Chair of Governing Board

Job details

Job role: Other leadership roles

Visa sponsorship: Visas cannot be sponsored

Working pattern: Part time

Contract type: Fixed term - Ongoing

Pay scale: Voluntary and Unpaid

What skills and experience we're looking for

Our Co-chairs of the Governing Body stepped down in July 2025 to make way for a new Governing Body led by an interim Chair. We are now looking for a new Chair to provide strong leadership and ensure the Governing Body’s expertise and contributions are maximised to the benefit of our ambitions.

The Governing Body are the proprietor of the school and tasked to support, challenge, scrutinise, promote and drive the ambitions of the school effectively.

We are looking for a successful strategic leader with high levels of personal and professional credibility, commercial acumen, personal networks and proven experience operating at Board level, perhaps as a non-executive. The successful candidate will be an effective Chair and have an appreciation of good governance; the ability to engage with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders and be a highly effective ambassador and advocate of D/deaf children and young people’s right to the very best education.

What the school offers its staff

The role is fully supported by governance professionals and a board of Trustees, responsible for the overall administration of the Charity. We are a non-maintained special school limited by guarantee (not share capital), regulated by the Charity Commission and not-for-profit.

Further information about the job

The candidate will be required to undergo a full enhanced DBS check and must be eligible to work in the UK.

Visas cannot be sponsored.

If you're interested in teaching or training to teach in England as an international citizen, we can help you understand your next steps.

Commitment to safeguarding

Our organisation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all staff, volunteers and trustees to share this commitment.

Our recruitment process follows the keeping children safe in education guidance.

Offers of employment may be subject to the following checks (where relevant):

childcare disqualification

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)

medical

online and social media

prohibition from teaching

right to work

satisfactory references

suitability to work with children

You must tell us about any unspent conviction, cautions, reprimands or warnings under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975.

Applying for the job

This job requires you to download an application form, you will be able to upload the application once complete.

CVs will not be accepted for this application.

Apply for this job

Additional documents

If you need these documents in an accessible format, please contact the school.

Royal School Deaf Brochure FINAL 27 02 2026.pdf - 873 KB (opens in new tab)

Governors Application form.doc - 101 KB (opens in new tab)

About [Employer hidden]

School type: Special school, ages 3 to 19

School size: 110 pupils enrolled

Age range: 3 to 19

Ofsted report: View Ofsted report

School website: [Employer hidden] website

Email address: [contact hidden]

Phone number: [contact hidden]

See more jobs: teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/royal-school-for-the-deaf-derby

[Employer hidden] is a unique provider of day and residential placements for deaf children and young people aged 3 - 19. Over a hundred, well-behaved, confident young people are on roll, from 27 different Local Authorities ranging from Westminster to York. A small number stay in residence Monday to Thursday, term time only, with the majority of children and young people living locally and attending as day students.

Arranging a visit to [Employer hidden]

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