Support Ridgeway Education Trust and join the largest volunteer force in the country by becoming a RET Trustee or Governor

School governance roles are one of the largest volunteer forces in the country and have a hugely important part to play in enabling excellent education for all children and young people.

At Ridgeway Education Trust we are hugely appreciative of the time, commitment and expertise trustees and governors give to support and challenge our schools. Our governors and trustees bring with them a wide range of experiences which bring welcome externality and ensure our schools and young people thrive. To find out more about Ridgeway Education Trust and our commitment to providing an excellent education to all of the children and young people in our schools, please read the RET Charter.  The brief clip below from the National Governance Association (NGA) explains the role of trustees and governors.

Become a Trustee of RET

Ridgeway Education Trust (RET) is governed by a Trust Board made up of highly committed individuals who bring a range of skills and experiences to provide strategic leadership, support and challenge to our executive leaders and our schools’ local governing bodies.

Our trustees fulfil the role of trustee under charity law and the role of director under company law. Collectively the Trust Board are responsible for overseeing the purpose of governance, which is to provide:

• strategic leadership
• accountability and assurance
• strategic engagement

Being a trustee is a deeply rewarding experience. It is an opportunity for you to share your skills with committed and excellent colleagues and to shape the education and future of the children and young people in our community.

Trusteeship is a voluntary, unpaid role for people who have the energy and commitment to make a real contribution to shaping the future of our schools and our society. You do not need to have any specialist knowledge of education: your own life and professional experiences will bring huge value to our work. In terms of time commitment, trustees can expect to attend up to five meetings a year, which take place in the evening and last no longer than 2 hours. There are also opportunities to join one of the Trust’s sub-committees (Finance and General Purposes, Audit and Risk and Sixth Form) and to see our schools in action at one of our annual Quality Assurance Days.

We particularly welcome applications from candidates from protected groups as we seek to build the diversity of our governance bodies.

To find out more, please contact the RET Governance Team on Governance@ridgwayeducation.com 

Become a Governor of a RET School

Ridgeway Education Trust is responsible for All Saints CofE Primary School, Didcot Girls’ School, Carterton Primary School, Hagbourne CofE Primary School, Long Wittenham CofE Primary School, Sutton Courtenay Church of England School, and St Birinus School. Our Local Governing Bodies (LGBs) are committees of the Trust Board and, as such, have delegated responsibility for the governance of our schools. Our LGBs are made up of individuals from a range of backgrounds who are committed to the success of our schools and to supporting the young people and communities they serve. Governors work together to provide strategic leadership, support and challenge to the Headteacher and school leadership team.

There is no requirement to have prior understanding of the education system as induction and a range of training is available. Our schools benefit from a range of professional knowledge on our governing boards including: education, finance, human resources, legal, marketing and public relations, property and estates management. 

In terms of time commitment, governors can expect to attend up to six meetings a year, which take place in the evening and last no longer than 2 hours. Furthermore, there is an opportunity to join a committee which supports either Trust Board or the Didcot Sixth Form and these committees meet, either face to face or online.

You do not have to be a parent or connected to the school in some way to be a governor:  we welcome all individuals who want to support education in our community. Being a school governor is a challenging but hugely rewarding role. It will give you the chance to make a real difference to young people, give something back to your local community and to use and develop your skills in a board-level environment

We particularly welcome applications from candidates from protected groups as we seek to build the diversity of our governance bodies

To find out more, please contact the RET Governance Team on Governance@ridgwayeducation.com