Kelvinside Academy BOARD MEMBER RECRUITMENT
2023-24
Could YOU help guide the future of KA?
YOU really could make a difference...
A dynamic and forward thinking Board of Governors have overseen huge change and improvement in the last six years at Kelvinside Academy. However, with tenure ending for some Governors, there is an opportunity to join the KA Board and help shape the next five years of progress at one of Scotland's leading independent schools.
WillYOUbepartofournext5years?
BuiltScotland'sfirst InnovationSchool
Overseena newpastoralsystem inSeniorSchool
Appointed newRector and HeadofJuniorSchool
Opened KAGreenForestNursery inMilngavie
Encouragedaunique NuVuInnovation Curriculum
Openednew cutting-edge Library
OpenedaHighland WildernessCampus
Refurbishedwholeof JuniorSchool
Why would YOU want to be a Governor?
School Governors make a valuable contribution to children’s education, opportunities and futures. Being a School Governor is a challenging but hugely rewarding role. It provides the opportunity to make a real difference to young people at KA, give something back and use and develop your skills in a Board-level environment. Schools need Governing Boards that have a balance and diversity of knowledge, skills and experience to enable it to be effective.
rewarding l e a d e r s h pi
safeguarding s u s t a i n a b i l ity
The Board supports the Rector and Senior Leadership Team (SLT) in their strategic leadership and accountability in School.
The Board has three key functions:
Overseeing the School's financial performance, making sure money is well spent and ensuring financial sustainability. Holding the Rector and SLT to account for educational performance and safeguarding of the School and its pupils.
Supporting the Rector in delivering a clear vision, distinct ethos and strategic direction.
Governors monitor and evaluate the School's progress and act as a source of challenge and support to the Rector.
What do KA Governors actually do?
1. 2. 3.
What does this look like in action?
Engaging with pupils, staff, parents and the school community·
Appointing and performance reviewing the Rector and supporting with appointing and reviewing other Senior Leaders, including pay awards Sitting on Governance panels and making decisions about things like pupil exclusion and staff disciplinary appeals.
Addressing education issues like disadvantaged or special needs pupils, staff workload and teacher recruitment.
Looking at educational data and evidence to ask questions and have challenging conversations about the School.
ANYTHING
Governors must demonstrate selflessness, integrity, objectivity, openness, honesty and leadership.
Be committed to their role and to young people.
Be confident in difficult conversations; curious with an enquiring mind; able to challenge the status quo to improve things.
Work collaboratively to build strong relationships; self-evaluate to improve their own work and that of the Board.
Show creativity in problem solving and being innovative.
RECTOR'SVISION
I am extremely proud to be the 23rd Rector of Kelvinside Academy and plan to be in post for the next decade. Leading the School’s continued excellence in character education and pastoral care and developing the School further in our drive to lead the country in Innovation and Digital Strategy. The world needs compassionate and creative leaders able to solve complex and difficult problems.
Kelvinside Academy will continue to be an outstanding school with a dynamic and vital holistic philosophy. Learning and teaching lie at the core of our mission, and personal development, problem solving and challenge are placed on a level footing, of equal importance. Kelvinside Academy helps young people develop the skills and competencies they need to be successful adults across a huge spectrum of roles and employment sectors and this will continue with our progressive educational approach and renewed purpose. For every International Sports man or woman we produce, I want a community leader and entrepreneur to lift up people’s life chances or improve Scotland’s economic output and standard of living.
I view the role of our school to be more than simply achieve good grades and reach academic potential. The history and long-standing ethos of the school demands far more of the staff than that.
To achieve this, young people in 2020 need mindfulness, emotional regulation, assertiveness; a positive understanding of their Self-Worth and Self-Esteem. Young leaders need a positive mindset, whilst avoiding perfectionism, a mindset that allow them to make academic or social mistakes and know that this is ok, mistakes are a part of the process and can be used for good Embracing failure as a key component of learning. I am committed to promoting safety and healthy decision making and supporting a happy childhood that lasts into the teenage years.
I want our young people to be successful young adults. Successful with friendships and interpersonal working relationships Successful in setting and achieving goals. Successful in managing themselves and others.
I want Kelvinside Academicals to look back on their years at school with great memories and fond recollection, I want them to be agents for positive change in their communities and I want them to live our School motto and “Be the Best they Can Be.”
Daniel J Wyatt BA ED (Hons) Rector
Strategic plan
Developing our pupils to become agents for positive change, helping families to enjoy life with successful Kelvinside Academicals 2025 – 2050 and beyond.
STRATEGICAIMS
To expand our school site and improve our physical learning environment with inspiring spaces which promote creativity and thinking.
To develop our sports facilities to match our performance and participation aspirations.
To expand our Junior School to two form entry and double our Junior School roll.
To offer families in the West of Scotland the best holistic educational offering in Scotland, the best Nursery experience in Scotland and a sector leading whole school personal development plan.
To lead Scottish Education in Innovation and Digital Strategy.
To cover a wide remit of duties, we operate a committee system with three principal Committees who report to the Board.
The usual commitment is membership of one of the committees which meet four times per year for between an hour and ninety minutes.
The full Board also meet four times per year for between ninety minutes and two hours. There will also be time needed to read Board minutes and agenda items and be available for calls and advice on an ad-hoc basis.
Like magistrates or members of a jury, school Governors and Trustees have a right to reasonable time off work for their public duties, although this may be unpaid. Your company’s HR department will be able to tell you about its policy.
Governance is a voluntary role and therefore it is not paid.
What time commitment is involved?
Could YOU be a KA Governor?
Finance and Strategy Committee
Monitoring and advisory role relating to the School’s financial health, accounting compliance, staff establishment and appointment procedures, terms and conditions of employment, and levels of remuneration and the management of the School’s property and estate.
COMMITTEES
Awards Committee
Oversees the School’s policy on bursaries and approves the number and level of bursaries awarded.
cation Committee
Reviews proposals for the School's educational strategy and considers other educational matters including the curriculum. Also reviews School policies relating to staff and pupil matters and educational provision, oversees Health and Safety issues and Staff Continuing Professional Development. Oversight of wellbeing and child protection for existing staff and pupils, annual approval of relevant policies and review of the management of any historic allegations as received by the School.
The Board is a self-appointing body and service on is for three years, with Retiring Governors being able to opt for re-election. Many Governors choose to serve multiple terms, however as a volunteer they can resign before a term is finished and at any stage if circumstances change.
When vacancies occur, expressions of interest are invited from Academicals, parents and other suitably qualified individuals.
Appointment Process
Applicants will need to complete a declaration of interests to declare any conflicts of interest you will have including loyalty and financial conflicts.
Governors can be appointed at a General Meeting of the Kelvinside Academy War Memorial Trust and will hold office until the next Annual General Meeting, where they must be re-appointed to remain in office.
Applicants are approved following a recommendation from the Chairman of Governors and Rector and are based on
Applicants are asked to provide a CV an meet the Rector and Chairman of Governo in the first instance. These meetings are an opportunity for the School to ensure that applicants are suited for the Board and for applicants to decide that the School is right for them, helping both to make an informed decision.
New Governors undergo an induction programme and are encouraged to attend SCIS organised courses and workshops.
Applicants must hold an Enhanced Disclosure Certificate and be a member of the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) membership scheme and any Governor appointment will be subject to this. This will be carried out by the School.
Once all this is in place, the full Governing Board can then confirm the decision regarding appointment.
KELVINSIDE ACADEMY WAR MEMORIAL TRUST
Purpose & Governance
The Kelvinside Academy War Memorial Trust is a Company limited by Guarantee and has recognised Charitable Status. The liability of each member is limited to £1 in the event of the company ceasing to trade. Governors are both Trustees for the purposes of charity law and Directors for the purposes of company law.
Constitution
The Trust, which is a recognised Charity in Scotland, is registered as a charitable company limited by guarantee and is governed by its Articles of Association, incorporated 25 May 1921, as amended. An updated Memorandum and Articles of Association was approved at an Extraordinary General Meeting of the Trust on 9 September 2008.
Since 1998 the School has been fully co-educational and now provides education to boys and girls aged from 3-18 years old.
Governing Principals
(a) that the objects and powers of Kelvinside Academy are appropriate for the current activities and operation of the school;
(b) that the objects and powers are in compliance with the legislation relating to charities and trustees and in particular the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 (“the 2005 Act”);
(c) that the governance arrangements comply with relevant legislation, the recommendations of OSCR and best practice.
Responsibility for the day-to-day management of the School is delegated to the Rector and overseen by the Board of Governors.
If you are interested in having an informal meeting to explore the opportunity of being a Kelvinside Academy Governor, please contact:
Mr Daniel J Wyatt - Rector
rector@kelvinside.org
0141 357 3376
