Trust Associate (Governor)

Fairfax Multi-Academy Trust is offering an opportunity for the right person to make a real difference to the outcomes and life chances of young people across Birmingham and Solihull.

Our schools

• Fairfax Academy
• Erdington Academy
• Bournville School
• Smith’s Wood Academy

This is an opportunity to give something back to the local community and use and develop your own skills in a board-level environment. We need individuals willing to commit some of their time and apply their skills and experience to be an Associate within Fairfax Multi-Academy Trust.

We serve students from a wide range of backgrounds, including some in challenging circumstances. We have higher than average proportions of students from disadvantaged homes and with special educational needs. We firmly believe that every student has the right to realise their full potential and to do that, they need to experience a high-quality education in a supportive environment to help them achieve their career aspirations and live their lives to the full.

We are seeking to appoint a number of Associates with a range of skills, including education, finance, human resources, risk management, health and safety, and estates.

Key elements of being an Associate include:

• Holding leaders to account for the school’s performance and delivery of annual improvement plans
• Overseeing the operational activity of the school

We know many organisations like your own are increasingly setting aside time and encouraging their staff to take on community roles such as this and see the benefits this can bring to you as well as us.

The role of an Associate can be challenging, but it can be hugely rewarding, too. It will give the individual the chance to make a real difference to young people, give something back to their local community, and use and develop their own skills in a board-level environment.

It can help you to:

• Develop broader skills such as leadership and accountability, influencing and decision-making
• Experience and gain insight into a complex organisation in another sector, including the inter-relationship of all functions (HR, finance, estates)
• Understand a different perspective through experiencing an environment very different from your day-to-day work

Brief role description

Commitment:

• Attend five Academy Association Meetings per annum
• Undertake training and school visits (ideally, 3 half-days a year), supporting school activities and ad hoc panels
• Circa 50 hours per annum, including meeting preparation, ad hoc meetings and school visits

Responsibilities:

• Scrutinise the impact of expenditure of the budget allocated to the Academy by Directors
• Carry out the Trust’s vision, policies and priorities
• Scrutinise the academic performance of the Academy as defined by the Trust Board
• Support the Trust Board and its committees in relation to the impact of additional funding (Pupil Premium, Catch-up and Sports Premium)
• Advise and act as a critical friend to the Principal and advise the Trust Board about local issues they need to consider
• Represent the interests of the Academy community in the running of the Academy and represent the Academy in its community
• Provide support to the Principal in undertaking appropriate day-to-day procedures that are essential to the life of the Academy
• Ensure the Academy operates within the ethos, values and mission of the Trust

There is an expectation that Associates will be available to support Behaviour Panels and PX hearings.

Closing date: 4.00pm on 1 September 2024.

Fairfax Multi-Academy Trust is committed to the safeguarding and welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful candidate will therefore be required to undertake an Enhanced Disclosure via the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) as well as providing evidence of qualifications.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (2013 and 2020). This means that certain convictions and cautions are considered ‘protected’ and do not need to be disclosed to employers, and if they are disclosed, employers cannot take them into account. Guidance about whether a conviction or caution should be disclosed can be found on the Ministry of Justice website: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/new-guidance-on-the-rehabilitation-of[1]offenders-act-1974