Vacancy: Clerk (Remote / Hybrid working)

School
Castle Mead School
Job reference
VJC_032
Closing date
9.00am on 24 April 2023
Interview date
Week commencing 1 May 2023
Start date
As soon as possible after appointment
Contract type
Fixed term contract until July 2024
Salary
Grade E Spinal Point 6 - £11.39 per hour
Hours
40 hours a year (8 hours are allocated for each meeting and associated preparation). All hours to be worked during term time. Hours can be worked flexibly but will include evening meetings (2 hour meetings)
Location
The majority of the role will be completed at home. Meetings to take place either remotely or at Castle Mead School
Role overview
Effective Governance is one of our key Trust priorities for the next four years, and we would like to appoint an experienced, organised Clerk to support us as we move forward and continue to develop our governance plans.

Our Clerk will join an existing team of clerks to support our three local governing boards (called Academy Advisory Groups). The number of hours needed each week will vary depending on the schedule of meetings, and the majority of the meetings take place in the evening, during term time (either remotely or in person). Flexibility to work these later hours is essential. Preparation and administration can be done at any time of day but the Clerk will need to be able to check emails regularly during the week.

We manage all of our documentation in SharePoint, and many of our meetings are currently held remotely via Zoom, so the Clerk will need to be proficient and confident in using these systems, as well as Outlook, Word, and Excel.

It goes without saying that to be a great Clerk, you will need to have excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, to ensure that you are an effective member of our governance team. You’ll need to be able to build strong collaborative working relationships with the Group Chairs, and work in close partnership with members of our Executive Leadership Team where appropriate. Your organisation skills will be second to none, and you’ll be friendly and enthusiastic, with a passion for supporting schools and education.

If you are organised, methodical, and able to take excellent minutes, that is a great start. We will help you build a detailed understanding of the legal requirements and statutory obligations of the groups you will be responsible for, with training available from the National Governance Association, the Confederation of School Trusts, and the National College. Experience of clerking within a school environment is an advantage, but is not essential – we will give full training to the right person, as we believe strongly that it’s much more about attitude and approach than it is about experience.

How to apply
Please refer to the candidate brief for details on how to apply for this role.
Other information
We warmly welcome visits to our schools, and if you would like to visit us please email hello@themeadtrust.org so that we can arrange this

What we offer

We recognise the value and contribution every member of our staff makes to our schools, and in return for their dedication and commitment we provide:

  • A laptop to use for all Trust-related work 
  • Dedicated, professional and supportive Trustees, Members, Academy Advisors and staff 
  • A Pro licence Zoom account  
  • A National College training account, with access to thousands of training courses online for free 
  • A buddy, to provide support for as long as is needed 
  • Unlimited, free access to the Employee Assistance Programme which gives all our staff confidential support and guidance when they need it most 
  • Generous employer contributions to the Local Authority Pension Scheme

Candidate Briefing Pack >

Application Form >

Equality & Diversity Form >

This role will involve contact with children and the post holder will be engaged in regulated activity relevant to children and will be subject to an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check before appointment is confirmed. 

This Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

All posts involving direct contact with children are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. However, amendments to the Exception Order 1975 (2013 & 2020) provide that certain spent convictions and cautions are ‘protected’.  These are not subject to disclosure to employers and cannot be taken into account. Guidance and criteria on the filtering of these cautions and convictions can be found on the Ministry of Justice website.

Please note that by submitting an application, you acknowledge that we reserve the right to view any publicly available information published on social media platforms as part of our shortlisting process, in line with current KCSIE guidelines.

Child Protection Policy >

Code of Conduct >