Governance

Members have a have a similar role to shareholders of a company limited by shares.

They hold the trust board to account for the effective governance of the trust but have minimal involvement in running the trust. Therefore, there should be significant separation between the individuals who are members and those who are trustees.

Members are essential to the integrity of an academy trust governance structure. There are some critical decisions that sit with the members, especially if the trust is failing. They must remain informed of trust performance and be clear on how to interact with the trust board.

Trustees work together to fulfil the purpose of the trust board:

• strategic leadership – defining the vision, fostering the trust’s culture and setting the strategy
• accountability and assurance – robust and effective oversight of trust operations and performance
• engagement – strategic oversight of relationships with stakeholders, ensuring decision-making is supported by meaningful engagement

This is a Committee of the Board operating at Local School level. Their functions include local Safeguarding, SEND and standards Governance.