Chair of Governors
Candidate pack Autumn 2018
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Introduction
Chigwell School is a co-educational independent day and boarding school offering a full and rich education for over 950 pupils between the ages of 4 and 18 in Essex, close to London. Founded in 1629, its mission is to be a learning community that aspires to excellence in every facet of its life and through its links with the wider community. Its motto is: aut viam inveniam aut faciam (find a way or make a way); Chigwell students are encouraged to develop a determined, independent spirit, taking responsibility for themselves, their relationships with others and the world around them. The School has grown significantly in recent years and has ambitious plans for its future. The school is now seeking a new Chair of its Governing Body.
Chigwell School is a charitable company and the Governors of the School are directors of the company and trustees. The Chair of Governors plays a key role in the business of the School. The Chair is responsible for the leadership of the Governing Body and for ensuring that it operates effectively and efficiently in carrying out its obligations. The Chair will play a crucial role in helping the School fulfil its mission in a challenging and highly competitive environment.
The new Chair of Governors will bring a track record of success at the most senior level in a large and complex organisation as well as previous non-executive experience. The successful candidate will be a strategic thinker who can earn the respect of the Governing Body members, senior members of staff, and multiple other stakeholders. The Chair will possess sound judgement, financial awareness, and a good grasp of complexity. Candidates must have superb relationship-building and diplomacy skills. The new Chair will have some understanding of and empathy with the independent education sector and will be committed to the values and mission of the School.
This is an opportunity to chair a highly committed and engaged collegiate Governing Body.
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Chigwell School
For more information on the school, please visit the school website: https://www.chigwell-school.org/
The School is registered as a charity with number 1115098. It is registered with Companies House under number 05846105.
Please also visit www.minervasearch.com/chigwell for access to additional information.
Background Founded in 1629 by Samuel Harsnett, the son of a Colchester baker who went on to become Archbishop of York, Chigwell School stands on its original site with the original school building still in use. However, whilst Chigwell of today is conscious of its long-standing history, it is a forward-looking, ambitious, co- educational independent school of 950 pupils aged four to eighteen. It enjoys excellent facilities, a dedicated staff, bright and hardworking pupils, and a site of 100 acres.
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Chigwell School is located in the picturesque village of Chigwell just over ten miles from central London and on the Central Line. The extensive, beautiful grounds are close to the edge of Epping Forest and it is rare for a school to have so much space and yet be so close to the centre of the Capital. Most pupils are day pupils but in the Sixth Form, there is a small community of international boarders, roughly thirty from sixteen countries, and these live in four small boarding houses.
As well as being an academic school, Chigwell has the reputation for providing a rich and full education, with plenty of opportunities for all pupils who are enthusiastic, co-operative and able. Chigwell is a caring and friendly school, with a close sense of community, not least between colleagues. As the 2015 Good Schools Guide reports: Academically, pupils are put through their paces but it all seems to be done in such a civilised and pleasant manner that you are more likely to hear pupils talk about opportunities an d prospects than pressure and stress. “Anyone who wants to do well here, will do well” said one student, “and I can’t think of a nicer place to succeed.”
The School Development Programme Over recent years, the School’s facilities have been extensively developed in order to enhance the educational experience that pupils receive. The development programme has included the following additions:
2008 Wilson Building teaching block 2008 Floodlit AstroTurf pitch 2009 Junior School library extension 2010 Complete redevelopment of catering facilities 2010 Sixth Form coffee shop 2010 Harsnett’s and Church House converted into boys’ boarding houses 2012 The Old Chigwellian Club and land was incorporated into the School estate 2013 Pre Prep School built and opened for 110 pupils aged between 4 and 7 2013 Two new science labs created 2014 Drama Centre balcony extended to provide additional music and drama rehearsal space 2016 The Risham Sarao Sixth Form Centre was completed 2017 Dining Hall extension was completed 2018 New classrooms added for the Junior School
In the future we plan to:
Renovate the Chapel Develop the Sports Centre Expand our music facilities Further expand our provision of bursaries
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The School
Some pupils join in Reception and there are two classes in each of the three Pre Prep year groups. A small number of other children join the Junior School at 7+ (Year 3) and there are two or three classes in each of the KS2 year groups. At 11+ (Year 7), there is a further entry with four or five classes making up Years 7 to 11. Again, there is a small entry into the Sixth Form. Entry at each stage is selective and although there are three main sections to the School (Pre Prep, Junior School and Senior School) these sections work closely together and there is a common ethos running throughout.
There are over a hundred teachers and together with the support staff, there is a friendly, mutually- supportive atmosphere. All teaching staff contribute to the extra-curricular programme.
The Role of the Governing Body
The Governing Body of Chigwell School is responsible for overseeing the School and ensuring that it achieves its aims. They have ultimate responsibility for educational standards, financial planning and the ongoing investment in staff, accommodation and resources as well as the preservation of the existing assets and the ethos of the School. The Governing Body is also responsible for ensuring compliance with statutory requirements, including the annual review of, and ongoing obligations regarding, safeguarding and child protection arrangements. In order to exercise this role effectively, the Governing Body invests considerable time and expertise to acquire an informed perspective into the working of the school, providing the management team with support, challenge and the stimulus for growth and development.
Chigwell School was incorporated in June 2006 and now is simultaneously (i) a charity, (ii) a charitable company limited by guarantee, and (iii) a school. The governors are simultaneously: (i) trustees of the Chigwell School Trust; (ii) trustees of the Chigwell School General Prize Fund; (iii) Directors of Chigwell School Limited; (iv) Members of Chigwell School Limited; and (v) School Governors.
There are currently sixteen Governors with a wide-ranging skillset.
Work is also undertaken in several Committees:
Urgency and Nominations Finance and Property Education 5
Risk and compliance Trust Remuneration
The Role of Chair of Governors
It is the role of Chair of Governors to see that the business of the Governing Body is conducted properly and meetings are run efficiently. It is also the Chair’s task to encourage all governors to contribute and to work together as a team. They also have a vital role as critical friend in supporting, guiding and liaising with the Headmaster and sometimes the Bursar. They may need to make important decisions between governors’ meetings, but the role is essentially to enable the Governing Body to function well, acknowledging that authority lies with the Governing Body collectively. The Chair should have regular meetings with the Headmaster. There is a dedicated Clerk to the Governors who is present at all Governors’ meetings and provides administrative and regulatory advice and support.
The Chair must be fully informed about the affairs of the School, primarily through discussion with the Headmaster and Clerk, and have a clear grasp of its strategic aim and financial position.
The Chair should maintain close links with the Vice-Chair, Clerk and Chairs of Committees.
The Chair needs to maintain an overview of all activities of the Governing Body.
It is a challenging and rewarding strategic role.
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Principal duties / accountabilities
The Chair of Governors will be expected to:
Ensure the school has a clear strategic vision that is shared and agreed between governors and senior managers;
Ensure the strategic vision is analysed, expressed and implemented via a strategic plan that contains a clear set of objectives. All subsidiary plans, objectives and work must be aligned with – and contribute to – the strategic plan;
Ensure the work of the governing body is a balance of necessary attention to current operational issues and the need to secure the future of the school by clear strategic, forward planning;
Arrange a proper process for identifying and recruiting new governors;
Play a key role in the induction of new governors and provide guidance as required;
Guide the appointment of governors to Committees and selection of chairs;
Hold overall responsibility for guiding the governance of the school and ensuring governors are proficient and trained to carry out their duties;
Run the Governing Body, including chairing the meetings and liaising closely with the Vice- Chair and Committee chairs;
Ensure that appropriate rules are drawn up for the operation and work of the Governing Body and for delegation to Committees;
Oversee the appointment of any future Head and Bursar;
Mentor and support the Headmaster, through regular meetings and interaction;
Oversee the appraisal and advise the Headmaster on performance;
Agree and monitor performance targets with the Headmaster and Governing Body;
Oversee the appraisal of the Bursar;
Ensure that the Headmaster and other senior managers are properly rewarded;
Ensure that the key relationship of the Chair, Headmaster and Bursar is working effectively with clear divisions of responsibility; 7
Oversee the appeal process for dealing with grievances, disciplinary issues and parental complaints;
Speak at Speech Day and other public events.
The Chair will be expected to sit on one or more of the Committees in addition to chairing the Urgency and Nominations Committee.
Time commitment
The time commitment associated with the office of Chair varies according to circumstances but is expected to average out at approximately two full days a month. This includes the need for availability at unexpected times on occasion. The individual must provide assurance that they have the time and capacity to take this on.
The chair will be required to attend full governing body meetings once a term (currently held on Saturday mornings), a visitation day, annual Governors’ Strategy Day, and Speech Day. There are meetings of each Committee at least once a term and the appointee will chair the Urgency and Nominations Committee, which meets when required. The Chair should also have sufficiently regular contact with the Headmaster to be informed of developments at the School and also to provide support and guidance. In addition, the chair must serve on at least one Committee in addition to chairing the Urgency and Nominations Committee.
The chair will ideally attend some school events.
Non-remuneration
The role is unremunerated but the Chair may claim all reasonable travel and subsistence expenses for all School business.
Other resources
There is a wealth of relevant information available on the National Governance Association website: https://www.nga.org.uk/Home.aspx
There is also some useful information on what is expected of governors by the Independent Schools Inspectorate: https://www.isi.net/schools/governors-and-proprietors/your-role
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Person specification
Background and Experience
Strong candidates will bring:
A track record of success at the most senior level in a large and complex organization; Senior non-executive experience, or experience of serving in an executive capacity on a board with non-executives on it; Extensive experience of chairing meetings/committees; A sound understanding of the clear division between executive and non-executive responsibilities; A genuine interest in and empathy with the independent education sector; Ideally some experience of fund-raising and/or senior connections with business, industry or the professions; A good grasp of charity law and some understanding of Charity Commission obligations; the School is a charity and governors therefore need to understand their responsibilities as charity trustees; A sound understanding of corporate governance principles; Some understanding of Independent School Inspectorate standards and what they expect of governors.
Key skills and competencies
Strong candidates will demonstrate:
Strategic thinking; An ability to earn the respect of highly talented and engaged members of the governing body, as well as senior members of staff, and external stakeholders; The ability to hold a room, steer debate as appropriate, and communicate comfortably to different audiences; The ability to chair meetings effectively, ensuring an appropriate level of debate and challenge; Superb relationship-building and diplomacy skills, and the ability to engage with a broad range of people;
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A collaborative style and the ability to work collegially;
The ability to lead and develop the Governing Body to ensure effective governance.
Personal qualities
Strong candidates will:
Demonstrate a commitment to the values and mission of the School.
Be willing to undertake training where they do not possess the necessary attributes.
Bring energy, drive and passion.
Be organised, structured and reliable.
Demonstrate great judgement, e.g. knowing when to be decisive versus when to let the conversation flow.
Be authoritative and collaborative.
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Contact
Minerva can be contacted as follows:
Kerry Shepherd [email protected] 0203 714 3477
Ben Tucker [email protected] 0203 714 0961
Natalie Chapman [email protected] 0203 714 0963
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