At its budget meeting on 4 March 2019, East Northamptonshire Council (ENC) agreed to increase its share of Council Tax for 2019-20 which would add £5 per year to an average households’ Council Tax bill. This will help protect vital services, keep ENC on a sound financial footing and contribute to the preparation work for the proposed North Northants unitary authority.

The council takes only around 8p in every pound of the total Council Tax collected, with the rest of the money going to Northamptonshire County Council, Northamptonshire Police and Crime Commissioner and town and parish councils. Only 8% of what is collected goes to ENC to run the services for which they are responsible.

Cllr Steven North, Leader of ENC, said:

“East Northamptonshire Council is working hard to deliver good services for residents while keeping them affordable; our district council services cost households less than a cup of coffee per week.

“Through sensible financial planning and improving efficiency of our services and back-office teams, we have managed to avoid making cuts to services that our residents need and value.

“However, the financial climate in which local government operates continues to be challenging and because we want to continue to invest in our communities, we propose a very small increase, which for a Band D property works out over the year at £5; we think that represents good value for money.”

MAKE A DIFFERENCE TO YOUR LOCAL SCHOOL BY BECOMING A GOVERNOR

A campaign has been launched by the East Midlands Academy Trust to recruit new governors who want to support their local school.

Governors play a vital role by acting as ambassadors for their school, while challenging and supporting the headteacher and wider team. In return, governors gain skills that can be transferred to the workplace and have a chance to give back to their community.

There are a number of vacancies at the trust’s schools across Northamptonshire and Milton Keynes, including Stimpson Avenue Academy and Castle Academy in Northampton.

Andrew Davis, who was a governor with the trust at Prince William School in Oundle and is now a trustee on the board, said: “For me, it is about helping our schools to realise their true potential. I like to professionally challenge and question the decisions of the senior leadership team, the trust board, their data and their thinking with the ultimate goal of helping the school to improve.

“The reward has been own my personal growth and being able to take these experiences and learning and apply them in my own day to day work. I also take a sense of pride that I use my own time to give something back to the community that I live in.”

School governors are required to attend around seven meetings a year and their roles is to help to evaluate how the school and its pupils are performing. Governors receive full support and training

Carole Kirby, head of governance at the East Midlands Academy Trust, said: “Volunteering as a school governor can be a hugely rewarding thing to do. Not only do you get the chance to give something back to your local community, you’ll also learn a range of useful skills that you can carry into other areas of your life including work.

“We’re looking for people from a range of backgrounds and would particularly like to hear from those with experience in data analysis, finance, HR, special educational needs and project and estates management.

“However, we would also love to hear from laypeople who bring their life experience and a commitment to improving outcomes for our pupils.”

Applications are particularly encouraged from people from black, Asian, and minority ethnic groups, people with a disability and younger people, who are all currently underrepresented on school governing bodies across the country.

To find out more about becoming a school governor, visit the website www.eastmidlandsacademytrust.co.uk to download an information pack.