Dear parents/carers

We have a vacancy for a parent governor which we need to fill as soon as possible. St Mary’s CE Junior school has always aimed for a partnership with parents which undoubtedly brings great benefits to the children. One of the most significant ways you can help in promoting this aim is to volunteer to be a parent governor.

The governing body's main tasks are:

• to ensure that the school has a clear vision, ethos and strategic direction;
• to hold the headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils;
• to oversee the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent.

Parent governors are welcomed as valued members of the team and play a vital role in ensuring the governing body is aware of the views of parents and the local community. We feel sure that there are parents prepared to take on this important role and give their time and commitment to helping us to continue to improve the school's performance.

In looking to fill this vacancy the governors of the school have identified the following skills, experience and attributes that they feel would help strengthen the governing body:

 Experience of being a board member in another sector or a governor/trustee in another school;

• Links with the community or local business;
• Working or volunteering with young people;
• Ability to analyse data;
• Willingness to commit time and energy to make governance work to the benefit of the school

Training and support will be available to help you develop into the role. This will include in-house mentoring and support as well as access to external governor training.

If you feel you can help in this capacity please contact the office for an application form which will need to be completed and returned to the school by 12.00 noon on Monday 4^th February.

Please use the attached application form, a paper copy is available from the school office, and NOT the online form on the Hampshire website.

The guidelines giving full details about how vacancies are filled can be found in the information for prospective governors on the Hampshire County Council website – see link below.

https://www.hants.gov.uk/educationandlearning/governors/volunteer

You will find video, e-learning and written information on the site and all of these will provide you with further details about the role.

Please note that for the protection of children all governor appointments are subject to an identity check.

If there are more applications than vacancies, we will hold an election and you will be sent a voting paper in due course. You may return the ballot paper either via your child or by post.

Yours sincerely

Ms C Welch/Mr P Jubin

Headteacher/Chair of Governors