Trustee

We are looking for an additional Trustee to join our Trust Board, currently made up of eight Trustees.

The Trust Board meet as a whole three times per year and then divided up into three committees that also meet at least termly. The majority of our meetings are held at our offices in Warlingham, but we also hold some at our schools so that Trustees get to know the schools that they are making decisions about.

Trustees of an academy trust are both trustees of the charity and directors of the Company limited by guarantee. The Charities Act 2011 defines charity trustees as the people responsible under the charity’s governing document for controlling the administration and management of the charity.

Legal Duties of a Trustee Under charity law, trustees have the ultimate responsibility for directing the affairs of the Trust, and ensuring that it is solvent, well run and delivering the charitable outcomes for which it has been set up.

In law, trustees of Multi-academy Trusts have several legal duties, which are often described as those of compliance, care and prudence.

Duty of Compliance Trustees must:

• ensure that the Trust complies with charity law, and with the requirements of the Education Funding Agency as regulator; in particular ensure that the charity prepares reports on what it has achieved and annual returns and accounts as required by law.
• ensure that the Trust does not breach any of the requirements or rules set out in its governing document, funding agreement or the Academies Financial Handbook and that it remains true to the charitable purpose and objects set out there.
• comply with the requirements of other legislation and other regulators which govern the activities of the Trust.
• act with integrity, and avoid putting themselves in a position where their duty to the charity conflicts with their personal interests or loyalty to any other person or body.

What skills do I need?

We are looking for someone who currently or has previously worked at a strategic level, (not necessarily in education), and could contribute to the work of the Trust Board in ensuring high standards of achievement for all children and young people across the trust.

Finance or operations experience would be beneficial as ideally this person will sit on our Finance and Operations committee.

Each of our schools has a link Trustee who attends one of their governing body meetings per year and meet with the headteacher and chair of governors once per year to gain an understanding of that school.

When do I need to be available?

Where does this role take place?