Board of Trustees

Dear all parents and carers of students at Sandbach High School and Sixth Form College (SHSSFC),

I am writing to inform you of a vacancy for the role of parent trustee on SHSSFC Board of Trustees.

What is the Board of Trustees? Every school has a governing body, which is responsible for working with the Headteacher to consider strategically how to raise standards of achievement for all students at the school. The Board of Trustees are the governing body for the academy (the School, SHSSFC).

The Board’s Purpose

The academy trust board provides:

• Strategic leadership of the academy trust: the board defines the trust vision for high quality and inclusive education in line with its charitable objects. It establishes and fosters the trust’s culture and sets and champions the trust strategy including determining what, if any, governance functions are delegated to the local tier
• Accountability and assurance: the board has robust effective oversight of the operations and performance of the academy trust, including the provision of education, pupil welfare, overseeing and ensuring appropriate use of funding and effective financial performance and keeping their estate safe and well-maintained
• Engagement: the board has strategic oversight of relationships with stakeholders. The board involves parents, schools and communities so that decision-making is supported by meaningful engagement.

Department for Education Academy Trust Handbook

Expectations of Trustees

Being a trustee means you hold a post of public office and therefore you will be a steward of public resources. The 7 principles of public life (also known as the Nolan Principles) apply to public office holders. They are Selflessness, Integrity, Objectivity, Accountability, Openness, Honesty and Leadership

(Government publication, The Seven Principles of Public Life)

Trustees of the SHSSFC Board of Trustees are expected to:

• attend all the Full Board Meetings (5 a year)
• attend all the meetings to at least one committee (3-5 meetings a year)
• maintain confidentiality as per our code of conduct (signed annually)
• declare any conflict of interests (signing annual declaration form and at each meeting)
• attend Trustee training (when opportunities arise)

Attendance to meetings amounts to approximately 1 working day a month of time. Meetings are a blended approach of some online (via Microsoft Teams) and some in person at the School.

The role of a parent trustee holds the unique position of having a parental viewpoint of the school, bringing a different perspective to the strategic management of the school.

To be a parent trustee you should have, a strong commitment to the role and to improving outcomes for children. Have good inter-personal skills, curiosity, and a willingness to learn and develop new skills

Having the right people around the table is key to building an effective team. A Board of Trustees with a broad, diverse range of skills, experiences, qualifications, characteristics and perspectives from different backgrounds and settings will have a positive impact on setting the strategic direction for the school. We promote applications from all sections of the community, irrespective of background, belief, or identity, recognising the benefits that a diverse organisation can bring. In particular the Board is keen for candidates to have skills any of the following areas: Education, Safeguarding and Mental Health and Wellbeing.

Who can apply to be a parent trustee?

• You need to be a parent/carer of a student currently at Sandbach High School and Sixth Form College
• Over 18 years of age
• Eligible to stand for election:

Please see the Cheshire East website for the ‘Disqualification from Holding Office as a School Governor’ list for details. https://www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/schools/governor-elections-appointments/parent_governor_elections.aspx

All applicants will be subject to checks to ensure the safety and protection of the young people in our School.

How to apply

Please complete Parent Trustee - Expression of Interest  - April 26 – Fill in form.

You will then be invited to have a conversation with the Headteacher prior to submitting your application form. Application forms will be sent following eligibility checks for the role.

Completed application forms need to be with the Governance Professional by Midnight on Sunday 17^th May

If we receive more applications than there are vacancies, a secret ballot will be carried out for all Parents/Carers to vote.

Please note it is anticipated that the successful applicant will be in the role of Parent Trustee and will be available to attend a Full Board of Trustees meeting in person on Tuesday 7^th July 2026 in the evening.

Further information regarding the role of Trustee is also available at:

https://www.nga.org.uk/Governance-Recruitment/Be-a-school-governor-or-trustee.aspx

Yours sincerely,

Ms Senior

Governance Professional

Thursday 23rd April 2026

Important dates to note:

• Parent Trustee - Expression of Interest  - April 26 – Fill in form–closes Tuesday 5^th May at 11:59pm
• Application form submission deadline – Sunday 17^th May at Midnight.