Dear Parent / Guardian

I am writing to invite you to stand for election as a parent local governor, or to nominate another parent to do so. In our school we have provision for two parent local governors with one vacancy at present.

 

The School Governance Committee, with the Headteacher, has overall responsibility for the running of the school. The School Governance Committee of The Purbeck School has the following responsibilities delegated to it by the Trustees of the Multi-Academy Trust:

• 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, however if you have an interest or experience in Safeguarding or Inclusion then this would be particularly welcome.  It is essential that any candidate is available during school hours on an occasional basis to attend link governor meetings as part of the link governor team.  Training is available for all governors, and this governing body has an expectation that those new to being a governor attend free induction and safeguarding 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 an individual exercising parental responsibility of a registered pupil at The Purbeck School on the day that nominations close.

If you would like to stand for election, please complete the enclosed nomination form and return it to the school no later than midday Tuesday 5 May 2026. You may 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. If that is necessary, voting papers will be sent to all parents together with details of the ballot procedure.

Yours sincerely

Hazel Serkis

Clerk to Governors

Please download the form below (Word Document)

Nomination Form

Qualifications and disqualifications to serve as a school governor

 

Under the School Governance (Constitution) (England) Regulations 2012, individuals, who must be over 18, are disqualified from holding office, under these regulations, if that person:

• is the subject of a bankruptcy restrictions order, or an interim order, a debt relief restrictions order or an interim debt relief restrictions order or their estate has been requestrated and the sequestration has not been discharged, annulled or reduced;
• is subject to:
  • a disqualification order or disqualification undertaking under the Company Directors Act 1986
  • a disqualification order under Part 2 of the Companies (Northern Ireland) Order 1989
  • 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, or under section 34 of the Charities and Trustees 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 or young people;
• is barred from any regulated activity relating to children;
• is subject to a direction of the Secretary of State under section 128 of the Education and Skills Act 2008;
• is disqualified from being an independent school proprietor, teacher of employee by the Secretary of State;
• is disqualified from working with children or subject to a direction under section 142 of the Education Act 2002;
• 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 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 received a prison sentence of 2 years or more in the 20 years before becoming a governor;
• has at any time received a prison sentence of 5 years or more;
• has been convicted 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
• is employed at the school for more than 500 hours per academic year if wishing to stand for parent governor at the same school;
• is an elected member of the Local Authority (applies to parent and community governors only);
• has been disqualified from holding office as a governor of this school due to failure to attend governing body meetings for a continuous period of six months