15th June 2022
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 are 2 vacancies.
The Governing Body, with the Headteacher, has overall responsibility for the running of the school. Governing bodies have three core strategic functions:
- Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction;
- Holding the Headteacher to account for the educational performance of the School and its Pupils; and
- Overseeing the financial performance of the School and making sure its money is well spent.
No special qualifications are needed, and the most important thing is to have a keen interest in the school and be prepared to play an active part in the Governing Body’s work. Training is available for all Governors and this Governing Body has an expectation that those new to being a Governor, attend 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 per academic year or who are elected members of the Local Authority, are not eligible to stand in these elections. Nominations must be from Parents or Carers with children at the School on the day that nominations close.
If you would like to stand for election, please complete the attached nomination form and return either electronically to schooloffice@cathcartstreet.wirral.sch.uk or by post to the School address by Thursday 30th June. You should also include a short personal statement to support your nomination, which should be no longer than 250 words. 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. Voting papers will be sent to all parents together with details of the ballot procedure. Every parent is entitled to one vote per vacancy.
If we receive the same number of nominations as vacancies then the nominees will automatically be elected as Parent Governors.
Yours faithfully,
Mrs Catherine Hughes
Acting Headteacher
Maintained schools: Qualifications and disqualifications to serve as a School Governor
A Governor must be aged 18 or over at the time of his/her election or appointment and cannot hold more than one governorship at the same School.
A person is disqualified from election or appointment as a Parent Governor if s/he:
- is employed at the School for more than 500 hours in any 12 consecutive months;
- is an elected member of the Local Authority.
- A person is disqualified from holding or continuing to hold office as a Governor or Associate member if he or she:
- is a registered pupil at the school;
- has failed to attend governing body meetings at the school without the consent of the governing body, for a continuous period of six months;
- has been disqualified for failing to attend governing body meetings at the school without the consent of the governing body, for a continuous period of six months whilst serving as a foundation, local authority, co-opted or partnership governor at the school in the last 12 months;
- has had his/her estate sequestrated and the sequestration has not been discharged, annulled or reduced;
- is subject to a bankruptcy restriction order, an interim bankruptcy restrictions order, a debt relief restrictions order or an interim debt relief restrictions order;
- is subject to:
- a disqualification order or disqualification undertaking under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986
- a disqualification order under the Companies Directors Disqualification (Northern Ireland) Order 2002
- a disqualification undertaking accepted under the Company Directors Disqualification (Northern Ireland) Order 2002
- an order made under section 429(2)(b) of the Insolvency Act 1986 (failure to pay under a county court administration order);
- has been removed from the office of charity trustee or trustee for a charity by an order made by the Charity Commission or Commissioners or High Court on the grounds of any misconduct or mismanagement in the administration of the charity for which he was responsible; or to which he was privy; or to which he contributed or he facilitated by his conduct; or
- has been removed, under section 34 of the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005, from being concerned in the management or control of any body;
- is included in the list of people considered by the Secretary of State as unsuitable to work with children (under section 1 of the Protection of Children Act 1999);
- is subject to a direction of the Secretary of State under section 142 of the Education Act 2002 (or any other disqualification, prohibition or restriction which takes effect as if contained in such a direction);
- is subject to a direction of the Secretary of State under section 128 of the Education and Skills Act 2008;
- is barred from regulated activity relating to children in accordance with section 3(2) of the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006;i
- is disqualified from working with children under sections 28, 29, or 29A of the Criminal Justice and Court Services Act 2000;
- is disqualified from registration under Part 2 of the Children and Families (Wales) Measure 2010 for child minding or providing day care;
- is disqualified from registration under Part 3 of the Childcare Act 2006;
- has been convicted of any offence and received a sentence of imprisonment (whether suspended or not) for a period of not less than 3 months (without the option of a fine) in the 5 years before or since becoming a governor;
- has been convicted of any offence and received a prison sentence of two and a half years or more in the 20 years before becoming a governor;
- has been convicted of any offence at any time and received a prison sentence of 5 years or more;
- has been convicted of an offence and sentenced to a fine under section 547 of EA 1996 (nuisance or disturbance on school premises) or under section 85A of the Further and Higher Education Act 1992 (nuisance or disturbance on educational premise) during the 5 years prior to or since appointment or election as a governor;
- has refused a request by the clerk to the governing body to make an application under section 113B of the Police Act 1997 for a criminal records certificate.
PARENT GOVERNOR ELECTION NOMINATION FORM
Please enter IN BLOCK LETTERS the name and address of the person being nominated for election:
Name: ________________________________________________________________________
Address: _______________________________________________________________________
Signature of person nominated: ____________________________________________________
Signature of proposer (if different to nominee): _________________________________________
Name and address in BLOCK letters of proposer (if different to nominee): ____________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
Personal Statement (maximum 250 words)
I wish to submit my nomination for the election of parent governor.
I confirm (i) that I am willing to stand as a candidate for election as a parent governor and (ii) that I am not disqualified from holding office for any of the reasons set out in the School Governance (Constitution) (England) Regulations 2012.
Signature …………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Date …………………………………………………..……………………………………………………
Completed nomination forms must be returned to the School by Thursday 30th June