Governance Structure

Our Trust has Three Layers of Governance:​​

• The members, who take ultimate responsibility for the Trust achieving its charitable objectives

• The Board of Trustees, who deliver the core governance functions and ensure that the Trust business is conducted in compliance with company and charity law 

• The local Governing body which operates at school level

The Role of the Members

The members of the Trust have a different status to Trustees.  Originally, they will have been the signatories to the Memorandum of Association and will have agreed the Trust’s first Articles of Association (a document which outlines the governance structure and how the Trust will operate).  The Articles of Association will also describe how members are recruited and replaced, and how many of the Trustees the members can appoint to the Trust Board.  The members appoint Trustees to ensure that the Trust’s charitable object is carried out, and so must be able to remove Trustees if they fail to fulfil this responsibility.  Accordingly, the Trust Board submits an annual report on the performance of the Trust to the members.  Members are also responsible for approving any amendments made to the Trust’s Articles of Association.  

 

While members are permitted to be appointed as Trustees, in order to retain a degree of separation of powers between the members and the Trust Board, and in line with DfE expectations, not all members should be Trustees.  The DfE has amended the model articles to state that members are not permitted to be employees of the Academy Trust.

Who are our Members?​

Mrs. Jane Bickley

Lichfield Diocesan Board of Education

Mr. Gavin Hawkins

Dr Bhupinder Singh Cooner

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The Role of the Trustees

The Trustees are the charity Trustees (within the terms of section 177(1) of the Charities Act 2011) and are responsible for the general control and management of the administration of the Trust in accordance with the provisions set out in the Memorandum and Articles of Association.  The Board of Trustees is the accountable body for the performance of all schools within the Trust and as such must:

 

1. Ensure clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction

2. Hold the executive to account for the educational performance of the schools and their pupils, and the performance management of staff

3. Oversee the financial performance of the Trust and make sure its money is well spent

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Because Trustees are bound by both charity and company law, the terms ‘Trustees’ and ‘Directors’ are often used interchangeably.  We use the term Trustee as it avoids the possible confusion caused when executive leaders are called Directors but are not Company Directors and Trustees.

 

The Trust Board is permitted to exercise all the powers of the Academy Trust.  The Trust Board will delegate to the Chief Executive responsibility for the day to day operations of the Trust. The Trustees can determine whether to delegate any governance functions.

 

The Trust has the right to review and adapt its governance structure at any time.

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Who are our Trustees?

Mr Wayne Downing

Mr Patrick Flynn

Mrs Anna Kelshaw

Mr Tim Richardson

Mrs Leigh Smith

Miss Lara Pegg

Mrs Melanie Grychtol

Mrs Jayne Clapp

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The Role of the Local Governing Body (LGB)

The Trust Board will establish LGB’s, appoint the chair, ensure two parents are elected and will determine what will be delegated. Typically, responsibilities may include:

 

1. Building an understanding of how the school is led and managed

2. Monitoring the school

3. Engaging with stakeholders

4. Reporting to the Board

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Who are the School’s Local Governing Body Members?

Please view the individual school’s website to see who sits on the Local Governing Body below: