Non Executive Director x 2

North Essex Multi Academy Trust (NEMAT)

Consisting of four schools rated Good by Ofsted, North Essex Multi Academy Trust (NEMAT) seeks two non-executive directors; one with senior HR experience and one with a broad business or public sector background understanding of the trustee’s role to support the continuing of high education standards. Board meetings are held in Braintree, Essex.

About the trust

Based in Braintree, North Essex Multi Academy Trust (NEMAT) consists of four academies, including one primary school (Richard De Clare Community Academy), two secondary schools (Notley High School and The Ramsey Academy, Halstead) and a sixth form (Braintree Sixth Form). A further school is in discussions with the trust and the trust serves almost 3,000 students.

The trust was established following Notley High School’s early conversion to academy status to maximize financial benefits available at the time. As a result of their success, the local authority requested that NEMAT support a local secondary school, which evolved into full sponsorship and creation of a small multi-academy trust (MAT).

On average NEMAT schools experience approximately 10% of deprivation amongst their intake, with the highest percentages recorded in the primary school – Richard De Clare Community Academy. Nevertheless, the trust has experienced growing standards of teaching and learning with all schools rated Good by Ofsted. Following this high achievement of education outcomes, a partner primary school is in the pipeline to join the MAT.

Plans for the Future

The key challenges for the board over the next 12-24 months are:

1. Education standards: the trust aims to ensure that all schools maintain their ratings of Good by Ofsted and improve their value-added measures towards the top quartile.
2. Finance: NEMAT is eager to develop sustainable 3-year financial plans in the face years of decline in real-world funding and little prospect of any improvement.
3. Growth: the trust aims to expand the MAT to reach a size that delivers internal capacity for school improvement and economies of scale for financial security. In addition, building the traded services offered by the trust will create opportunities for greater financial contributions to the MAT.

Additionally, over the next five years, the trust hopes to source and appoint new board members as part of a long-term succession planning.

Trust Ethos & Values

NEMAT’s guiding principles include teamwork and trust, in order to best support the teaching and learning of all its pupils.

The trust does not look for corporate solutions but a partnership that respects, sustains and supports. NEMAT’s model is about creating mutual interdependence; schools that have far more opportunities to collaborate than stand-alone academies, more autonomous than local authority schools and schools in corporate chains.

Role Summary Number of Positions Advertised:2 Roles 1 & 2 – Trustee/Non-Executive Director and Chair of Pay Committee

Trustees – or non-executive directors - are both charity trustees and company directors of the academy trust; the role is to hold to account the executive and senior leadership team. The board of trustees manages the business of the academy trust and may exercise all the powers of the trust. The trustees ensure compliance with the trust’s charitable objects and with company and charity law.

Non-executive directors will be responsible for maintaining stability during a period of rapid growth and the management of a dynamic structure. The role also includes contributing to financial planning for sustainability and growth and holding the CEO/CFO to account. NEMAT seeks a candidate to assume the role of Chair of the Pay Committee within the greater role of non-executive director.

Person Specification

The competencies required for these roles include:

Essential

• HR  OR
• CEO/General Management
• NED/Trustee

Desirable

• Succession Planning
• Corporate Governance

The trust seeks a non-executive director with senior experience in corporate governance and HR to sit on the board of trustees and Chair of the Pay Committee. A second candidate with an understanding of the role and commitment to undertake the role enthusiastically is sought.  Candidates must be committed to the ethos and values of the MAT as well as the education and welfare of its pupils. Additionally, candidates must have independence of thought and sound judgement, the ability to work as part of a team and to play a strategic role in effecting change to meet the objectives of the trust.

Time Commitment: 6 hours per month minimum. Location of Board Meetings and Trust Website

Board meetings are held at Braintree Sixth Form, Notley Road, Braintree, Essex, CM71WY

For more information on the trust, please visit their website: http://www.nematrust.com/

Governance Structure

For more information in regard to the trust’s governance structure, please see: http://www.nematrust.com/governance/trust-structure

Background on Academy Trusts

Academy schools, which are charities run independently of local authority control, now account for 73% of secondary schools and 29% of primaries – and their number is growing all the time.

Many of these schools are grouped together as multi-academy trusts (MATs). There are currently 760 multi-academy trusts of 3+ schools.  If the schools are to fulfil their potential, the trusts need non-executives (known in charity law as trustees) to bring a wide range of skills and experience to help guide strategy, ensure their ambitions can be soundly financed and keep their schools up to the mark delivering for their pupils.

“Academy boards must be ambitious for all children and young people and infused with a passion for education and a commitment to continuous school improvement that enables the best possible outcomes. Governance must be grounded in reality as defined by both high-quality objective data and a full understanding of the views and needs of pupils/students, staff, parents, carers and local communities. It should be driven by inquisitive, independent minds and through conversations focused on the key strategic issues which are conducted with humility, good judgement, resilience and determination.” 
Source: Governance Handbook, Department for Education (2017)

Trusteeship is a voluntary, unpaid role for people who have the energy and skills to make a real contribution to shaping the future of our schools.  You do not need to have any specialist knowledge of education. 

Applications

Academy Ambassadors is a non-profit programme which recruits senior business leaders and professionals as volunteer non-executive directors onto the boards of multi-academy trusts. If you are interested in applying for the role please send your CV and a short expression of interest detailing which role you are applying for to academyambassadors@newschoolsnetwork.org. Please note: candidates should live within reasonable travelling distance of the trust and/or have a link with the region. For more information, please call 0207 952 8556 or visit www.academyambassadors.org.

Key Dates

We strongly recommend applying as early as you can to have the best possible chance of being considered as we may change the closing date if we have received sufficient applications. Applicants should be aware of the following key dates in the recruitment process –

Deadline for applications:  Friday 7 December 2018