Primarily, I provide an independent freelance “Clerk to the Governors” service to school governing bodies.
I undertake this work in the wider context of a clerking and governance consultancy where I provide advice and guidance on
# setting governance strategy
# governor’s legal, constitutional and statutory responsibilities
# “best practice” in the operations of the governing body
# “staying current” on governance legislation and regulations.
A basic element of what I do, is of course to function as the “Meeting Clerk” for Governing Body meetings – whether these are meetings of the Directors or Trustees of MAT Boards (or of individual academies) or a “Meeting of the Governors” as such.
I have some particular expertise in Pupil Exclusions. I am thus available to provide a specialist clerking service as Clerk to Pupil Exclusion Panels and as Clerk to Independent Review Panels.
I also clerk for staff disciplinary meetings, pay appeals panels, complaints panels and various investigatory meetings.
Supporting “schools in crisis” is something of a specialism of mine. I have good experience in clerking for Interim Executive Boards and School Improvement Boards.
To help school governing body meeting clerks to continue to fill their role effectively, I have developed a “Mentoring and Coaching” service to support clerks in various ways.
Finally – a template for how I would hope that governors might best perceive the Clerk to the Governors function ……..
“”Governors might best think of the effective clerk as a “critical friend” who not only (i) undertakes the core role of “clerk to the governors” (i.e. in respect of the general management of the governing body and it’s programme of meetings) – but who also (ii) functions as a “compliance and legal advisor” to the governors and (iii) supports and guides governors in their key strategic role of ensuring the performance and accountability of the school’s leadership group””.
I am based at Nacton, near Ipswich in Suffolk and generally prefer to work across Suffolk, Essex and Norfolk.
Where I am unable to personally (or immediately) undertake a particular project, I have a network of colleagues who are also independent freelance clerks for school governing bodies and can call on their expertise where appropriate.
For more details on how some of the above services might meet your needs (or indeed, for a basic and more general chat about what I do) please contact me by email at jack@jackminto.com – or by telephone on 07514 499238.