Dear Parent/Carer,

PARENT GOVERNOR ELECTION

I am writing to you to invite you to stand for election as a parent governor or nominate another parent to do so. In our school we have provision for 2 parent governors and there is currently 1 vacancy.

Nominations can only be accepted from parents or carers who have children registered at the school on the day that nominations close.

The GB, with the headteacher, has overall responsibility for the running of the school. The role of a school governor is to contribute to the work of the Governing Board (GB)in ensuring high standards of achievement for all children and young people in the school by:

• Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction.
• Holding the headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school, its pupils, and the performance management of staff; and
• Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent.

The role of governor can be demanding but very rewarding.  Parent governors serve a 4 year term of office and under usual circumstances, can expect to spend between 10 and 20 days a year on governance duties.  These include:

• attending meetings of the GB, usually outside of school hours and contributing to GB business.
• reading reports and papers and keeping up to date on the progress that the school is making; and
• visiting the school from time to time during the school day.

You will be expected to, undergo a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, sign a governors’ Code of Conduct and have:

• a strong commitment to the role and improving outcomes for children
• the inquisitiveness to question and analyse.
• the willingness to learn.
• good inter-personal skills.
• appropriate levels of literacy in English (unless a GB is prepared to make special arrangements); and
• sufficient numeracy skills to understand basic data.

Training is available for all governors and the GB has an expectation that those new to school governance attend the free induction training.

The enclosed sheet summarises the circumstances under which someone cannot serve as a governor. In addition, parents/carers who have paid employment in the school for 500 or more hours in any consecutive 12-month period or who are elected members of the Local Authority are not eligible to stand in these elections.

If you would like to stand for election, please complete the enclosed nomination form  (https://bit.ly/3AsoAij) and return it to the school no later than Friday 15^th October 2021 2pm. You may also include a personal statement to support your nomination.  There is no limit on the length of this statement, however, we encourage candidates to be succinct when setting out the skills, experience and attributes that they can bring to the GB to support their nomination. Self-nominations will be accepted, but if you are nominating another parent, please seek their prior consent.

If there are more nominations than vacancies the election will be by secret ballot on 18^th October 2021. If a ballot is necessary, voting papers will be sent to all parents together with details of the ballot procedure.

To find out more about our school’s governing body (i.e., frequency of meetings etc) and the GB’s code of conduct please contact Mr Stuart Clutton, Clerk to Governors at eastcroft.de@knowsley.gov.uk.

Yours faithfully,

Mrs J Lynskey

Returning Officer