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Non-Executive Director X 3

Employer
Academy Ambassador
Location
Launceston, Cornwall
Salary
Unpaid/voluntary
Closing date
9 Oct 2019

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An Daras Multi Academy Trust (ADMAT)

An Daras Multi Academy Trust is committed to ‘doing the right thing’ and securing improved pupil outcomes via a capabilities based, fully enriched curriculum, managed growth and possibly further sponsorship to help share good practice. The trust seeks three non-executive directors to support its future plans to help more children to identify the role they play in the world. Board meetings are held in the trust offices off the A30 in Launceston PL15 7ED.

About the trust

An Daras Multi Academy Trust is a trust comprised of seven small schools, all in relatively close geographical proximity in Cornwall.  The trust started with two schools in 2014, grew to seven schools in the last five years. The schools have circa 950 pupils overall and 160 staff members and an income of £4.5m per annum.  Two of the schools are Church of England Schools.  The trust expects to grow further with the addition of Princetown Primary School in autumn 2019. The board recently completed a self-evaluation exercise against the APPG 21 questions for MATs and recognised some strategic skills gaps and refreshed its annual agenda plan to ensure it complies with all current statutory duties. The board is well supported by the Governance Officer/Company Secretary.

Plans for the future

Three key challenges for your trust over the next 12-24 months are:

 

  1. Quality of Education: Introduction of an exciting new capabilities based curriculum to grow capability mature children who exhibit a sustained curiosity for learning as well as meet the new OFSTED inspection framework but the challenge will be to produce a meaningful and comprehensive curriculum while maintaining standards and working within an increasingly tighter budget [in real terms]. The capabilities based curriculum is based on research and pedagogy, and fits well with the visible learning programme that is already embedded in our schools (Visible Learning from research by Professor Hattie: https://visible-learning.org/).  It also has a theological underpinning “act justly, love constantly, live humbly” towards a hopeful and inclusive world.
  2. Growth and Financial sustainability - providing what children need within very tight financial constraints - in particular with provision of staffing. This includes providing support to children with special educational needs or health problems that often to not attract additional funding. Growing the trust by sponsoring formally (as well as informally) to increase pupil numbers whilst sustaining improving standards and outcomes for existing schools.
  3. Estates Management: Maintaining an ever-ageing school infrastructure and services such as replacement of septic tanks & boilers, damp treatment, security etc. Additional funding for this work is more difficult to obtain which affects resources in other areas and this needs to be managed while keeping on top of Health and Safety.

Trust ethos & values

Vision; Igniting Curiosity, Growing Capabilities. To enable capable, mature children who are positively engaged, compassionate, competent young people conscious of the role they play in society, who are curious about the world around them and their place in it.

Role summary Number of positions advertised:  3 Role 1-3 – Trustees/Non Executive Directors

The board’s core functions are:

  • Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction.
  • Holding the executive to account for the educational performance of the trust, its pupils and the performance management of staff.
  • Overseeing the financial performance of the trust and making sure its money is well spent.

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

In the interests of safeguarding, all trustee appointments would be subject to an enhanced disclosure and barring service check.

The strategic expertise required for these roles includes:

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

 

  • Finance
  • Risk Management/Audit
  • Corporate/Charity Governance
  • Legal/Compliance
  • Health & Safety/Estates Management
  • HR

Desirable

 

  • Change/growth
  • IT/Technology

Time commitment

 6-8 hours /month minimum.

  •  

 

 

Location of board meetings and trust website

https://andaras.eschools.co.uk/web/home Board meetings typically last around 2 hours, start at 9.30am andare held in the trust offices off the A30 in Launceston PL15 7ED.  The current board prefers to conduct meetings early in the morning so they can then go back to work for the rest of the day in question.  To allow for travel time meetings start at 9.30am.

Governance structure

https://andaras.eschools.co.uk/web/members_and_directors

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.

“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: Thursday 31st October 2019

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