectation that the successful candidate will be able to work some evenings across the year to support the governance committee cycle, there is plenty of scope to work flexibly across the week to accommodate this. We are also happy to consider few than 36 hours per week and term-time working.
The successful candidate will also benefit from working across four high-performing schools and alongside an experienced network of senior leaders, Trustees and governors.
Our commitment to you:
Professional growth and personal wellbeing are central to our approach. We will provide opportunities for continued learning and development and support colleagues to grow within their roles and careers.
We are committed to a culture based on integrity, collaboration and reflection, where people are trusted, supported and encouraged to contribute ideas, challenge constructively and continuously improve how we work.
Key responsibilities for the role include:
Providing strategic and professional advice for governance across the Trust Board, its committees and Local Governing Bodies.
Acting as the Trust's Governance Professional and Company Secretary.
Supporting the CEO, Chair of Trust Board, Trustees, Headteachers and senior leaders with governance, compliance and complex statutory matters.
Leading the Trust's assurance of selective admissions, including supporting Headteachers with admissions appeals and reporting to the Admissions Committee.
Managing the Trust's programme of internal scrutiny and coordinating reporting to the Governance, Audit and Risk Committee.
Leading the Trust's operational approach to data protection and supporting the CEO in their role as Data Protection Officer.
Developing governance systems, policies and processes and identifying opportunities to improve effectiveness, assurance and efficiency.
Contributing as a member of the Executive Leadership Team to the wider strategic development of the Trust.
The full remit of the role includes governance development, committee support, Trustee and governor recruitment and development, complaints and formal hearings, data protection, policy oversight, admissions and internal scrutiny.
The successful candidate will:
The successful candidate will be an experienced governance professional with strong judgement, excellent relationship-building skills and the confidence to operate at senior level across a complex organisation.
They will be comfortable working closely with the CEO, Chair of Trust Board, Trustees, governors, Headteachers and senior leaders, providing both professional advice and constructive challenge. They will combine a strong understanding of governance and regulation with a practical, solution-focused approach.
This is not simply a committee administration role. The Head of Governance is the Trust's Governance Professional and Company Secretary and has responsibility for ensuring that governance arrangements remain effective, compliant and appropriate as the Trust develops. The role also leads significant areas of work including selective admissions, internal scrutiny and data protection.
Key Application Dates:
Shortlisting Date: Monday 2 November
Interview Dates: Friday 6 November (online); Friday 13 November (in person)
Start Date: January 2027
Sponsorship:
We are not able to offer sponsorship to non-settled individuals for a Skilled Worker Visa.
Safeguarding Statement
The Girls' Learning Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. In order to meet this responsibility we follow a rigorous selection process to discourage and screen out unsuitable applicants.
As well as verification of identity, we ask all employees to undertake an enhanced DBS disclosure. In line with Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) guidance, we may also conduct an online search about any shortlisted candidates as part of our due diligence to identify any matters that might relate directly to our legal duty to meet safeguarding duties in accordance with Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE)
We welcome applications from all suitably qualified people and aim to employ a culturally diverse workforce, which reflects the nature of our communities.
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