Clerk to Governors

Directorate: Children and Family Services

Section: Education and Family Support - School Governor Services

Location: Civic Centre

Grade: Level 5

Hours: 10 hours per term

This advert is open to both internal and external applicants.

About us: We are a city of strengths, with a proud heritage and bright future. Working for Stoke-on-Trent City Council is more than just a job, it's about making, protecting and improving the services for the local population, reducing inequalities and improving independence for the people who live and work in the city. We are always looking for people of the highest calibre with skills, knowledge and experience to help us deliver our compelling vision.

The Role: This is an exciting opportunity to help drive forward school improvement by making a significant contribution to effective governance. The clerk to the governing body will be accountable to the governing body, working effectively with the chair of governors, the Headteacher/Principal and other governors. The clerk will be responsible for the timely coordination of the distribution of papers and will minute meetings.

The clerk, fully supported by School Governor Services, is also responsible for advising the governing body about constitutional matters, duties and powers within the current legislative framework. All clerks will be trained to a nationally accredited level.

Whilst the role requires a minimum of ten hours per term, the number of hours worked are open to negotiation and can vary. The service supports multiple schools across the city (and beyond into the surrounding area) and there are plenty of opportunities available to work additional hours across the course of the academic year. The nature of the work requires flexibility with most governing boards meeting late afternoon or into the evening. There are, however, an increasing number of boards who are choosing to meet during school hours.

The role of clerk to the governing body will suit someone with excellent organisational skills, who is used to working to deadlines, has good listening, oral and literacy skills and previous experience of accurate minute taking.

Key Responsibilities:

• To provide administrative support to governing boards, including agenda development, minuting of meetings and providing high-quality draft minutes within defined timescales.
• To provide information, advice and guidance relating to the legislative requirements of governance.
• To build positive relationships with the Headteacher / Principal / CEO and members of the governing board being supported.
• To ensure that governors receive notification of meetings, and all relevant documentation, in a timely manner.
• To complete a nationally recognised L1 Clerking qualification.

About You:

• Excellent organisational skills.
• Ability to build, and maintain, positive working relationships.
• Ability to work to prescribed deadlines.
• Previous experience of minute taking.
• Knowledge of governance, including relevant legislation.
• Ability to work independently, as required, under the guidance of the SGS core team.

What we offer:

• A competitive salary based on your skills, experience and talent.
• Hybrid and flexible working options.
• An excellent local authority benefits pension scheme.
• Professional development through learning opportunities, regular training sessions and apprenticeship and management schemes.

Pre-Employment Checks: Any offer of employment will be subject to the successful completion of required pre-employment checks. These may include: Right to Work in the UK, Proof of address, Satisfactory references, Occupational Health Clearance, Evidence of professional qualifications or registrations, DBS check at the appropriate level (if applicable for the role).

The Council will not accept any speculative CVs from employment agencies. No agency terms and conditions accompanying any such CVs will be accepted by the Council. Any unsolicited information sent by an employment agency will be treated as the property of the Council.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and we expect all our employees and volunteers to share this commitment. This position is exempt under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the successful applicant will be subject to a criminal record check from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

Please note that if an employee who is currently at risk of redundancy within the organisation applies for this vacancy their application will receive priority. If this happens you will be advised accordingly.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: At Stoke-on-Trent City Council, we believe our strength comes from the diversity of our community, and we want our workforce to reflect that. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds and experiences. We understand that some people, especially those from underrepresented or marginalised backgrounds, may hesitate to apply if they don’t meet all the listed requirements. If this role interests you and you think you could be a good fit, we encourage you to apply. We are proud of what makes each of us unique and are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels included, can be themselves, and can succeed together.