Benenden School
Clerk to The Governing Council
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Clerk to The Governing Council
Full Time (37.5 hours per week), Term Time Plus 4 Weeks
Salary: £49 to £55K pro rata, dependent on skills and experience
Start date: As soon as possible
The Clerk to the Governing Council plays a critical role in ensuring the effective governance of Benenden School.
Drawing on best practices from leading independent schools, the Clerk will support the Chair of Governors, Council and Senior Leadership Team members in fulfilling their strategic, compliance, and fiduciary responsibilities.
Key responsibilities include:
- Governance oversight and compliance
- Meeting management and documentation
- Training, induction and communication
- Strategic and inspection support
- Panel support and appeals
We are seeking applications from candidates who are excellent communicators, proactive and approachable; who have a talent for collaboration with our outstanding executive and non-executive leadership teams; who are experienced in overseeing best-in-class governance in a comparable (but not necessarily identical) environment; and who will relish playing an active role in our brilliant and supportive school community.
A legal or governance qualification is essential as is excellent written and oral communication skills; diplomacy and discretion. Applicants must have a good understanding of charity law, educational regulations, safeguarding and data protection.
About Benenden School
Benenden is a leading girls’ boarding school with an international reputation for excellence.
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Routinely the recipient of industry recognition, the School has recently been named by Spear’s as one of the world’s 100 leading schools for the fourth year running, while inspectors from the Independent Schools Inspectorate issued a rare “significant strength” for Benenden’s innovative curriculum of non-examined courses.
Benenden has been an expert in teenage girls and at the cutting edge of girls’ education for more than 100 years.
The School was founded in 1923 by three pioneering teachers from Wycombe Abbey who saw an opportunity to offer a different style of education for girls. They founded Benenden School, in a Victorian mansion set in 250 acres of attractive parkland in Kent, where their mission was to offer girls a well-rounded education which enabled them to follow their own path.
Today, that same objective has evolved into the School’s mission to shape future generations of successful, visionary women. We achieve this using our renowned Complete Education model; taking the Founders’ vision for the School, Benenden prepares every student for her future through an innovative curriculum that blends academic, co-curricular, wellbeing and personal and professional development.
There are 550 girls in the School, aged 11-18. We are a boarding school whose boarding ethos enables everyone to thrive: 10% of our students are day girls and these students benefit from the boarding philosophy that underpins Benenden; our day girls are fully integrated into School life, immersed in the Houses and the wraparound co-curricular offer and pastoral care that are hallmarks of Benenden’s Complete Education.
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Benenden is a school in demand that is looking to the future with confidence. Its family of schools currently comprises a UK prep school, Orwell Park in Suffolk, and Benenden Schools Guangzhou in China, with ambitious plans for further growth both domestically and internationally.
Benefits
Benenden offers its own generous pay structure, responsibility allowances and benefits. Staff are provided with meals whilst on duty. The school’s leisure facilities, including wonderful grounds, a fitness gym and swimming pool are also free for staff to use when available.
For a full job description, and to apply, please complete the application form on the vacancies page of our website by clicking apply.
Completed applications should be received by 9:00am Friday 31 July 2026.
Interviews likely to be held early to mid August.
The post-holder will be responsible for promoting and safeguarding the welfare of children with whom they come into contact. They must ensure compliance with the School’s Child Protection Policy Statement at all times, this appointment will be subject to enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service checks. Benenden School is committed to equal opportunities and equal pay for all employees.
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