The Organisation

King’s Schools Taunton (KST) is a charity and limited company that owns and operates two schools in Taunton: King’s College and King’s Hall School. The two Heads report to one governing body (The Council).

King’s College, Taunton is an independent coeducational boarding and day school located on an attractive site in the county town of Taunton, Somerset. An exceptionally happy school, but also an outward-looking, busy and purposeful community.

King’s Hall School is a pre-prep and prep school for girls and boys, with around 300 pupils. Set in a beautiful location in the foothills of the Quantocks and surrounded by farmland, the school is only a few minutes’ drive from the centre of Taunton. A thriving boarding community contributes to the family atmosphere and to the sense of fun and happiness.

The school’s founder, Canon Nathaniel Woodard, was an educational innovator who created a series of schools where relevant, modern academic teaching was coupled with a strong Christian education to care for the needs of the whole child.

Woodard Today

The Woodard Corporation is the 18th largest charity in the UK. It educates more than 30,000 pupils and employs over 2,500 staff in a mix of schools. While the incorporated schools, such as King’s College, have a responsibility to the Woodard Board, they each operate with their own governing body, which is fully responsible for their own school’s performance, governance and finances.

The Role(s)

On the retirement of two governors King's Schools Taunton are looking to expand the breadth of skills and diversity on their Council.

The Governors, as members of the School Council of King’s Schools, Taunton Ltd, have overall responsibility for three key roles:

• Formulating strategy for the organisation;
• Ensuring accountability by holding the organisation to account for the delivery of that strategy and seeking assurance that systems for managing risks are robust and reliable;
• Shaping a positive culture within the School Council and the wider organisation.

Their aim is to achieve a balanced Council with the right skills, experience and diversity who all share a genuine commitment to the future of their schools.

Council Members work collectively as a group and are accountable to the wider community (the “stakeholders”) for the delivery of the best possible educational, pastoral and support service. They are responsible for ensuring that the overall structure is fit for purpose and consistent with the Schools’ charitable objects. The conduct and operational management of the Schools is delegated to the Heads of each School and the Director of Finance and Operations. The Council monitors performance to an agreed framework.

In looking to appoint new Governors, the areas in which we need to look for expertise are:

• Projects and Property
• IT and Digital Transformation
• Health and Safety

Further Information

For comprehensive information about King's Schools Taunton, the constitutional responsibilities of Governors, and further details about the applicants we are looking for, please download the Candidate Information Pack.

How to Apply

Please submit the following with your application:

• A CV, with the details of two referees (they will not be contacted without your permission
• A Supporting Statement, outlining how you meet the criteria of the role, and your motivations for applying

Closing date for applications: Monday 17th January 2022