Chair of the Board of Governors

Lead with purpose as Chair of the Board of Governors at Scarborough Sixth Form College, helping to shape the future for young people and the wider community.

Time commitment

c. 1 - 2 days per month

Location

Scarborough, North Yorkshire

Applications close

9 a.m. Monday 23rd February 2026

About Scarborough Sixth Form College

Set on the beautiful Yorkshire coast, Scarborough Sixth Form College is a thriving centre of post 16 education and ambition set in the heart of the North Yorkshire coast. With around 1,000 students and a modern, spacious campus, the College combines a supportive, inclusive environment with a strong focus on academic achievement, personal growth and future ready skills.

Our mission is clear: to inspire and educate students so they fulfil their potential, enjoy successful careers and lead fulfilling lives grounded in ambition, integrity, respect and enjoyment; a mission which drives our staff to constantly strive for excellence.

At the heart of our strategy is a commitment to offering a broad, flexible curriculum that empowers students to design a programme tailored to their goals. Students can choose from a diverse range of A Levels, T Levels, Applied General qualifications and GCSEs, which they can mix and match to build a pathway bespoke to their aspirations. This curriculum breadth supports progression into top universities, apprenticeships or employment across a wide variety of sectors.

Scarborough Sixth Form College is a community with an outstanding culture of achievement and progression, continually evolving its offer to meet local and national needs while celebrating student success and aspiration at every turn. Our efforts across our wider delivery and support were recognised by Ofsted in our more recent inspection in 2023 where we were graded as 'Good' overall and 'Outstanding' for the support we provide to learners with high needs.

About the role

With the current Chair, Rachel Dolby, stepping down after three successful years in the role, we are seeking to appoint a new Chair who can lead our board into the future and work with our leadership team, led by Phil Rumsey, to navigate the challenges and opportunities that will undoubtedly need to be faced in the years ahead.

The Chair of our Governing Body plays a pivotal leadership role at Scarborough Sixth Form College. In this role, you will provide strategic direction, help ensure robust governance and offer principled oversight to ensure the College fulfils its mission and statutory responsibilities.

Working in close partnership with both our Principal and Clerk, the Chair enables the Governing Body to operate effectively, ethically and collaboratively in the best interests of students, staff and the wider community.

Through strong leadership and constructive challenge, the Chair has a significant impact on the long term sustainability, effectiveness and culture of the College. This is an influential role offering the opportunity to make a lasting difference to educational outcomes and opportunities for young people across the region.

Who we are looking for

You will bring the ability to think strategically, maintaining a clear focus on the College's medium and long term objectives and intervening constructively when focus or alignment is lost.

As an effective Chair, you will demonstrate strong judgement and a clear understanding of governance boundaries, respecting the distinct yet complementary roles of governors, the Principal and the senior leadership team.

Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills are essential, enabling you as Chair to lead meetings with confidence, guide discussion, encourage participation and ensure that debate remains focused on the issues that matter most.

The ideal candidate will be committed to ethical leadership, able to identify and address ethical dilemmas, manage ambiguity and challenge inappropriate pressure or behaviour. They will demonstrate resilience, confidence and integrity, maintaining their commitment in the face of challenge or opposition.

Experience of working in complex organisations and contributing to effective governance will be highly valued, alongside a commitment to continuous personal development and reflective practice.

Above all, the Chair will show a genuine empathy with, and understanding of, the ambitions and needs of young people, ensuring that student outcomes remain central to all strategic decision making.

Whilst the postholder does not need to have experience of, or be an expert in, sixth form education, it is vital that they have a genuine passion for education, training and its impacts on local communities. Additionally, a strong relationship with Scarborough or a demonstrable understanding of the challenges faced by the local communities would be useful.

Applications are especially welcomed from individuals with backgrounds in finance, legal and audit. We will also welcome applications from those based across the breadth of the education sector, local charities and from within locally based businesses.

Peridot Partners and Scarborough Sixth Form 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 candidate will be subject to an enhanced DBS check and satisfactory references before any final offer can be made.

Please click 'Apply on website' to be redirected to the Peridot Partners website, where you can find full details of the candidate profile and register your interest to apply.