Independent Chair- Education Board

Independent Chair - Birmingham Education Board

Location: Birmingham (in-person attendance required)
Term: Two-year appointment, with potential for reappointment
Time Commitment: Approximately 6 days per year

Birmingham City Council is seeking an accomplished and independent leader to chair the Birmingham Education Board, a citywide partnership dedicated to improving outcomes for children and young people.

Bringing together senior leaders from schools, Multi Academy Trusts, Early Years, Post-16 provision, Birmingham City Council, Birmingham Children's Trust and wider partners, the Board provides strategic leadership across Birmingham's education system.

As Independent Chair, you will provide impartial leadership, facilitate constructive challenge, and help drive collective accountability across key priorities including educational attainment, inclusion, attendance, school improvement, system leadership and strategic risk.

Key Responsibilities

• Chair Board meetings with independence, credibility and authority.
• Lead the development of a shared strategic vision for education across Birmingham.
• Foster effective partnership working across schools, trusts, council services and wider stakeholders.
• Ensure discussions remain strategic, evidence-based and action-focused.
• Provide constructive challenge and oversight of performance, risks and priorities.
• Support strong governance, transparency and collective accountability.
• Represent the Board externally where required.

About You

You will be a highly credible senior leader with:

• Significant leadership experience at board or executive level within education, public service or a related sector.
• Experience chairing complex partnerships, boards or governance forums.
• A proven track record of strategic and systems leadership.
• The ability to influence and challenge senior stakeholders without direct authority.
• Strong relationship-building, communication and facilitation skills.
• An understanding of educational improvement, governance and public accountability.

Experience of chairing education partnerships, school improvement boards or similar place-based forums would be advantageous, as would experience working with local authorities, academy trusts or complex urban education systems.

This is an opportunity to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of education across Birmingham, helping partners work together to deliver improved outcomes and opportunities for the city's children and young people.

What you need to do now
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