Central Bedfordshire Council news and press releases

We need parent governors for our children’s committee

Monday, 30 January 2023

We're seeking nominees for 4 parent governor representatives for our Children’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

Nominations for the posts are being sought from all parent governors of maintained schools, academies and special 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), maintained school, special school or academy.)

Find out how to nominate yourself.

Our Children’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee scrutinises performance, considers children’s services policy and offers comments that inform our Executive 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 the local authority the main education issues which concern parents of pupils maintained by the authority
  • 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
  • feedback 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 24 February 2023 and in the event of there being more than one candidate from an academy and a special school, and two candidates from maintained schools, an election will begin on 27 February 2023 with a closing date of 4pm on 24 March 2023. The successful candidates will be appointed until 30 April 2027.

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 13 June 2023.

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

Find out how to nominate yourself.