Volunteer Trustees wanted to join Board of Multi Academy Trust

What will you be doing?

Becoming a Trustee is a strategic commitment which typically involves attending at least four board meetings per year; between 5 and 8 hours per month. You will attend full board meetings and sit on a relevant committee. People from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply. Becoming a Trustee is an exciting opportunity to give back to the community, whilst also developing your professional skills and experience portfolio. A background in education is not a requirement, as a strong Trustee Board balances a mix of different backgrounds, skills and experiences. We particularly encourage applications from those will skills in HR, Finance, Marketing and Community Engagement. Volunteering on an academy trust board is deeply rewarding; there is no more important social mission than improving the life chances of young people. In this role you will be responsible for making decisions that directly impacts the prosperity of the next generation and beyond. Becoming a Trustee is a fantastic opportunity to give back and impact your local community, by strengthening education. The key functions of the board are: • Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction; • Holding executive leaders to account for the educational performance of the organisation and its children and young people, and the effective and efficient performance management of staff; • Overseeing the financial performance of the organisation and making sure its money is well spent • Ensuring the voices of stakeholders are heard. Trustees are responsible for:

determining the mission, values and long-term ambitious vision for the trust deciding the principles that guide trust policies and approving key policies working with senior leaders to develop a strategy for achieving the vision ensuring that stakeholders are involved, consulted and informed as appropriate ensuring that all schools in the trust deliver a broad and balanced curriculum such that pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education and adult life taking ownership of the trust’s financial sustainability and ensuring effective resource management across the trust agreeing the trust’s staffing structure and keeping it under review to ensure it supports delivery of the strategy ensuring robust risk management policy and procedures are in place and that risk control measures are appropriate and effective

What are we looking for?

We particularly encourage applications from those will skills in Finance.  People from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply. Becoming a Trustee is an exciting opportunity to give back to the community, whilst also developing your professional skills and experience portfolio. A background in education is not a requirement, as a strong Trustee Board balances a mix of different backgrounds, skills and experiences.  Aptitude and Skills: •           understanding and acceptance of the legal duties, responsibilities and liabilities of trusteeship •           ability to challenge current thinking, the method of governance and management of the Trust in a constructive manner and in the best interests of the Trust •           ability to evaluate and interpret management information and other data/evidence •           ability to play a strategic role to successfully effect change and meet the objectives of the Trust •           eagerness to reflect and learn, even in the role of trustee

What difference will you make?

As part of our board you will support and shape our work and strategic direction, as well as help us achieve our vision.  You will monitor the priorities that have been set to ensure progress is being made by:

measuring the trust’s impact and progress towards its strategic objectives ensuring the required policies and procedures are in place and the trust is operating effectively in line with these policies holding the senior executive leader to account for standards, financial probity and compliance with agreed policies evaluating relevant data and feedback provided by senior executive leaders and external reporting on all aspects of trust performance asking challenging questions of the senior executive leader in order to hold them to account ensuring that there are policies and procedures in place to deal with complaints effectively

By doing this, you will ensure that pupils within the trust have access to the opportunities they need to succeed and that the schools and/or trust are challenged if this is not that case. You therefore give a voice to the children, their families and the community.