There are four founding Members of our Charitable Trust, equivalent to Shareholders in a company, who enact the Memorandum of Association (The Articles) with funding from the DfE, under the Master Funding Agreement and its subsequent variations. They have powers to appoint or remove Directors and receive the annual audited accounts, with positions ongoing until resignation.
Acting on behalf of the Members is a Board of Directors (also interchangeably referred to as Trustees) who oversee the Trust in accordance with Company Law, Charity Commission guidance and DfE requirements specified annually in the Academy Trust Handbook. The Directors are responsible for the financial stability and added educational value that the Multi-Academy Trust provides for its schools. The Directors are accountable for Governance compliance, for overseeing activities carried out by the Chief Executive and their team, and approving the strategic decisions for the ongoing operation of the Multi-Academy Trust. We call this layer of governance the Trust Board.
The Trust Board cascades its duties through a Scheme of Delegation to a Finance, Audit and Personnel Committee, a Risk Assurance Committee and an LGB chair/ board representative Performance and Standards Committee, which report back directly to the Board.
Each academy has a Local Governing Body responsible for overseeing overall school effectiveness under the leadership of the Headteacher and school staff, reporting back as a subcommittee of the main Board.
Recognising the strength of the individual characteristics and context of each school is an integral feature of our Trust mission, reflected in our governance arrangements. Governors represent each school as an individual organisation, with its own identity and a history rooted within the heritage of the local community. However, a connected governance network with a collective, collaborative vision for aspirational outcomes and inspirational provision is an empowering advantage for all schools.
