Chair of Academy Council

John Cabot Academy, Bristol, BS15 8BD

30 days remaining to apply

• Job start date

  14 January 2026

• Closing date

  15 February 2026 at 11:59pm

• Date listed

  14 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

Chair of Academy Council job summary

Role Title: Chair of Academy Council

Hours: Approx 1-2hrs (averaged out across the year)

Provisional Start Date:

Your opportunity to lead and make a difference in education:

We are looking for a Chair of Academy Council at John Cabot Academy to provide strategic leadership and governance support across one of our academies. This is a rewarding voluntary role where you will influence decisions that shape the future of education and ensure every child has the best possible start in life.

Details about the role:

As Chair of an Academy Council, you will:

• Ensure meetings are run effectively with clear agendas and active participation.
  
• Hold regular one-to-one meetings with the Principal.
  
• Lead the Council, providing strategic direction and oversight.
  
• Attend Chairs’ meetings to share updates and escalate issues to the Board.
  
• Manage vacancies and support recruitment, ensuring new Councillors receive training and support.
  
• Chair or participate in panels for exclusions and complaints.
  
• Make decisions about barring adults from site and ensure these are documented appropriately.
  

About you:

You will have:

• Strong leadership and communication skills.
  
• The ability to build relationships and influence at a strategic level.
  
• A commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.
  
• Time to attend meetings and engage with academy leadership.
  

Applicants are advised to refer to the full requirements of the role in the attached information prior to submitting an expression of interest application.

About John Cabot Academy:

• John Cabot Academy is an 11-16 academy in South Gloucestershire, close to the border of Bristol. We share our site and staffing with the CLF Post-16 provision, forming an 11-18 academy, which has earned a strong reputation both locally and regionally.
  
• We want our students to thrive academically; flourish and grow as young people. When they leave us they will have a strong sense of self, their place in the world and the agency to fulfil their potential. To fulfill this ambition, our staff are inspired by learning and create a school where students are engaged, challenged and inspired.
  
• We have a supportive and compassionate culture in which the whole person is nurtured and the voice of students is valued. We celebrate the diversity of the members our community by enabling them to learn from each other, by encouraging them to respect each other’s differences, and by providing opportunities to contribute to academy life and the wider community.
  

About Cabot Learning Federation (CLF):

We are a diverse and inclusive community of 36 academies across five cluster regions in the South West, committed to excellence and making a positive impact. Our people bring unique perspectives, but we’re all driven by a shared moral purpose and a passion for improving lives.

We are an equal opportunity employer and proud to serve a diverse student population and our communities. We strongly believe that representation matters. Over 59% of the students who attend John Cabot Academy are from global majority groups, so we particularly encourage applicants from those groups in order to represent the students we serve, as well as wider underrepresented groups including gender, transgender, age disability, sexual orientation or religion.

We aim to remove any barriers to employment, ensuring everyone can compete on equal terms. Job share, part-time and flexible working opportunities will be considered.

Why volunteer with CLF?

• Professional development in governance and leadership.
  
• Networking opportunities across the South West.
  
• The chance to make a meaningful difference to children and families in your community.
  
• We strongly believe representation matters and encourage applications from underrepresented and global majority groups.
  

Recruitment timeline:

• Closing Date: 15 February 2026 @11.59pm
  
• Review of Expressions of Interest: 16 February 2026
  

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 Chair of Academy Council at. 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 this when completing the Expression of Interest form.

Safeguarding & Inclusion

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

CLF is a Disability Confident Committed Employer. If you need adjustments during application or onboarding, let us know how we can support you. 

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 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 John Cabot Academy

• School type: Academy, ages 11 to 19
• Education phase: Secondary school
• School size: 1278 pupils enrolled
• Age range: 11 to 19
• Ofsted report: View Ofsted report
• School website: John Cabot Academy website
• See more jobs: teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/john-cabot-academy

John Cabot Academy is an Academy based in Kingswood Bristol where staff and students alike are inspired by learning. John Cabot Academy provides education to 1125 students Key Stages 3 to 5 from a diverse community. We aspire for our students to thrive academically; flourish and grow as young people. When they leave they will have a strong sense of self, their place in the world and the agency to fulfil their potential. 

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