A co-educational independent day school set in 23 acres of private landscaped grounds on the outskirts of Southampton, The Gregg Schools Trust nurtures, educates and develops students from the ages of 4-16. The Trust provides education for boys and girls aged 4-11 years at The Gregg Preparatory School and for boys and girls aged 11-16 years at The Gregg School. Founded in the city in 1901, The Trust has approximately 450 students and is a member of both the Independent Schools Association and Independent Schools Council.

The Gregg School is proud of its students' academic achievements. Its GCSE results bear witness to the ''value added'' element of its holistic approach to education underpinned by its dedicated teaching staff, small class sizes and the individual attention to our students. In 2022, 100% of its students gained at least 5 or more Grade 4 passes or above, with many subjects recording a 100% pass rate.

The wide selection of extra curricular activities, sports and sports clubs and an emphasis on wellbeing, widens the horizons of its students and helps them to become capable, confident, and caring citizens, with a broad outlook on life, and a care for their community. Its students embrace a wide range of charity work and volunteering activities throughout the school year.

The day to day running of the school is managed by the Senior Leadership Team made up of the Headteacher and the Deputy Headteacher in each school, alongside the Bursar.

The Board of Governors govern The Gregg School and The Gregg Preparatory School. They have a crucial role in the direction, future success and achievements of the schools.

They are responsible for ensuring that the Trust operates in accordance with all legal and financial regulations in law or as required by the Charity Commission and are registered as Directors of the Trust at Companies House and therefore have the same responsibilities as any company director.

Responsibilities include:

• Ensuring that both Schools meet the regulatory requirements of the ISSRs
• Providing strategic leadership and direction for both schools and the Governing Body
• Offering challenge, support, and advice to the Headteachers of both schools and their leadership teams, and holding them accountable for standards in their Schools
• Holding the leadership teams in each school accountable for ensuring that the vision and aims as published in each school's documentation are met
  
• Ensuring that robust procedures are in place for professional appraisal of the Headteacher of each School
• Ensuring that it is satisfied that there are safeguards in place to ensure that decisions, both financial and strategic, are in the best interests of the Schools

The Gregg Schools Trust seeks two new Governors, ideally with skills in one or more of the following to join its Board: law, accounting / finance, HR, commercial and / or education to act as a critical friend and provide advice on their specialist area to the Senior Leadership Team and wider Board of Governors.

Law — The successful candidate could be a lawyer, Solicitor or General Counsel and could come from any legal background though HR or property / leasing law could be particularly useful.

Accounting / Finance — The successful candidate will bring strong financial acumen and an ability to constructively and appropriately challenge the Board and offer support to the Bursar. They could be, for example, a Finance Director, Chief Finance Officer or an Audit Partner. They do not need to be a qualified accountant but will be qualified by experience.

HR — The successful candidate will be a general Human Resources leader and will advise on various strategic HR and people-related issues as the Trust seeks to develop its strategies for wellbeing, remuneration, and performance management. Candidates could be from the commercial or public sectors, but ideally will bring experience from outside the education sector.

Commercial — The successful candidate will bring strong business and commercial acumen. They could come from a range of sectors but will have a breadth of experience of running a business whilst understanding the nuances between smaller and larger organisations.

Education — The successful candidate will bring a strong leadership experience, ideally within the independent school's sector. They could, for example, be a recently retired Headteacher or someone due to step down in the near future to avoid any potential conflicts of interest.

Above all, candidates will be passionate about education and improving the lives of young people.

Details of current Governors can be found here.     

There is usually one Board meeting per half term (six per year). Governors are further expected to join one of the Board's committees, each of which meets once per term (three per year total for each committee). The appointment is for a three-year term, which can be renewed up to a maximum of nine years. The role is unremunerated, but reasonable, pre-agreed travel expenses will be reimbursed.

Location: Candidates will be UK-based and ideally able to attend in-person meetings, with occasional virtual attendance. They must be able to visit the schools at least once per term during the school day.

In line with its commitment to diversity and inclusion, The Gregg Schools Trust is looking to broaden the profile and experience of the Board so that it better reflects the communities which it serves. As such, those from an ethnic minority background are actively encouraged to apply. All appointments will be made on merit, following a fair and transparent process. In line with the Equality Act 2010, however, the organisation may employ positive action where candidates from underrepresented groups can demonstrate their ability to perform the role equally well.