Governance structures

The Trust and Members

The Trust is a Company Limited by Guarantee, and is an exempt Charity administered by the EFA with charitable status, established by the Members. Members are responsible for the constitution of the schools. They agree, and can amend, the Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Trust. Members can appoint Trustees of the Trust, and can remove Trustees. They also appoint the external auditors.

The Board of Trustees

The Trustees are also the Trustees of the Charity. This Board directs and runs the Company / Trust, although it delegates many functions to the Executive Head and the Local Governing Body of the schools under the scheme of delegation/Governance Plan.

Other Trustees with relevant experience and skills can be co-opted by the Board. The Members have a responsibility to challenge Board performance effectively. The Board of Trustees appoints from among its members an Audit & Risk committee. Other sub committees and working groups are set up as appropriate including appeals’ committees. The Board may also appoint external members to any of these committees.

A remunerated Chief Finance Officer (CFO) will be responsible for detailed accounting processes, budgeting and advice to school business managers, attends Board meetings as required when the Trust grows. 

A Governance Business Planner and Policy Planner details a bi-annual programme of works for the Board and for Local Governing Bodies; this ensures that there are appropriate processes in place to support business and financial planning alongside continuing school improvement.

The Accounting Officer

The Chief Executive Officer is the Accounting Officer giving him/her personal responsibility to Parliament and the EFSA for the use of resources under the group’s control.

The Local Governing Body

The Board of Trustees formally appoints the members of the Local Governing Body (“governors”), some of whom in practice will be elected. The Local Governing Body can also co–opt governors. The Local Governing Body have responsibility for the functioning of their schools, within the overall strategic direction and framework of delegation set by the Board of Trustees. Governors are not automatically Trustees, although some Governors maybe Trustees. There will be two elected parent Governors appointed and one elected staff Governor. Other Governors will be co-opted according to skills set and expertise, up to a maximum of 8 on each school’s LGB