FE Governor

Overview

Cirencester College is a leading specialist sixth form college located in a rural setting on the outskirts of Cirencester, Gloucestershire. With a university-style campus and an adult learning ethos, the College serves a wide catchment area spanning Gloucestershire, North Wiltshire, Swindon, and West Oxfordshire. An extensive transport network enables students to travel from up to 60 miles away, making the College a first-choice destination for post-16 education across the region.

The College hosts over 3,000 students and more than 300 staff, offering the widest range and most flexible combinations of A-levels and T-levels in the region, alongside vocational courses, apprenticeships, and adult provision. It bridges the gap between school and higher education or employment, fostering independence and ambition in an inclusive, respectful, and aspirational learning environment. The College is committed to supporting SEND learners, with a student-first ethos and no measurable gap in outcomes. Recent capital investment has enhanced learning and social environments. The College aims to improve to a Good or better outcome at the next Ofsted inspection. Its financial health has been graded Outstanding as of April 2025, supporting sustained strategic development.

Governors at Cirencester College play a central role in shaping the institution's future. The Board, supported by strong stakeholder feedback and staff retention, is values-led and undergoing a new strategic plan. New governors will participate in key committees (Audit, Search and Governance, and Remuneration) and serve as Focus Governors for areas aligned with their expertise to enhance the College's curriculum, facilities, and learner experience. The College seeks to expand educational impact, regional partnerships, and its reputation as a leading provider of sixth form education in the South West.

The College is mission-driven, with a clear focus on transforming the life chances of young people.

The College's requirements

The Corporation Board at Cirencester College is seeking to appoint three new governors to strengthen strategic oversight, support academic and inclusive excellence, and contribute to effective governance. The College particularly seeks expertise in Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), safeguarding, and audit.

One vacancy is for an individual with significant SEND experience. The ideal candidate will have a background in education, social work, youth work, healthcare, or another field aligned with inclusion and additional needs. A strong understanding of statutory SEND requirements, inclusive education practices, and relevant legislation is essential, along with the ability to ask insightful questions and advocate for equity and high aspirations. Prior experience in the 16-19 sector is welcomed but not required; a commitment to learning about the further education environment is important. This role involves working with senior leaders to ensure robust strategic oversight of SEND provision and inclusive learner outcomes.

Safeguarding expertise is also sought. This individual will have senior-level safeguarding experience, ideally within education or a related field, and will understand safeguarding legislation, policy implementation, and risk identification. They will review safeguarding data and procedures, scrutinise policy effectiveness, and contribute to a culture of safety across the College, working with the Designated Safeguarding Lead and senior leadership to meet statutory responsibilities.

Audit expertise is needed for a third vacancy on the Audit Committee. The candidate should have strong experience in audit, risk management, governance, or finance, ideally within the public sector, education, charity, or a regulated setting. They will provide independent scrutiny, challenge management, and support accountability, with potential to become Audit Committee Chair in the future as part of succession planning.

All new governors will join a committed Board during a pivotal growth period. The College has a well-established induction process, including a buddy system, early engagement with senior leaders, and training in safeguarding, governance, and finance. Governors can tour the campus, meet staff and students, and observe meetings before contributing to decision-making. Ongoing support, training, and appraisal ensure governors are confident and prepared to contribute meaningfully.

These roles offer professionals who are passionate about education, equity, and community impact an opportunity to shape the College's future, challenge and support senior leaders, and ensure every learner has the opportunity to succeed.

Time commitment and meeting schedule

Governors typically volunteer the equivalent of up to two days per month, including preparation, meeting attendance, committee participation, and occasional campus engagement. The time commitment may vary by committee responsibilities and areas of specialism. The Board meets six times per academic year, in person at the College on Mondays at 5:00pm, with a 4:30pm training session preceding each meeting. Governors also contribute to one or more committees (e.g., Audit, Remuneration, or Search and Governance) which meet in the College Board Room. The College also hosts Strategy Review (September), Strategy Away Day (April), and an informal End of Year event (July). Specialists may have termly meetings with senior leaders to review data or policies.

While meetings are in person to foster collaboration, the College offers flexibility where required. The full meeting schedule is in place for early planning and transparency for prospective governors.

What does the role include?

Governors provide strategic leadership to ensure the College Corporation is legally compliant, financially sustainable, and delivers value for public funds. FE College Corporations operate as independent charitable institutions, with governors acting as charity trustees and the governing board accountable for overall performance. The principal regulator is the Department for Education, with support from the FE Commissioner and National Leaders of Governance for FE as needed. For more details on regulation and support, see the governance guide linked within further reading below. Further information for volunteers is available at Governors for Schools: FE governance resources.

What are the benefits?

Volunteering on a College Corporation board shapes learners' lives and strengthens education in the community. It offers an opportunity to influence strategic direction and accountability while supporting your career development and giving back to education.

Further information

You can find public information about the College on the Get Information About Schools page. The reference number is 130686. After applying, access the free eLearning 'An Introduction to Further Education Governance' and read the DfE guidance for governors in FE settings. If you have questions, please contact the FE Recruitment Team at .

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