Governors | Stanmore College

Peridot Partners; London Borough of Harrow; On-site; GBP 100,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

Stanmore College seeks governors to influence its strategic direction and enhance educational quality in North West London. This is an unremunerated role offering the chance to develop leadership skills while making a significant impact on the college and its community.

Benefits

Training for strategic leadership skills

Opportunity to make a difference in the community

Qualifications

• Candidates with experience in strategic leadership in education, marketing, estates, audit, finance, cybersecurity, and legal are preferred.
• Passion for education and delivering outcomes for local communities.

Responsibilities

• Set the college’s strategic direction and improve quality and participation.
• Monitor college and management performance.
• Ensure compliance with statutory requirements.

Skills

Strategic Leadership

Education

Marketing

Estates Management

Audit and Compliance

Finance

Cybersecurity

Legal

Human Resources

Job description

Join the progressive and vibrant Stanmore College as a governor to play your part in its commitment to deliver excellence in education and training.

• Location: London Borough of Harrow
• Salary: Unremunerated with reasonable expenses paid
• Closing date: Rolling applications

Stanmore College is committed to delivering excellence in education and training. We are a progressive and vibrant college that serves a diverse range of almost 4,500 learners drawn from a wide area across northwest London.

Who we are

At Stanmore College, we are committed to providing outstanding vocational education and training for all students. We provide vocational, HE, full cost recovery, and apprenticeship programmes for students aged 16-19 in the North West London area.

We are an open and inclusive organisation that caters to the educational needs of our local population. Our broad curriculum facilitates a diverse student body and enables a rich exchange of knowledge.

We are an integral part of the local community and have active links to local organisations, including sports clubs, arts groups, voluntary organisations, and employers. Importantly, we provide a safe environment and excellent pastoral care conducive to teaching and learning.

Our students are supported by around 200 inspirational staff who challenge and motivate them to achieve their personal ambitions while being committed to their own professional development.

The college has an unrelenting focus on continuous improvement of all aspects of the organisation and an aspiration to develop ambitious, well-rounded, and independent individuals who grasp every opportunity and new experience. Ofsted has recognised the quality of our provision, consistently rating us as ‘Good’ since 2017, most recently in April 2023.

We provide an enriching, happy and inclusive environment where individuals grow in confidence, achieve their best and expand their horizons as they realise their potential and develop the aptitudes required for a successful future.

“Come on the journey with us. We know where we are going and by being on our board, governors get the chance to influence the landscape of north west London, creating a successful future for our local communities.”

Our turnover has increased year on year and now stands at around £15m per year. With our careful investment and financial efficiency, we are proud to have sustained our outstanding financial position while fulfilling our ambitions.

With support from the government’s ‘transformative’ colleges rebuilding programme, we are currently working through a £60m redevelopment of our site – the only ongoing project of its kind in the country.

This work, due to be completed in August 2027, will allow us to deliver education and training within a modern, open, and state-of-the-art learning environment.

Our Mission – Our mission is to use innovative and high-quality teaching and learning to provide learners with the skills they need to succeed and achieve their full potential in an ever-changing world.

Our Vision – Our vision is to be an educational hub that provides a unique educational destination for local people to acquire the relevant skills, training, and education to enable them to access and build their career ambitions.

Key aspects of our vision include our core values:

• Inclusive – an accessible working environment valuing everyone
• Supportive – to all students, staff and the community
• Respectful – between stakeholders, learners, staff and the community
• Innovative – working in successful partnerships
• Honest – listening and acting openly and transparently with learners, staff and stakeholders
• Aspirational – enabling staff and learners to obtain their full potential
• Safeguarding – putting the safety of all staff and learners first

About the roles

The work of our governors in setting the college’s strategic direction and improving quality, achievement, and participation is central to Stanmore College’s success.

Governors provide expertise in their area and ensure effective and high-standard collaboration. They work as a coherent unit and in close partnership with the senior management team to achieve the college’s strategic objectives.

As a governor, you will:

• Work together with other governors, contributing your skills and expertise accordingly.
• Consider strategic developments.
• Systematically monitor college and management performance.
• Review and monitor the implementation of a range of college policies.
• Ensure compliance with statutory requirements at all times.

The Corporation is charged with developing an environment that enables the college to fulfil its mission, for the benefit of learners and the community.

The benefits:

• The opportunity to work with a team of governors and staff in achieving the goal of becoming an outstanding further and higher education provider.
• A chance to develop skills in a strategic leadership role.
• Training to develop an understanding of specific college management issues.
• A sense of achievement in making a difference to the college, the community and greater social impact.

We expect the time commitment for the role of governor to be 10 – 12 hours per month.

“This is an opportunity to sit on a board where you will make a huge difference. We are on a journey and we want to find new board colleagues who are able and interested in bringing their passion, expertise and their engagement. It’s a real chance to shape not just the college but the community.”

Who we are looking for

Stanmore College is looking for new governors who thrive on challenge, and most importantly, are passionate about education, recognising the importance of vocational education and delivering positive outcomes for young people, local communities and employers from across the local area.

Candidates are sought with experience in strategic leadership in the following areas:

• Education – including those with experience of higher education, local school leadership or those working in other capacities which provides insights into the challenges we face within the FE sector.
• Marketing – especially those with a focus on branding, communications, and those from a commercial or corporate setting
• Estates & capital development – including those who have experience of working within equally large and complex organisations such as universities and the NHS
• Qualified, senior audit, risk and compliance professionals
• Qualified finance professionals
• Cyber security & digital transformation
• Legal & HR – experienced, qualified legal and HR professionals

This is a fantastic opportunity to join an ambitious and progressive Board of Governors, working with Chair Elect, Hannah Butland and in support of Principal, Annette Cast and her senior leadership team.

Within this role, you will make a genuine impact on the future success of the College and its students. You will support the development and influence the direction of Stanmore College at a time when we are going through exciting developments and have big ambitions for our future.

You will have the chance to help us further secure our finances, grow our organisation and aspire to provide outstanding, meaningful education and opportunities for employment.

Peridot Partners and Stanmore College are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and our client expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful candidates will be subject to an enhanced DBS check and satisfactory references before any final offer can be made.

For further information about the role or to arrange a confidential discussion, please contact our advising consultants at Peridot Partners:

If you would like to know more about this role please contact Dan Baxter

Welcome from the Chair Elect and Principal

We appreciate your interest in the governance of Stanmore College, a dynamic and thriving institution in North West London.

Rated “Good” by Ofsted in 2023, Stanmore College is committed to providing high-quality academic, technical, and vocational education for post-16 learners. We operate from our main Stanmore campus while also partnering with multiple sites across London to extend access to our programmes.

Our mission is to deliver exceptional teaching and learning experiences that drive positive student outcomes. Over the years, we have achieved consistent improvements in performance, financial stability, and institutional growth. Our governors play a vital role in shaping the College’s strategic direction and ensuring its continued success.

Yours sincerely,

Hannah Butland, Chair Elect & Annette Cast, Principal

Accessibility information

We understand that different members of the community have different access needs and have made some modifications to the way we do business to accommodate people from diverse communities and abilities.

Our accessibility provisions include:

• Step-free access to the building, all key meeting rooms and bathrooms, and an accessible workstation.
• Accessibility dogs are welcome.
• Interviews can be held in meeting rooms that support hearing loops.
• Papers and materials can be presented in different formats.
• A sign language interpreter can be accessed for interviews.
• Working patterns and locations can be adjusted.

Applicants with a disability are invited to contact us in confidence at any point during the recruitment process to discuss steps that could be taken to overcome operational difficulties presented by the role, or if any adjustments or support are required regarding the recruitment process.

For further information about the role or to arrange a confidential discussion, please contact our advising consultants at Peridot Partners:

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To formally apply, please submit a CV and supporting statement (ideally maximum 2 sides of A4 each) that clearly outlines your suitability for the role against the criteria provided in the person specification, including your interest and motivationin applying for this position.

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Please ensure that your application is emailed to [e-mail] , inserting “Application: Stanmore College — Governors” into the subject field. You will receive an acknowledgement of receipt within 2-3 days. If you do not receive an acknowledgement, please contact our admin team.

For further information about the role or to arrange a confidential discussion, please contact our advising consultants at Peridot Partners:

As a sector-leading executive search consultancy, we know the importance of creating recruitment processes that are fair, inclusive, and free from bias. We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and developing a process that values differences.

If you have a disability that meets the definition set out in the Equality Act 2010 and can show that you meet the ‘essential’ criteria described in the person specification, please let us know.

If you require any job information in an alternative format (e.g. large print), please contact Dan or Katie. Please also let us know if you would like to submit your application in an alternative format.

Recruitment selection processes are based on evidence of competence stated in the person specification and in relation to our values.

Timetable

This is a rolling application recruitment process. We will move to interviews as soon as we receive enough suitable interest and will contact you as soon as possible regarding the next steps. We want to provide everyone with the opportunity to apply. If you are concerned that this role may close before you can apply, please contact our advising consultant to discuss your options.

Peridot and Stanmore College are committed to promoting equality and diversity. To help us raise awareness and support a culture that is diverse and recognises and develops the potential of all, we need to appreciate the profile of candidates who apply for positions.We will send you an equality monitoring survey at the point of receiving your application and at the time of placement. This ensures that our processes remain inclusive and equitable throughout, and provides us with important data to help us showcase our impact.

The information will be treated confidentially and anonymously and will help us to support our commitment to fair recruitment practice. All information provided will be held in the strictest confidence and will not be shared with anyone, in line with the Data Protection Act 2018 launched on 25 May 2018.

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