Academy Councillor - South Gloucestershire Cluster

Cabot Learning Federation, Bristol, BS15 4JT

40 days remaining to apply

• Job start date

  20 January 2026

• Closing date

  1 March 2026 at 11:59pm

• Date listed

  20 January 2026

Job details

• Job role:
  • Other leadership roles
• Visa sponsorship: Visas cannot be sponsored
• Working pattern: Part time
• Contract type: Casual
• Full-time equivalent salary: Voluntary

Academy Councillor - South Gloucestershire Cluster job summary

Lead Change. Inspire Futures. Become an Academy Councillor with CLF.

🌟 Volunteer and Make a Lasting Impact on Education Across South Gloucestershire! 🌟

Are you passionate about helping young people thrive? Do you want to influence education in your community? At Cabot Learning Federation (CLF), we’re looking for committed volunteers to join our Academy Councils and help shape the future of learning.

CLF is a family of 36 academies—including primary, secondary, all-through schools, and post-16 provision—spanning Bristol, South Gloucestershire, Gloucester, Weston-Super-Mare, and Somerset. Our shared purpose is simple: every child deserves the best possible start in life.

The South Gloucestershire Cluster includes a mix of primary, secondary, all-through, post-16, and alternative provision academies. For further information on the full list of academies and provisions, this can be found in the ‘South Gloucestershire Cluster: Our Local Academies’ section of the advert below. 

Key Responsibilities of an Academy Councillor

As a Sponsored Academy Councillor, you’ll act as a critical friend to the academy, providing challenge and support to Principals and leadership teams. Your responsibilities include:

• Attend Council Meetings regularly (around 5 per year, 2 hours each).
  
• Champion Safeguarding & Wellbeing: Ensure health and safety policies are implemented and statutory training is met.
  
• Monitor Risk & Improvement: Review risk registers, academy improvement plans, and responses to Ofsted/DfE inspections.
  
• Hold Leaders to Account: Oversee student attainment, attendance, and curriculum effectiveness.
  
• Policy & Compliance: Approve and monitor local policies and procedures.
  
• Panel Participation: Take part in panels for exclusions, complaints, and key decisions.
  
• Financial Oversight: Review financial plans and monitor resource allocation.
  
• Recruitment & Appraisal: Engage in senior leadership recruitment and contribute to Principal appraisals.
  
• Champion Inclusion: Advocate for disadvantaged pupils and educational equity.
  
• Act as an Ambassador for the academy, its pupils, and staff.
  
• Average time commitment: around 1 hour per week across the year.
  

Why Volunteer with CLF?

• Influence Education: Help guide strategic decisions and hold leaders accountable.
  
• Professional Growth: Develop skills in leadership, governance, and strategic planning.
  
• Community Impact: Make a tangible difference to children and families in your area.
  
• Networking: Connect with over 300 passionate volunteers across the South West.

We welcome volunteers from all walks of life. No prior education experience needed, just enthusiasm and commitment. We especially encourage applications from underrepresented and global majority groups.

South Gloucestershire Cluster: Our Local Academies

Primary Academies (Ages 3–11) 

• Wallscourt Farm Academy 

Secondary Academies (Ages 11–16) 

• Hanham Woods Academy 
• John Cabot Academy 

All-Through Academy (Ages 3–16) 

• King’s Oak Academy 

Post-16 Provision 

• CLF Post 16 

Alternative Provision 

• Digitech Studio School – a creative and digital-focused secondary and post-16 school  To learn more about our academies, their locations, and Cabot Learning Federation as a whole, visit the CLF website and explore the ‘Our Academies’ section.
  

How to apply:

By clicking ‘Apply’ on the advert page, you will be re-directed to the CLF Governance Page. On this page, please access and complete the Expression of Interest form (towards the bottom of the page and titled ‘Express Your Interest’) and detail the academy you are interested in becoming an Academy Councillor. The Governance Team will pick this up and contact you directly to arrange an initial call/meeting, along with informing you about any other next steps of the process.

We welcome visits from potential volunteers. If you would like to arrange a school visit as part of your interest in becoming an Academy Councillor at one of our academies, please let us know during the initial call/meeting you have with a member of our Governance Team.

Safeguarding & Inclusion

We take safeguarding seriously. All volunteers must complete an application form, provide references, and undergo checks, including a DBS. 

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

The Cabot Learning Federation are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

The successful applicant will, in accordance with statutory guidance, be subject to a comprehensive pre-employment checking process including references from current and previous employers, health, right to work in the UK and a child disqualification check. The checks will also include an enhanced DBS check and a further check against the appropriate barred list.

Applying for the job

This school accepts applications through their own website, where you may also find more information about this job.

CVs will not be accepted for this application.

About Cabot Learning Federation

• Type: Multi-academy trust
• Website: Cabot Learning Federation website
• See more jobs: teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/cabot-learning-federation

Cabot Learning Federation (CLF) is a diverse West Country multi-academy trust which is home to 36 schools operating in five clusters in Bristol, Gloucestershire, South Gloucestershire, North Somerset and Somerset.

The CLF is unique due to its tight geographical concentration, the diversity of the communities it serves, and the variety of educational provisions it offers. We are one of the largest and most respected trusts in the South West and hold national as well as regional recognition due to the breadth and influence of strong practice in our trust.

Our collaborative culture, driven by a strong moral purpose, is key to our success. We believe strong collaboration can drive school improvement and embed excellence in our academies. Our team is united with the common goal of delivering outstanding educational experiences and promoting the life chances of the young people in our academies now and in the future.

Following a recent period of growth, we are proud to serve circa 18,000 pupils who all attend one of our 10 secondary academies, 17 primary academies, an all-through provision, a studio school, a discrete post-16 provision, three special schools and two alternative provisions spanning the age ranges.

The CLF is an equal opportunity employer and is proud to serve a diverse student population and their communities. We actively encourage applications from underrepresented groups including ethnicity, gender, transgender, age, disability, sexual orientation or religion. To ensure our leadership team is fully representative of the people we serve, we are encouraging applications for this role from global majority communities.

We are proud to be part of a diverse region and celebrate the richness of cultures, faiths and backgrounds of our students. We aim to develop a curriculum that is responsive to our pupils’ needs and reflects their diverse interests and backgrounds.

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