Vice Chair/Chair Designate of the Governing Body TreeHouse School (Ambitious about Autism)

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Vice Chair/Chair Designate of the Governing Body TreeHouse School (Ambitious about Autism)

Stand with autistic children and young people. Join TreeHouse School as Vice Chair/Chair Designate and play a pivotal role in shaping the lives of autistic young people.

• Location: London, N10 3JA
• Salary: Unremunerated with reasonable expenses paid

Who we are

TreeHouse School was founded in 1997 by a group of parents of autistic children. It is an Ofsted-rated 'Outstanding', non-maintained special school for 104 autistic children and young people aged 4 to 19 years who come from approximately 22 local authorities.

Our children are supported by a multi-disciplinary team to access a personalised curriculum that improves their quality of life, helps them achieve individual goals and meets our vision to 'make the ordinary possible'. Our children and young people's progress is robustly evaluated and scrutinised by the Governing Body, and we work in partnership with academic bodies and partners to continually improve and develop our offer.

We are committed to providing high-quality, specialist teaching, learning, and support to improve the life chances of those we work with - we advocate that the views and choices of children and young people should shape our services. We know that effective education has the power to transform their lives, help them reach their potential, and raise expectations for their future.

We recognise the vital role that parents and carers play in supporting young people to make decisions about their future lives and are therefore committed to ensuring that we work closely with autistic young people and their families.

About the role

We seek a Vice Chair/Chair Designate for the TreeHouse School Governing Body. You will join the Governing Body and work closely with the current Chair to gain insight and experience. You will ensure a smooth transition of leadership once the current Chair formally hands over responsibility later this year, at which point the Designate will assume the full duties and responsibilities of the Chair role.

The new Vice Chair/Chair Designate will guide our strategic direction, ensuring the Governing Body contributes effectively to our mission and meets all educational responsibilities in line with Ambitious about Autism's strategy.

You will play a key role in Ambitious about Autism's Education and Care Committee, influencing decisions that ultimately shape the future of TreeHouse School. While financial and property management falls outside the Governing Body's remit, you will be instrumental in navigating educational, regulatory, and sector challenges.

You will work closely with governors, Ambitious about Autism's Education and Care Committee, our current Chair of the Governing Body, our Head of School, and Executive Head, providing leadership during a time of significant growth, development, change, and opportunity.

Who we are looking for

The landscape of SEND funding presents unique challenges. With local authorities continuing to experience increasing financial pressures, this impacts SEND provision. A Vice Chair/Chair Designate with an understanding of the wider SEND sector is essential; this could be from a leadership, governance, or policy role.

We are looking for an experienced leader committed to supporting autistic young people. Our new Vice Chair/Chair Designate will have experience of being on a Governing Body or Trustee Board.

This voluntary role offers a rewarding opportunity to make a lasting difference in the lives of autistic young people, and we are looking for someone who is inclusive and who engages effectively and sensitively.

Time Commitment

The Governing Body meets once a term, plus an annual strategy meeting. As Chair of TreeHouse School's Governing Body, you will be a member of Ambitious about Autism's Education and Care Committee, which meets termly, usually online for 2-3 hours.

Each term, we have twilight governor training for 1 - 2 hours. As Chair, we encourage you to visit the campuses and attend occasional events. We expect the time commitment to be the equivalent of one day a month; this is inclusive of preparing for meetings and ad hoc conversations with governors, the Head of School, Clerk to the Governing Body, and the Executive Head.

Ambitious about Autism and TreeHouse School is fully committed to equality of opportunity and diversity, and we warmly welcome applications from all suitably qualified candidates. We welcome applications regardless of race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origins, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marital or civil partner status, pregnancy or maternity, disability, or age.

All applications will be considered solely on merit.

For further information about the role, or to arrange a confidential discussion, please contact our advising consultant at Peridot Partners:

If you would like to know more about this role please contact Jennifer Horan.