Role description
Trustee
Remuneration: This is a voluntary, unremunerated role. Standard train fares, mileage and other reasonable travel expenses to meetings are covered as well as childcare expenses.
Term: One or two terms (four - eight years).
Time commitment: Six board meetings per year for 3 hours (ideally in person, usually London) and up to six committee meetings per year (on Zoom). In addition, trustees attend one Strategy Day annually and trustees will visit schools in the Trust annually.
Reporting to: Chair, Board of Trustees.
Role purpose
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The role of a Trustee is to ensure that the charity fulfils its duty to its beneficiaries and delivers on our vision, mission and values. Our Academy Trust Board has a ‘collective accountability and responsibility’ for the academy trust in three main areas:
Strategic leadership – defining the vision and direction for high quality and inclusive education across the Trust.
Accountability and assurance – providing evidence that the Trust is spending public money wisely and in accordance with regulation.
Engagement – ensuring that all stakeholders have an opportunity to engage with the Trust.
This means that trustees work collectively to provide high-level strategic oversight and decision-making and to ensure that adequate control and monitoring arrangements exist to support leadership and management in exercising proper stewardship and working towards agreed strategic objectives.
The role of Trustee is an exciting and fulfilling one. The most effective boards are those which benefit from individuals’ diverse backgrounds, knowledge, skills and experiences. We value diversity and inclusion and the benefits this brings.
Previous experience as a trustee is not essential and we are committed to investing in training and support for candidates at the start of their trustee journey and for those who may have additional needs we can support to ensure they can contribute fully.
Principle duties and responsibilities
The statutory duties of a Trustee are to:
Ensure the organisation complies with its governing document, the articles of association.
Ensure that the organisation pursues its objectives as defined in its governing document.
Ensure the organisation applies its resources exclusively in pursuance of its objectives - the Trust must not spend money on activities which are not included in its own objectives, no matter how 'charitable' or 'worthwhile' those activities are.
Contribute actively to the Board of Trustees' role in working with the Executive Team to give a clear strategic direction to the organisation, help to set overall policy, define goals, set targets and evaluate performance against the agreed targets.
Safeguard the good name and values of the organisation.
Ensure the effective and efficient administration of the organisation.
Ensure the financial stability of the organisation, including ensuring that the Trust remains a going concern; that value for money is considered in budgets and that there is proper investment of the Trust’s reserves.
Appoint the Chief Executive Officer, monitor their performance and approve remuneration.
In addition, with other trustees to hold the Charity in trust for current and future beneficiaries by:
Ensuring that the Trust has a clear vision, mission and strategic direction and is focused on achieving these.
Being responsible for the performance of the Trust and for its corporate behaviour.
Ensuring that the Trust complies with all legal and regulatory requirements.
Acting as guardians of the Trust’s assets, both tangible and intangible, taking all due care over their security, deployment and proper application.
Ensuring that the Trust’s governance is of the highest possible standard, with a clear separation between strategic leadership and the management of the Trust.
In addition to these statutory duties, each trustee uses applies their specific skills, knowledge and experience to help the Board reach sound decisions. This involves scrutinising board papers, leading discussions, focusing on key issues, providing advice and guidance on new initiatives, or other issues in which the trustee has special expertise.
We are seeking trustees to:
Be active and engaged in our work, including joining at least one of the sub-committees of the Board.
Keep informed about the activities of the Trust and wider issues which affect its work.
Work with fellow trustees in a collaborative way, using feedback to enhance Board effectiveness and performance.
Ensure that the voices of all communities we represent have a voice.
The above list of duties is indicative only and not exhaustive. Trustees are expected to perform all such additional duties as are reasonably commensurate with the role.
Person specification
We are seeking in-depth knowledge and experience in one of the following areas:
Finance
Estates/health and safety
Corporate leadership/organisational change
Education
Desirable experience:
Fundraising
Social mobility
Sustainability
Early Years Education
Individuals are sought who have a strong empathy with the Trust’s values and a commitment to its work and ambitions.
The Board of Trustees are jointly and severally responsible for the overall governance and strategic direction of the Trust; its financial health; the probity of its activities and developing the organisation’s aims; objectives and goals in accordance with the governing documents; legal and regulatory guidelines.
All Trustees should also be aware of, and understand, their individual and collective responsibilities, and should not be overly reliant on one or more individual trustees in any particular aspect of the governance of the Trust.
Experience and commitment:
Strategic vision, sound and independent judgement.
Committed to the education and welfare of children and young people.
Can communicate clearly and with a willingness to speak their mind.
Demonstrable experience of building and sustaining relationships with key stakeholders and colleagues to achieve organisational objectives.
Open to different perspectives.
Committed to equality, diversity and inclusion.
Proven track record of sound judgement and effective decision making.
Demonstrable impartiality, fairness and the ability to respect confidences.
Knowledge, skills and understanding:
Commitment to the Trust and a willingness to devote the necessary time and effort.
Good understanding of the Trust’s work, impact and schools.
Independent judgement and strategic vision.
Understanding and acceptance of the legal duties, responsibilities and liabilities of being a trustee.
Ability to work effectively as a member of a team.
Understanding of the respective roles of the Chair, Trustees and Chief Executive Officer.
Embraces advancing their own knowledge, including participating in induction and a regular programme of development offered to Trustees.
