Academy Governor
About This Role
Fairfax Multi-Academy Trust is offering an opportunity for the right people to make a real difference to the outcomes and life chances of young people in Birmingham and Solihull.
Our Schools
The Role
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 a Governor within Fairfax Multi-Academy Trust.
We serve students from a wide range of backgrounds, including some in challenging circumstances. We have much 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 Governors with a range of skills, including education, finance, human resources, risk management, health and safety, and estates.
Key elements of being a Governor 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 a Governor can be challenging, but it can be hugely rewarding, too. It will give you the chance to make a real difference to young people, give something back to your local community, and use and develop your 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, etc.)
Understand a different perspective through experiencing an environment very different from your day-to-day work
Commitment
Up to five Academy Governing Body meetings per annum
Training and school visits (ideally three 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 the expenditure of the budget allocated to the Academy by Directors
Carry out the Trust’s vision, policies and priorities
Scrutinise the academy 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 Governors will be available to support Behaviour Panels and PX hearings.
Closing date: 4.00pm on 1 September 2026.
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.