Governor – Our Lady’s Abingdon

The Board of Trustees is expanding its membership to twelve and is seeking to strengthen the range
and depth of its expertise and experience.

Our Ladies Abingdon School (OLA) is a Catholic co-educational day school located close to Oxford in
the heart of Abingdon, welcoming pupils of all faiths and none and governed by an independent
board of trustees. As our school motto says: age quod agis – whatever you do, do it well. OLA
promotes a challenging and progressive curriculum, which reflects the learning requirements of each
individual pupil. It aims to nurture independent, analytical and creative thinking. A growing
programme of activities also enables our pupils to explore passions and to develop important skills
and characteristics, including teamwork and determination, all within the safety of a caring and
compassionate community.

The Board of Trustees is comprised currently of eight enthusiastic and committed governors who
bring with them a wide range of skills and professional expertise. Governors serve as both Non-
Executive Directors of the Company Limited by Guarantee and Trustees of the Charity. The Board is
supported by a Clerk and it works in partnership with the Head and the Chief Operating Officer on
strategic development and business planning. The full Board meets once a term and much work is
done by governors in sub-committees with agendas covering Academic and Spiritual, Finance and
Business Strategy, Marketing and PR, Safety Management and Financial Awards. Each governor sits
on at least one sub-committee.

Enquiries are welcomed from all those who would make a positive contribution to good governance
and the Board would particularly welcome interest from individuals with backgrounds in Education,
the Law, Human Resources and Finance/Commerce. An empathy with OLA’s mission statement is
required but governors do not have to be practising Catholics. No previous experience of governing
schools is required and induction/training will be provided.

The nature of the role is such that candidates will need to live locally or within a reasonable
commuting distance from the school. Since this is a voluntary role, the post is not remunerated but
reasonable expenses will be reimbursed.

Interested candidates are invited to contact RSAcademics by e-mail to arrange an initial confidential
discussion with Louisa Barham or Peter Bodkin who are leading the search.

Louisa Barham, Search Consultant: louisabarham@rsacademics.com
Peter Bodkin, Senior Advisor: peterbodkin@rsacademics.com

Initial screening will be undertaken by RSAcademics. The school will undertake interviews with
selected candidates.

Child Protection
Our Ladies Abingdon is an equal opportunities employer and is committed to safeguarding and
promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this
commitment. Applicants must be willing to undergo comprehensive child protection screening
appropriate to the post in accordance with the requirements of Keeping Children Safe in Education
(KCSIE).

On this basis, the appointment will be subject to a full range of safeguarding checks to include:
 References
 Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)- enhanced check.
 Prohibition from teaching or management (Teacher Regulation Agency – TRA) and
Disqualification from Childcare.
 A social media/internet check
 Identity, Right to Work in UK and qualifications.
 Medical fitness to carry out the duties of a Governor.

RSAcademics is committed to promoting diversity and inclusion in schools, and to safeguarding and
promoting the welfare of children and young people.

Founded in 2002 by Russell Speirs, RSAcademics has advised and supported over 700 schools and
educational organisations in the UK and worldwide. Through our working partnerships with heads,
leadership teams, boards, staff, and parents, we specialise in supporting schools in five main areas:
strategy, marketing, and research; equality, diversity, and inclusion; operational improvement;
leadership and governance and philanthropy. We enable schools worldwide to thrive, by finding and
developing senior leaders, guiding decision-makers, making connections, and shaping debate. We
are known for the calibre and spirit of our people. We exist entirely to serve schools because we
believe that the world needs thriving schools. Please visit www.rsacademics.com for more
information.