Ilkley Grammar School is on the lookout for more members of the community to join the ranks of its influential board of governors.

The Cowpasture Road school, which gained Academy status in 2011, hopes to recruit new governors in Wharfedale, and is ideally looking for new members with experience in financial management or public relations.

The school’s board of governors currently consists of representatives from the school staff, parents of its students, its Foundation, and from within the wider local community.

Chairman of the governors, Lindsey Wharmby, said: “It is very important that the local community is represented on our Board. Because we are no longer a maintained Bradford school we do not have any members nominated by the local authority so we are actively looking for two or three new members from the community – preferably with experience either in financial management or in public relations – although a commitment to our school and a willingness to be an active member of the board are more important.”

She added: “Although the school is no longer maintained by Bradford we still consider ourselves a Bradford school. We work with other Bradford secondary schools in the Bradford Partnership and we use Bradford as our admissions authority.

“This means that we take all the students in our Priority Area 1 – stretching from Burley-in-Wharfedale to Addingham – so we are truly a community comprehensive school.”

Staff members currently on the board of governors are elected by the staff at the school, and parents who sit on the board are also elected by parents of students.

The duties of the governor include attending meetings of the board of governors, which take place five times a year, plus attending other meetings.

Each governor is also linked to a particular area of the school, and will make links with the relevant department, to act as a conduit between the department and the governing body.

Governors may also attend other school events, including presentation evenings, concerts and other performances.

Contact Mrs Wharmby through Ilkley Grammar School itself on (01943) 608424 to find out more or express an interest in becoming a governor.