New term of office 2023 – 2027
Application form here
Educate Together is patron of 86 primary schools and appoints two patron nominees to each board. One patron nominee is appointed to the role of chairperson of the board (by individual agreement).
The 2019 to 2023 term of office will end on 30th November 2023, and vacancies will arise as some members step down having completed a four-year term. We call this the ‘board changeover’ and we are currently seeking applications from volunteers who would like to fill these vacancies.
Benefits of volunteering
Volunteering to be a Patron Nominee or chairperson on an Educate Together school board is of enormous benefit to the volunteer who gains:
- Access to board of management training;
- Opportunity to develop leadership skills within a school governance setting;
- Experience working with a well-managed school with an Educate Together ethos;
- Possibility to expand personal and professional networks;
- Chance to contribute to education policy through participation at AGM.
What’s involved:
Boards meet approximately 5 times per year during school terms. Meeting dates are usually agreed by members/notified in advance. Meetings are approximately 1½ to 2 hours with some reading between meetings recommended. Some boards use working groups to complete specific projects.
Each school is different, with varying demands arising at different points in the life cycle of the school. An average time commitment of 2 hours per week is recommended as a guideline. Chairpersons are involved in the recruitment of staff at the school and can expect to spend additional time on staff recruitment.
Treasurers are appointed from the membership of the board (again by individual agreement) and may expect to spend additional time on financial management tasks.
Qualities we look for in our nominees
- Personal and professional integrity
- Commitment to the ethos of Educate Together
- Objectivity and a non-judgmental approach
- Ability to put aside personal agenda for benefit of school
- Capacity to think strategically and engage in problem-solving
- Willingness to learn
- Time to give to volunteering (average 2 hours per week)
Does this sound like it could be you?
Remember that you don’t have to have experience because we offer training for board members. You may be interested in applying for a volunteer position. Please complete and submit an application form here.
Other skills & knowledge that our boards find useful include:
- Commitment to an education model that is child-centred, co-educational, democratically-run, and equality-based
- Understanding of the Educate Together ethos and how it is applied to school management
- Links to the local community
- Willingness to learn about the Irish primary school system, the Department of Education, regulations and legislation, and administrative requirements of schools
We also particularly welcome applications from people with:
- Insight into the diverse nature of the school community
- Experience of human resources/business management
- Experience of chairing committees or boards
- Experience on another school board
- Good financial management skills and/or commercial awareness
Serving another term on a board
If you have already been a member of one of our school boards and would like to volunteer for the same board again or for a different school Please complete this form.
Parents on our boards
Parents of our students may stand for parent elections, or they may wish to volunteer for the board of another/nearby Educate Together school. Contact your own school directly to stand for parent election. For a board role at a different school please complete and submit this form.
