Trustee with legal, HR, comms or leadership experience

Organisation Overview

Cheviot is a Multi Academy Trust consisting of 18 schools which provide education to students from the ages of 3 – 19. It is a mixed MAT, meaning that some of the schools are Church of England.

Role Details

Time commitment: Trustees meet as a full board six times a year; meetings are usually held on a Wednesday at 5pm and run for up to two hours. The Trust also hosts a Board Strategy Day and governance conference (this usually takes place early evening between 5.00 and 7.00). There are four committees of the board established. Trustees are expected to join at least one committee based on their skills and experience: Quality of Education - meets six times a year; Workforce and Wellbeing - meets three times a year; Finance, Audit and Risk - meets six times a year; Remuneration - meets a minimum of once a year. All new Trustees will receive a comprehensive induction from the Trust Governance Professional, access to face-to-face and online training sessions, and other opportunities for individual learning.

Attendance: Can be in person or online.

Role Description

The role of the Trust Board and the Trustees collectively is to:

• Establish the overall Trust strategic direction and steer its development
• Ensure that the activities of the Trust are undertaken to fulfil the Trust objects as detailed in the Articles of Association
• Oversee the performance of the Trust and its schools and the implementation of plans focusing on Trust or school improvement
• Ensure the Trust and schools meet their statutory and legal responsibilities
• Consider the interests of all of the Trust schools when making decisions on, and implementing, Trust-wide policies
• Scrutinise plans for Trust growth or consolidation
• Ensure risks are managed and mitigated in an appropriate manner
• Put in place effective leadership and hold the executive leadership to account
• Ensure the Trust is financially competent and compliant and has a sustainable budget
• Approve the Trust’s annual budget and keep this under regular review
• Ensure the Trust’s assets and funds are protected and used in accordance with the law, Articles of Association, funding agreement and Academy Trust Handbook
• Ensure there is value for money, regularity and propriety on all transactions and in all decision making
• Approve the Trust’s annual report and accounts
• Oversee any significant capital expenditure and building projects and approve all funding applications
• Approve the terms of reference of the committees of the Board
• Approve the Schemes of Delegation for governance of schools at local level
• Review the effectiveness and skill set of the Board and agree appropriate changes to improve its performance.

Required Skills and Experience

The trust is looking to appoint up to four new trustees. Ideal candidates will strongly align with the Trust’s values and ethos. All trustees should have a clear interest in, and passion to support, education though it is understood they may not have worked in the education sector before, nor have pre-existing knowledge or experience. If they have, this would be advantageous rather than essential.

We are ideally seeking candidates with skills in these areas:

• Human Resources – the trust is implementing a new HRIS in 2024 and would welcome the insight, challenge and guidance from an experienced professional in HR. Embedding our wellbeing strategy is also a key focus;
• Legal – this is a core competence in all of the Board’s activity, and the Trust would welcome additional experience in this area, especially in employment law, permanent exclusions (particularly in relation to SEND students), dealing with parental complaints and health and safety;
• Strategic Leadership – to help guide the trust in its next phase of growth;
• Communications - to help in the promotion of the trust’s ethos, attracting pupils and staff, and maintaining transparency with stakeholders
• Digital Transformation - guidance from an experienced professional to support the trust’s integration of technology to enhance learning and operational efficiency
• STEM/Arts - to ensure a balanced curriculum, addressing the importance of innovation and creativity in developing well-rounded students prepared for future challenges
• Lived Experience - trustees with lived experience bring a unique and valuable perspective, fostering inclusivity, understanding the diverse challenges faced by students and staff, and enriching decision-making processes with real-world insights

To apply for or express an interest in this position, please email bicenquiries@weareadvocate.org.uk