Non-executive director X 3

Mercian Educational Trust (MET)

Mercian Educational Trust seeks to appoint up to three new trustees to its board of directors, bringing skills in the area of HR, legal and change management. The four-school trust operates in the Malvern area of Worcestershire. Board meetings are held at Malvern Vale Primary School.

About the trust

MET is a multi-academy trust (MAT) comprising four primary schools - Somers Park, Great Malvern,

Malvern Vale and Dines Green. Great Malvern and Dines Green have high numbers of students receiving Pupil Premium.

The trust was initially formed through a partnership of Somers Park and Great Malvern, welcoming Dines Green during the 2018-2019 academic year, as a sponsored school. It further opened Malvern Vale – a newly-constructed satellite school – to increase its capacity and capability.

The trust has a commitment to:

• Inclusive education to enable success for all;
• A ‘purposeful’ education that includes:
• a commitment to a curriculum which promotes high quality;
• achievement for all;
• excellent outcomes for students

• Develop skills that enable pupils to be creative reflective and open minded;
• The belief that partnership and collaboration with others – who share the trust’s values – strengthens all;
• The importance of collective responsibility for the success and well-being of all pupils in the school community.

In terms of performance as assessed by Ofsted, Somers Park Primary School is ‘Outstanding’, with a student roll of 415, Great Malvern Primary School is ‘Good’, with 315 on roll and Dines Green Community Academy currently has no Ofsted designation.

  Plans for the future

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

1. Ensuring the trust’s high quality Teaching & Learning Collaboration develops high quality teaching and effective support, which in turn result in an uplift in achievement for all pupils.
2. Focusing on outcomes and progress improvement within core subjects for groups in all schools.
3. Ensuring suitable workforce development to enable all staff to feel supported to meet their potential and experience success. The trust aims to have a shared, clear focus on developing colleagues, leading to rapid and sustained improvement across the trust.
4. Delivering sustainable growth to enable the trust to develop efficient and effective practices, with an appropriate balance between efficiency and success, allowing for maximum impact on pupil progress and attainment.

 

Over the longer term, MET seeks to further develop central services and offer Early Year Foundation Support (EYFS) support packages to local schools. The trust currently offers Education Welfare services to support local schools. This includes Educational Psychology and Continuous Professional Development opportunities for schools. The trust aims to achieve Teaching School status which will enable the trust to offer education improvement services to schools.

  Trust ethos & values

The trust aims to provide high quality education to meet its mission statement, ‘to educate highly achieving, independent, free thinking individuals able to engage in civic society.’

Role summary Number of positions advertised:

3

Roles 1-3 – 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

Every trustee is expected to abide by the trust’s code of conduct and the seven principles of public life set out by Lord Nolan: selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership.

The Competency Framework for Governance (DfE) 2017 details the knowledge, skills and behaviours required for effective governance: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/583733/Competency_framework_for_governance_.pdf

The strategic expertise required for this role includes:

Essential (due to multiple roles, candidates may be accepted who possess one or more of the skills below)

 

• HR AND
• Restructuring OR
• Change Management AND
• Growth Management OR
• Legal/ Compliance

Desirable

 

• Non-executive/ Trustee
• Risk
• Business Development

 

 

• Role 1 – HR

The trust seeks an individual with a demonstrable track record working at director level, with experience of delivering an effective HR strategy and achieving the best results from colleagues. The successful candidate will possess a clarity of purpose, skills and experience in corporate governance and an ability to make challenging decisions. A leader with experience of the charity or non-profit sector, the ideal candidate will be responsible for scrutinising plans for growth, providing consultation and challenge on strategic staffing plans and consultation and guidance to ensure effective and positive staff relations.

 

• Role 2 – Change and Growth Management

The ideal candidate will have demonstrable experience of organisation development, driving business efficiency. The trust seeks talented individuals who have the ability and the confidence to work strategically, with experience of leadership at senior management or director level. Past experience in delivering change and growth is essential as the trust seeks to incorporate all necessary skills to drive its growth strategy.

 

• Role 3 - Legal/ Compliance

The ideal candidate will have demonstrable experience with a proven track record in the field of Legal/ Compliance. The trust seeks an individual who can commit to its values and principles and its academies, possess short and long term strategic vision and good, independent, judgement. A clear understanding and acceptance of the legal duties, responsibilities and liabilities of trusteeship is vital to anyone considering this role, as well as the understanding that a contribution to the trust direction and strategy, and an ability to work effectively as a member of a team, are core aspects of the role.

 

The trust recognises that not all trustees will possess all of the essential skills and is looking to speak to any candidates who can offer significant expertise in one or more of the key areas. Additionally, candidates should be aware that, while specific skills are sought, the responsibility for any individual aspect of trust performance is not incumbent on specific individuals – the trust board as a whole is accountable for all elements of performance.

Time commitment

Six hours /month minimum.

Location of board meetings and trust website

Board meetings are held at Malvern Vale Primary School, Malvern, Worcestershire, WR14 1GU.

http://metacademies.co.uk/

  Governance structure

http://metacademies.co.uk/Governance

  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 (2019)

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, 14^th June 2019