Central Bedfordshire Council news and press releases

Parent governor representatives sought for our children’s committee

Thursday, 14 July 2022

We're seeking nominees for 2 replacement volunteer parent governor representative roles on our Children’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

We're seeking nominations for the post from all parent governors of academies and maintained schools within Central Bedfordshire.

Candidates are required to self-nominate, and parent governors are eligible in any school phase (lower, primary, middle, secondary or upper), within an academy or maintained school.

Our Children’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee scrutinises performance, considers children’s services policy and offers comments that inform our Executive committee in making decisions.

It is one of 4 overview and scrutiny committees which are responsible for reviewing service delivery and performance, helping to develop our policy and making recommendations to our Executive. Its role includes overseeing the Executive’s education functions.

The role of a parent governor representative is to:

  • act as a non-political voice for parents in the area; representing to us the main education issues which concern parents of pupils we maintain
  • liaise with the other parent governor representatives on their own local authority
  • attend and contribute to the meetings of the Children’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee, and any working group meetings that might be set up by that committee, to which they may be appointed as a representative
  • establish good relations with other members of the Children’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee and our officers
  • feed back on our discussions and decisions made on education to the parents
  • abide by our rules on committee procedures (the constitution)
  • act with due propriety according to standards laid down for the conduct of councillors and co-opted members in local government

The closing date for nominations is 4pm on September 12, 2022, and, in the event of there being more than two candidates, an election will begin on September 13, 2022 with a closing date of 4pm on October 7, 2022. The successful candidate will be appointed until April 30, 2023.

The Children’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee meets during the day, roughly every eight weeks, usually at Priory House, in Chicksands. The first meeting successful candidates would be required to attend is November 1, 2022.

Although the parent governor representatives are voluntary positions, they will receive a meeting allowance of £75 for up to 4 hours or £150 for more than 4 hours, together with travel expenses.