Non-Executive Director X 2

Leading Edge Academies Partnership

Leading Edge Academies Partnership is a small multi-academy trust based in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. The board is seeking two new trustees / non-executive directors. The Leading Edge Academies Partnership is a team of school leaders that aim to be Leading Edge and pioneering in their approach to education and well-being.  Board meetings are held at Mounts Bay School, Boscathnoe Lane, Penzance, TR18 3FD.

About the trust

An exciting new multi-academy trust with three secondary schools and three primary schools, all based in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. One of the schools is an all-through school (i.e. for pupils aged 3 – 16) on the Isles of Scilly, with one main school base and three off island bases. This church school was placed in special measures in 2016 and joined the Trust in 2019. Another school is Fowey River Academy, recently joining the multi-academy trust from the re-brokered ALAT trust, it is ‘requires improvement and also has secured funding for significant building renovation. Two other primaries, St Hilary and Ludgvan, are both good/outstanding schools, as is Mounts Bay School.

The CEO leads with innovation, positivity and energy, bringing new educational ideas, ensuring that schools are ready to meet the needs of pupils today. The multi-academy trust has a teaching school status.

The trust is a growing family of like-minded schools that offer a values based education to the communities it serves and welcome staff, workers, students, parents/carers and volunteers from all different ethnic groups and backgrounds. In total the trust has an annual income of circa £14m, oversees education provision for over 2200 pupils and employs c 377 staff.

Plans for the future

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

1. Integrate Fowey River Academy into the trust and start the re-building of the school following receipt of significant funding.
2. Establishing strong communication across the governance structures and developing skills and communication to drive improvement and ensure accountability for educational and financial performance. The board has been proactive in its financial management to secure long-term sustainability. An initial evaluation of 2019 outcomes has identified the following improvement priorities:

• Mathematics in primary and secondary 
• High prior attainers in secondary 
• MFL in secondary in particular
• Curriculum planning with a focus on developing specialist subject expertise in primary 

1. Building the core executive team, defining roles, supporting people to develop their skills across the multi-academy trust, and overseeing the provision of effective trust leadership and improvement support to schools to drive up standards and outcomes.

Trust ethos & values

Mission - World class education for global learners:

Values - Equity, Empathy, Ethical, Excellence, Endurance, Evolution –

Aims

• To develop young people and adults who are curious, creative and collaborative;
• To provide adventurous educational programmes that transform teaching, learning and assessment; -
• To create happy students with a zest for life and learning.

Role summary Number of positions advertised:

2

Roles 1-2 – Trustee/Non-Executive Director

Trustees – or non-executive directors - are both charity trustees and company directors of the academy trust. The core functions of their role are: ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction; holding executive leaders to account for the educational and financial performance of a charitable company funded by the public purse.

The board of trustees manages the business of the academy trust and may exercise all the powers of the trust in compliance with its charitable objects, 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.

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

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)

 

• CFO/ Finance
• Estate/Property Management
• HR
• Legal/Compliance

Desirable

 

• Procurement/Purchasing
• Risk
• Corporate/Charity governance
• Health & Safety
• Restructuring
• Change/Growth management
• Succession planning

Role specification: a team player, who has time to commit to the role, attention to detail and a good sense of humour.

Time commitment

6 hours /month minimum.

Location of board meetings and trust website

https://www.leadingedgeacademies.org/

Board meetings are held at Mounts Bay School, Boscathnoe Lane, Penzance, TR18 3FD.

Governance structure

https://www.leadingedgeacademies.org/governance  

Background on academy trusts

Academy schools, which are charities run independently of local authority control, now account for 69% of secondary schools and 33% 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 900 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: Friday 6th December 2019