Sourcing of Additional Clerking Capacity for School Governors

Description

Peterborough City Council's Governor Services provides clerking and governance support to school governing bodies. The service supports governing boards to operate effectively, meet statutory and procedural requirements, and maintain timely governance administration, including agenda preparation, attendance at meetings, minute taking, advice on governance process and follow-up actions. Demand for clerking support for the 2026/27 academic year has created an immediate capacity pressure within the existing service, particularly from 1 September 2026 when schools require clerks to be in place for the new cycle of governing body and committee meetings. The Council has considered internal options, including use of existing employed clerks, but available capacity is insufficient to meet the level of demand without creating delivery risk. The Council ran a Preliminary Market Engagement Event and received five responses, however due to insufficient time, a direct award was considered the most suitable option.