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Non-executive director X 2

Employer
Academy Ambassador
Location
Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire
Salary
unpaid/ voluntary
Closing date
26 Mar 2019

United Endeavour Trust, located in Newcastle-under-Lyme, seeks to recruit a trustee and a member as it strengthens its governance arrangements. Possessing a track record in HR and/or Law, the trustee will bring knowledge, skills and experience in change and growth management, as well as demonstrable experience in turnaround. Members are responsible for holding the trust’s main board of directors to account and are ultimately able to appoint, or remove, directors from the board. Meetings are held at Ostend Place, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire.

About the trust

At the outset, United Endeavour Trust – a multi-academy trust (MAT) - was formed in October 2015, initially comprising two secondary schools in Newcastle-under-Lyme.

These schools had previously been federated in order to support one of them, Newcastle Academy, which works in an area of high social deprivation. At the time, it was the poorest-performing school in Staffordshire. The counterpart school, Clayton Hall Academy, serves a more varied intake with a number of students from relatively affluent backgrounds. Both schools were holding Ofsted judgements of ‘Good’, however in practice, both schools were performing below this standard at the time.

In September 2017 Sir Thomas Boughey secondary school joined the trust, having latterly been assessed by Ofsted as ‘Requires Improvement’.

Plans for the future

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

  1. Improving educational outcomes including Maths and Science across all schools – with a focus on the performance at Newcastle Academy, which received an ‘Inadequate’ inspection in February 2018. Progress has been made since this time, and the trust is eager to ensure a continued upturn in this performance.
  2. Recruitment and retention of staff.
  3. Supporting leadership development – new Principals and Senior Leadership Teams are in place in all three academies and the trust seeks to ensure they are supported fully.

Over the longer term, the trust is aiming for consolidation and improvement in outcomes over a sustained period. The trust works with local primary partners and with two Further Education institutions to help achieve this. Additionally, the trust is leading on a potential Alternative Provision resource for the borough and is targeting expansion in the future on a local basis.

  Trust ethos & values

The trust’s key ethos is focused on providing a rounded education for all of its students and to make its academies a part of the community they serve. The trust also seeks to provide outstanding teaching and pastoral support through well-qualified and motivated staff.

More information on the trust’s vision is available on the website here: http://www.uetrust.org/strategy/our-vision/

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.

Non-executive directors will be responsible for maintaining stability and the management of a dynamic structure. The role also includes contributing to financial planning for sustainability and potential growth, and holding the CEO/CFO to account.

Person specification

The competencies required for this role include:

Essential

 

  • HR
  •  

 

 

Desirable

 

  • Change Management
  • Growth Management
  • Succession Planning
  • Turnaround
  • Legal/ Compliance

 

 

As a senior business leader with a proven track record of leading performance and defining strategy, the ideal candidate will possess prior experience, skills and acumen from a senior position within the field of HR, with knowledge, skills and experience in legal aspects relating to change/growth management and turnaround. Relevant qualifications in HR and/or law are sought.

Able to hold the trust’s senior leaders to account, members of the trust board are key in monitoring the performance of the trust and its academies, keeping the focus on school improvement, providing clearly delegated responsibilities to the CEO and holding them, and other leaders, to account for their actions and those of the team.

Time commitment

Two meetings per term; approximately four hours per month (minimum).

Role 2 – Member

A member is able to alter the trust’s Articles of Association and appoint (or remove) trustees/directors where necessary. They provide independent oversight to the work of the board of trustees in order to ensure suitable accountability for its decision making and strategy. At United Endeavour Trust the members are expected to be signatories for the academy trust, to attend two meetings per year, and to add to the already broad skillset within the existing team of members.

Person specification

The competencies required for this role include:

Essential

 

  • Non-executive/ Trustee
  • Corporate Governance
  • Legal/ Compliance

 

 

Desirable

 

  • Change Management
  • Growth Management
  • Succession Planning
  • Turnaround
  • Risk

 

 

As a member at United Endeavour Trust, the successful candidates are required to demonstrate a track record in corporate governance, ideally with experience of working at board level in a medium or largescale organisation. Experience of holding executives to account and contributing to strategic direction is essential, along with experience of managing budgets and scrutinising data and performance. Prior experience as a trustee or non-executive director is essential in order to provide a good understanding of the roles and responsibilities and to hold the board to account.

Time commitment

One meeting per term (approximately two hours).

Location of board meetings and trust website

Trust website: www.uetrust.org

Board meetings are held at Ostend Place, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, ST5 2QY

Governance structure

http://www.uetrust.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Governance-Structure-UET-2017-18.pdf

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 832 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, 15th March 2019

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