Non-executive director X 2

EQUA

EQUA is a newly formed multi academy trust in the Wiltshire region. The trust seeks two new Trustee/Non-Executive Directors with either Legal or HR expertise to strengthen the board. Board meetings are held at multiple locations in the Devizes area. Applicants of all faiths and of none are welcomed.

About the trust

EQUA is in the early stages of its formation as a trust, currently in a phase of conversion and looking to be fully opened as a multi-academy trust by Spring 2019. Following a lengthy development period, the trust is in a stable and structured position and is seeking further founding trustees to strengthen its governance going forward. Starting in 2018 as a group of seven schools - one secondary academy, five primary CofE schools and one special school – EQUA wishes to improve pupil outcomes across it’s schools.

Formed of the following schools in the Devizes and Vale of Pewsey area - Lavington, All Cannings, Bishops Cannings, Woodborough, Rushall, Chirton and Downland - the trust, once open, will be responsible for the education of approximately 1400 children and young people, it will employ in the region of 150 staff, with a revenue budget of approximately £7 million, operating across seven sites. All seven schools in the trust are rated Ofsted Good or Outstanding.

The trust offers post-16 provision through a collaborative sixth form arrangement between Lavington School and Devizes School in the local area. With the inclusion of a special school, EQUA looks to share expertise between both mainstream and special education practitioners, helping to prepare its mainstream schools for the imminent increase in demand to support young people with special educational needs.

Plans for the future

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

1.         Opening: To complete the start-up process, transfer all assets to the new trust and open securely with established partnership policies and processes.

2.         Growth: To grow sustainably as a trust, with plans to add another secondary school and further primary schools.

3.         Sponsorship: The trust looks to build its capacity to sponsor schools that need improvement.

Trust ethos & values

Central to the ethos of the trust is the core idea "every child, every chance". Schools within the EQUA learning community are committed to understanding both the advantages and challenges for children and their families. Despite a strong community culture in the region, the trust looks to overcome the gap between those that have and those that do not. EQUA schools aim to reach those with low aspirations, limited local employment opportunities and limited to no access to transport, to tackle rural isolation and raise aspirations within the community. Using a holistic approach, the trust will prioritise tackling the historic underperformance of disadvantaged students in order to break the cycle of generational deprivation.

EQUA is committed to maintaining, celebrating and valuing the unique nature of all of the schools within

the partnership. Christian values and effectiveness are a core aspect of church schools and the

church schools’ ethos is cherished by the trust. The trust believes that all children flourish through a culture of nurture, both within foundation and community schools.

Role summary Number of positions advertised:

2

Role 1 – Trustee/Non-Executive Director

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.

Person specification

As experienced business leaders and strategic planners, successful applicants will have the ability and determination to adapt and transfer their experience to an educational setting. They will have a willingness to devote time, an understanding of the legal duties and liabilities of trusteeship and the ability to challenge, evaluate and interpret information.

The competencies required for this role include:

Essential

• Legal/ Compliance

Desirable

• Corporate Governance
• Non-executive/ Trustee

Legal: The trust seeks a further legal non-executive director with experience in growth management and corporate governance. These skills are highly desirable, as those needed to manage the period of change that is inherent in the expansion and development of a multi-academy trust. Additional experience in legal affairs is sought in order to provide a high level of expertise, especially in relation to matters around growth.

Time commitment

8 hours per month minimum.  As the trust is in the early stages of consolidation subcommittees are being established and commitments should decrease over time.

Role 2 – Trustee/Non-Executive Director

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.

Person specification

As experienced business leaders and strategic planners, successful applicants will have the ability and determination to adapt and transfer their experience to an educational setting. They will have a willingness to devote time, an understanding of the legal duties and liabilities of trusteeship and the ability to challenge, evaluate and interpret information.

The competencies required for this role include:

Essential

• HR

Desirable

• Business Integration
• Change Management
• Succession Planning
• Turnaround

HR: The trust seeks a trustee with a strong and demonstrable background in strategic HR. The appropriate individual will be skilled in change management, succession planning and turnaround in order to help shape the trust as it seeks to consolidate and grow in future.

Time commitment

8 hours per month minimum.  As the trust is in the early stages of consolidation subcommittees are being established and commitments should decrease over time.

Location of board meetings

Board meetings are held at the schools on a rotation basis but most often at Downland or Lavington.

Governance structure

There is a Members board of four, half of which must meet the diocesan foundation criteria, and of which one will be a corporate member to represent the Salisbury Diocesan Board of Education (SDBE). This Member will also be a Trustee on the Trust Board.

There will be a Trust Board of eight of which half must meet the diocesan foundation criteria with the option to co-opt further trustees when relevant skills are required. One of these will be the SDBE Corporate Member.

Background on academy trusts

Academy schools, which are charities run independently of local authority control, now account for 74% of secondary schools and 31% 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 775 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: 7^th March 2019