• LDBS Application Form for Governors and Trustees in Church of England Schools and Academies

  • LDBS serves and supports Church of England voluntary aided schools and academies within the Diocese of London.  Foundation governors are appointed to preserve the religious character of a church school or academy.  


    LDBS uses this form to make decisions about LDBS foundation governor and trustee appointments.

  • The criteria for LDBS foundation governors or trustees are:

    • commit to actively support and promote the LDBS vision for children and young people within the school context.

    • commit to actively support and promote principles of good governance within the school context.

    • commit sufficient time to the role to attend meetings, training and occasionally visit the school.

    • have relevant skills, experience and knowledge to contribute to the effective governance and success of their school.

    • have good interpersonal skills, with an ability to challenge, question and analyse in a supportive manner.

    • have competent levels of literacy, numeracy and English language.

    • are members of a Christian church.

    • meet safeguarding requirements including an enhanced DBS check.

    • provide two references from the school headteacher or chair of governors, a member of the clergy, or someone who knows you in a professional context.

    • are not disqualified from taking office as a governor.

    • are appointed for a term of four years, with the option to renew if all parties agree.

    In exceptional circumstances, the LDBS has the discretion to appoint a governor who does not meet all of these criteria.

    Please refer to the LDBS Foundation Governor Appointment Policy for further details on the appointment process and candidate eligibility.

  • To save your information while filing in the form, please click save at the bottom of the page or all your progress will be lost.

  • Candidate Information

  • Employment and Training

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  • Preferences and Eligibility

  • If you are applying to become an LDBS governor in a specific school, please note that the LDBS does not appoint:

    • Currently employed members of staff in the organisation (school or Trust)

    We will consider applications from:

    • Parents or carers of current pupils in the school, where one or more foundation governor roles are already filled by parents*
    • Members of the congregation of any CofE church which appoints PCC governors to the school, where one or more foundation roles (excluding any PCC-appointed foundation governors) are already filled by congregation members*

    * If you are a parent or member of the congregation, further details will be requested from the school to support your application.

  • Please tell us about your Christian commitment:*

  • Please note: To ensure all foundation governors are equipped to fulfil the role, if you are not a member of a Church we will invite you to have a faith interview as part of the appointments process. We will share your contact information with the local clergy.

  • Reference: Access the School Governance (Constitution) (England) Regulations 2012

  • Please complete the following statements to confirm you meet the criteria:

  • I am currently employed as a member of staff at the trust or school at which I am applying to be a trustee or governor*

  • Please note: LDBS does not appoint staff to the board of the school where they work. If you complete this form, we will be in touch to discuss vacancies in other schools.

  • I am a parent or carer of current pupils in the trust or school at which I am applying to be a trustee or governor*

  • Please note: To maintain the balance on the board we will review the number of parents on the board as part of our appointment process.

  • I am a member of the congregation of a church which appoints PCC governors to the trust or school at which I am applying to be a trustee or governor*

  • Please note: To maintain the balance on the board we will review the number of church members on the board as part of our appointment process.

  • Skills and Experience

  • The School Governance (Constitution) (England) Regulations 2012 and the Department for Education’s guidance on Maintained School Governance (Oct 2020) require that school governors must have the skills required to contribute to the effective governance and the success of the school. This table lists the skills and experiences that are most commonly needed on school governing boards and will help the LDBS place you in a school where your skills are most useful.

  • Personal Qualities

  • Commitment to improving outcomes for all pupils*
  • Willingness to learn and train*
  • Commitment to the LDBS vision and ethos*

  • Understanding and experience of governance

  • Experience of being a board member in another sector or a governor/trustee in another school*
  • Experience of chairing a board/governing body or committee*
  • Experience of professional leadership*
  • Experience of handling confidential information*

  • Vision and strategic planning

  • Understanding or experience of strategic planning*
  • Ability to analyse and review complex issues objectively*
  • Problem solving skills*

  • Holding the head to account

  • Communication skills, including being able to discuss sensitive issues tactfully*
  • Ability to understand and analyse data*
  • Ability to question and analyse*
  • Performance management/appraisal of others*
  • Experience of being performance managed/being appraised*
  • Experience of interviewing others/appointment process*

  • Specialist Knowledge

  • Literacy and numeracy skills*
  • IT skills*
  • Financial planning and management*
  • Experience of procurement and purchasing*
  • Experience of premises and facilities management*
  • Understanding current education policy*
  • Understanding of special educational needs*
  • Working or volunteering with young people*
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  • References

  • To support your application, we require a Church reference (from a member of the clergy, a church warden or a member of your church leadership team) and a professional reference (from a current or former employer, a Chair of Governors, a school leader, or a volunteer manager or supervisor). References from family members and friends are not accepted.

  • Referee 1

  •  -

  • Referee 2

  •  -

  • Disqualification Regulations and Declaration

  • The School Governance (Constitution) (England) Regulations 2012 and subsequent amendments prevent a person from taking office as a governor in certain circumstances. Before being appointed as a governor, you must declare that you are eligible to serve.

    A GOVERNOR MUST:

    1. be aged 18 or over at the time of appointment/election;
    2. not hold more than one governorship at the same school;
    3. not be a governor at any time when s/he is detained under the Mental Health Act 1983;
    4. not continue in office if s/he has failed to attend meetings for a continuous period of 6 months and the governing body has not consented to the absence. (Consent or otherwise must be recorded in the minutes and a copy sent to the governor concerned.) A foundation governor (other than ex-officio), LA governor or sponsor governor may not be re-appointed to any category, for a period of 12 months following disqualification.
    5. not continue in office, or be appointed, if s/he has been adjudged bankrupt or estate has been sequestered and s/he has not been discharged or the order be annulled or rescinded;
    6. not continue in office, or be appointed, if s/he has made a composition or arrangement with, or granted a trust deed for, his creditors and has not been discharged in respect of it;
    7. not continue in office, or be appointed, if s/he has been disqualified under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986, or is subject to an order under S429(2)(b) of the Insolvency Act 1986;
    8. not continue in office, or be appointed, if s/he has been removed from the office of charity trustee by the Charity Commissioners or the High Court on the grounds of mismanagement or misconduct, or under S7 of the Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Scotland) Act 1990 from being concerned in the management or control of any body;
    9. not be included in the list of teachers or workers prohibited or restricted from working with children or young people under section 1 of the Protection of Children Act 1999, subjected to a direction of the Secretary of State under Section 142 of the 2002 Act or be disqualified from working with children under sections 28 and 29 of the Criminal Justice and Court Services Act 2000(e);
    10. not be disqualified by an order under section 470 or 471 of 1996 Act from being an independent school proprietor, teacher or employee in any school;
    11. not have been sentenced to 3 months or more in prison (without the option of a fine) in the 5 years before becoming a governor, or since becoming a governor;
    12. not have received a sentence of two and a half years or more in the 20 years before becoming a governor;
    13. not at any time have received a prison sentence of 5 years or more;
    14. not have been fined for causing a nuisance or disturbance on education premises during the 5 years prior to or since appointment or election;
    15. not refuse a request by the clerk to the governing body to make an application under section 113 of the Police Act 1979(b) for a criminal records certificate.

    NOTES
    A conviction for an offence which took place outside the United Kingdom shall be disregarded, if had it taken place in any part of the United Kingdom does not constitute an offence under the law in that part of the United Kingdom. – This footnote applies to (k) (l) and (m).

  • Date*
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  • Confidential Information

  • We collect this data to assist with our monitoring of governor appointments for equality purposed. Please complete the following information:

  • What is your age?

  • What is your ethnicity?

    Please mark the appropriate box to indicate your cultural background
  • Asian or Asian British
  • Black, African, Caribbean or Black British
  • Mixed or Multiple Ethnic Groups
  • Other ethnic group
  • White

  • Privacy Statement

  • All data requested in this form is mandatory unless stated otherwise.

    The LDBS requires this data in order to meet its legal and regulatory obligations and undertake the Governor recruitment process.

    Under data protection law you have the right to be informed about how LDBS collects and uses any personal data it holds about you, please see the LDBS Privacy Notice on our website for information.

    The LDBS takes any complaints about collection and use of personal information very seriously. If you think that LDBS’ collection or use of personal information is unfair, misleading or inappropriate, or you have any other concern about its data processing, in the first instance please raise this with our Data Protection Officer via dpo@london.anglican.org. Alternatively, you can refer a complaint to the Information Commissioner’s Office.

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