“Another committee,” I sighed as my Chair announced that our tried, tested and efficient means of Trustee recruitment needed to be swept away in favour “something more robust” (read: bureaucratic). It is fair to say, then, that I established our Nominations Committee with a degree of skepticism. There was nothing wrong with it in principle – it existed, in the words of the Terms of Reference, to “ensure the integrity and appropriateness of appointments and re-appointments made to the Board of Trustees”. Who could argue against this? Yet surely this could wait; there is always something more pressing.
Read moreThe first national salary benchmarking survey for executive leaders in School Trusts was been published on 13 October 2021. It has been conducted by XpertHR,...
Read moreSteve Hodsman, Chair of Trustees of the Delta Academies Trust and National Leader of Governance, shares his thoughts about what makes trustees effective,...
Read moreThis article sets out some personal thoughts in relation to possible approaches to delivering effective questioning and challenge at Trust Board meeti...
Read moreIt is often said that good governance is essential to a successful organisation. Consequently, governments, regulators, policy-makers and influencers have...
Read moreOne of the many contradictions I have experienced over the past year since Covid-19 entered our lives, is that life can simultaneously feel like it is...
Read moreGovernance of any organisation is hugely important; schools are no different.
Read moreRisk is very much currently at the forefront of our minds as schools work tirelessly to manage the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. However managing...
Read moreMarch 20th 2020 was the date UK schools closed and sadly they were to remain closed to all their pupils for some considerable time. Whilst this dark day...
Read moreFor the last nine years I have had the huge privilege of serving as Chair of the L.E.A.D Academy Trust and this article offers a few reflections on that...
Read more"Allow me to encourage you to reflect on the impact you have had at this time.”
Read moreI want to start by expressing sincere gratitude to everyone working in education at the moment, in all capacities; you are supporting our young people...
Read moreDo you know how well your school trust is positioned to achieve its goals or what elements influence its ability to implement change successfully?
Read moreThe growth of multi-academy trusts provides the opportunity for organisational added value. However it presents too, the risk of non-value-adding bureaucracy...
Read moreAt the Spring CST conference on Effective, Accountable and Ethical Governance I was asked for the one piece of advice I would give to a new trustee. My...
Read moreChairs of multi academy trusts (MATs) are spending an average of fifty days per year – or approximately one day a week – carrying out the role, recent...
Read moreGovernance in MATs is an evolving beast – rightfully so, because if it continued to function only as it did before, we’d be doing our schools a disservice....
Read moreStrong governance is vital to the success of any organisation and it is essential that those people employed to implement good governance practices in...
Read moreI won’t pretend to be a governance expert, but I’ve served on the body of an independent school, as the chair of a single Academy trust, now as a chair...
Read more"Governance” is not a word or topic that typically sets the pulse racing. However, we all know that effective governance practice is critical to the...
Read more"Can I borrow your school field please?” That question led to a life in governance locally, regionally and nationally. The trade-off for using the school...
Read moreA new school year presents us with the perfect opportunity to set out priorities and build on existing developments, to ensure every child receives an...
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