Governors (Bilingual Primary School)
Job introduction
Salary: TBC
Contract type: Fixed-term, Term Time Only
Working pattern: Part-time
Closing date: Thursday 30 November 2023
Interview date: TBC
How to apply: Please fill in the attached form and return it to Helen Haskew, clerk to the Full Board of Governors (FBG) at HelenHaskew@bilingualprimaryschool.org.uk
Who to contact if you have a query: Helen Haskew, clerk to the Full Board of Governors (FBG) at HelenHaskew@bilingualprimaryschool.org.uk
About the role
Vacancy for Governors 2023/24
The Bilingual Primary School Trust Board has a few vacancies on the school’s Full Board of Governors (FBG) and is seeking to appoint during the autumn this year.
In order to add capacity to the board, the particular areas of expertise we are seeking are:
- Knowledge and experience in Finance
- Knowledge and experience in Legal Matters
- Knowledge and experience in Education
- Knowledge and experience in Health and Safety
However, we would still be interested in hearing from you if you have other skills and expertise to support the busy work of the board.
We are also keen to appoint governors who may have experience of chairing boards or committees, and who might see this as an interesting aspect of school governance.
Introduction to our school
The Bilingual Primary School for Brighton & Hove was conceived by local parents, educators and members of the local community who in response to a shared vision for a unique opportunity and a need for primary school places in Brighton & Hove, decided to get together to improve choice and drive up standards for young people, of all backgrounds. Our primary school was inspired by the diversity of our city with a desire to provide a love of learning through language in a culturally rich environment to children of all abilities, from all backgrounds while being accountable for the outcomes it delivers.
In 2010 the first proposals for the school were written and then expanded on in 2011, finally achieving approval in October 2011 in Wave 2 of the Free School initiative. The origins of local excitement and enthusiasm at the prospect of such an innovative educational approach readily reflected the openness, acceptance and cultural diversity of our city, Brighton & Hove.
In September 2012, the Bilingual Primary School for Brighton & Hove (BPS) opened as a two-form entry school at its temporary site within the Brighton Aldridge Community Academy (BACA) while a suitable location for its permanent home was sought. Three years later, the new purpose-built primary school in its current location in Hove, was ready to receive pupils in early 2016. Since then, it has grown in size and popularity and is now a successful three-form entry school enjoying the many benefits offered by being in a brand-new state of the art building on the edge of Hove Park. The school is located in a central part of the city with good communication and access. This sits particularly well with the school’s unique admissions policy that allows children from all parts of the city equal opportunities when applying for a place at the school.
Children at the school learn and develop their fundamental academic, intellectual and social skills not just in core subjects, but also through school activities, play and in everyday conversations. We ensure they reach their full potential at all times through a range of assessment strategies in line with current and future practice in the UK, with some Gov Rec 2024 BPST MG adaptations for a bilingual education. The school was engendered within a spirit of intercultural understanding as well as by the recognition of the cognitive and social benefits that multilingualism brings to individuals, particularly if learnt at a young age. This offer is new in the UK and still in its infancy. Our school has proudly been at the forefront of the drive for the development of bilingual education in the UK and looks forward to the day when bilingual education will be a choice available to more and more children. We aim to ensure that the approach used will be taken from current examples of best practice worldwide.
What is the importance of effective governance?
The purpose of governance is to provide confident, strategic leadership and to create robust accountability, oversight and assurance for educational and financial performance.
In short, the three core statutory duties of the school governance are:
- Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction
- Holding executive leaders to account for the educational performance of the organisation and its pupils, and the performance management of staff
- Overseeing the financial performance of the organisation and making sure its money is well spent
What can we offer to new governors?
- The opportunity to work with our excellent team of governors and staff in driving forward the vision for bilingualism and develop further your skills in strategic management
- A sense of achievement in making a difference to our school
- The joy of seeing our children thrive and reach their potential
- Further training and development, as required, to develop an understanding of specific school and Free School issues
What commitment does the role require?
- Attendance to 10 board meetings a year (1 per month) in the evenings and generally on a Wednesday and Thursday
- Attendance to mandatory training in Safeguarding as well as other areas of Governance
- Active participation in Board activities
- Four year tenure as a minimum
If you are interested in either of these roles, please fill in the attached form and return it to Helen Haskew, clerk to the Full Board of Governors (FBG) no later than 30th November 2023 - HelenHaskew@bilingualprimaryschool.org.uk
Additional information
Your starting salary will be pro rata if the above position is part-time or term-time only.