Being a foundation school governor is a privilege and a calling. We currently have vacancies for foundation governors at two of our local Church of England schools: in Westbury Juniors and Westbury Leigh primary schools. Being a foundation governor means sitting on the governing body of the school with a particular interest in the Christian foundation of the school. In addition to the other responsibilities of being a governor, such as helping to set the school’s vision and direction, being a critical friend to the Headteacher, being a presence in the school and engaging with the school community, there are also responsibilities for exploring ways in which the church’s role in the school may be fully and positively implemented.

Foundation school governors should be able to support the Christian and Anglican ethos of the school; they should help to preserve and strengthen the links between the local church, the school and the diocese. We are to ensure that collective worship maintains a Christian character and ethos and play our part to monitor this. We also have a role in the SIAMS (Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist schools) which happens every few years.

You don’t have to be an Anglican to be a foundation governor, but you would have to be approved by the Westbury PCC and ideally be a church member somewhere, or at least in sympathy with the Christian faith.

If anyone is interested in exploring this, please don’t hesitate to be in touch. Meetings are usually about once a term, and there may be additional meetings and visits to the school. This would suit someone with a background in, for example, education, finance, management, business or health and safety.

Revd Rebecca Harris, Foundation Governor, Westbury CE Junior School