Governor / Trustee

About Mary Hare:

Mary Hare is the UK’s largest school for deaf children, providing specialist education for pupils aged 5–19. As a non-maintained special school, combining high academic standards with tailored support to meet the unique needs of deaf learners. The school educates up to 200 profoundly deaf children at its residential setting in Berkshire and we pride ourselves on our pupils’ achievements at GCSE, A Level as well as BTec and Vocational Courses. We follow an auditory/oral philosophy teaching highly motivated children, in small classes.

Mary Hare School’s mission is to empower young people to achieve their full potential through exceptional teaching, specialist resources, and a vibrant community that values inclusion and independence.

The organisation owns substantial real estate with extensive premises in Newbury. The site of 124 acres near Snelsmore Common comprises Arlington Manor, secondary school, new primary school, numerous residential buildings, arts centre, swimming pool and outbuildings, in addition to extensive grounds including substantial woodlands.

Purpose of the role:

To provide strategic leadership, governance, and oversight for Mary Hare, ensuring compliance with charity law and education regulations. Governors/Trustees safeguard the school’s mission, uphold high standards of education and care for pupils with complex needs, and ensure financial sustainability.

Most governor/trustees attend two or three meetings a term, generally Monday to Friday during the working day, either online or in person. Additionally, visits into school are organised on a termly basis. Each term of office is for four years and can be renewed twice.

Key Responsibilities:

Governance and Compliance:

To ensure adherence to the Memorandum and Articles, charity and company law, education, SEND and residential care legislation or regulation.

Strategic Leadership:

To contribute actively to the Board’s role in giving strategic leadership and direction to Mary Hare by setting overall policy, developing the long-term strategic plan; defining organisational goals and targets while balancing with operational and funding constraints. To regularly monitor and evaluate performance against objectives.

Educational Oversight:

To ensure high-quality education is provided through the national curriculum and a vocational offer, tailored to our deaf pupils, some with additional and complex needs. To oversee safeguarding and ensure high quality residential care for pupils.

Financial Stewardship:

To approve budgets and longer-term financial plans, ensuring the organisation is financially sustainable. Regular monitoring of financial performance against, budgets, forecasts and financial objectives.

Risk and Assurance:

To oversee organisation wide risk management, identifying and managing strategic risks through regular reviews of the risk register. To ensure adequate risk and compliance systems are in place and regularly reviewed to protect the pupils, staff, assets and reputation of the organisation.

Advocacy and Ambassadorship:

To actively promote the Mary Hare’s mission and values, support stakeholder engagement and fundraising.

Person Specification:

Each Governor/Trustee must have or be willing to develop further:

• The ability to articulate Mary Hare’s values, vision and mission and have a strong commitment to these.

• The ability to act with integrity and in the best interests of Mary Hare

• A willingness to devote the necessary time and effort to attend Board and Committee meetings, undertake necessary preparation ahead of meetings and attend Governor/Trustee school visits between meetings

• The ability to apply strategic vision to see the ‘big picture’ issues that will impact Mary Hare school, whilst understanding that operational decisions are the responsibility of the Executive and Leadership Teams

• The ability to think critically, to apply logic and reason to debate, appreciate alternative views, consider implications, and be flexible in approach

• Good, independent judgement with the ability to come to a decision based on your own evidence and experience, as well as considering the opinions of others

•  Willingness to speak their mind, offer scrutiny, challenge, and support and make an active contribution to Board and Committee meetings

• An understanding and acceptance of the legal duties, responsibilities, and liabilities of trusteeship, governorship and directorship

•  An ability to work effectively as a member of a team, working constructively with colleagues, even where there are differing viewpoints or competing agendas

Desirable experience/knowledge/skills:

• Experience in education, SEND provision, health/social care
• Experience / knowledge of charity and/or school governance
• Knowledge of safeguarding and regulatory frameworks
• Financial, legal, or HR expertise
• Marketing, Social Media or Fundraising 

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​Could this be you?

​If you think so, then we’d encourage you to find out more so we can show you how wonderful and unique our school and businesses are and also how you could contribute to our continued success. If you are interested in joining this thriving and happy school and would like to find out more, please contact Amanda Checksfield, Clerk to the Trustees, at companysecretary@maryhare.org.uk by 4th January 2026.

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About our Application Process​

Applicants should please note that Mary Hare adheres to Safer Recruitment Standards and as such all applications must be made via the Mary Hare website and using the Mary Hare Application Form. Applications will only be considered via a completed Application Form; CV's cannot be accepted.

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To find out more please click on the 'Apply' link above to be taken to our application page where you can also find the Job Description and the Mary Hare Governor / Trustee Application Form.

Information about our timeline:

​Completed application forms should be sent by the closing date of 4th January 2026.

Interviews will be held week commencing on 12th January and 19th January 2026.

Start date for post will be from March 2026.

Mary Hare | Arlington Manor | Snelsmore Common | Newbury | Berkshire | RG14 3BQ

This School is committed to safeguarding children and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect this commitment. All shortlisted candidates will be asked to complete a criminal records self-disclosure form and successful candidates will be subject to Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks along with other relevant employment checks. We are committed to securing genuine equality of opportunity in all aspects of our activities as an employer and education provider. The role you are applying for is ‘exempt’ from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974