Governance

Effective governance underpins all successful and strong Multi-Academy Trusts (MATs). SAST has a three-tier governance system and each layer has distinct responsibility and power set out out in a Scheme of Delegation.

SAST’s Scheme of Delegation explains how the above core responsibilities are delivered through its Members, Board of Trustees and Local Governance Committees.

Our priority is to support every school in providing excellent education while ensuring it remains a key part of its community.

There is a balance as to the responsibilities delegated to schools and those that are the responsibility of SAST. The focus is to continually evaluate, improve and develop through strong, effective and accountable leadership at all levels. The aim is to establish clear, simple and effective accountability including slim and streamlined governance.

There are three levels of governance:

Members:– Members appoint the Trustees to run SAST, and are the only people able to amend the Articles of Association of the SAST. There is capacity for 5 members of which 2 will be Diocese Board of Education representatives (Salisbury, and Bath and Wells) in a corporate capacity and 1 other with foundation status. Members have a strategic vision, with a range of skills such as academic/education, financial, legal, corporate business and creative/cultural.

Board of Trustees:- Trustees determine policy, and make decisions for the SAST. They are the statutory Governing Body of the trust/each school. There is capacity for 12 Trustees including 6 with foundation status. The Trustees are appointed on the basis of the skills balance required for the SAST including finance, legal, HR, project/business management, education and estates.

Local Governance Committees (LGC):- Each school has an LGC with agreed delegation to respond to the context, status, needs and resources of its school community and its connections to the wider world. The LGC will focus on standards and achievement, community, inclusion and safeguarding. There can be up to 12 local governors in each school and its composition reflects its previous VC, VA or community status. There will be no local level sub-committees.

Members

Katie Fitzsimmons
Diocese of Salisbury Corporate Member, School Improvement, Foundation

Edward Gregory
Diocese of Bath & Wells Corporate Member, School Improvement, Foundation

Richard Lord

Member overall purpose

Members have an overarching responsibility for the viability and performance of the Academy Trust through the appointment of trustees and approval of the annual report. They have the power to amend the Articles of Association that govern the way the Trust is constituted and managed.

Main duties and responsibilities

To appoint trustees to the Trust Board bearing in mind the Articles of Association and the need for a balanced skill set to manage the Trust effectively
To remove any trustee who is not considered to be acting in the best interests of the Trust, after discussion with the Diocese as appropriate
From time to time to review the Articles of Association and to make changes where deemed necessary after taking advice from the Trust Board
To appoint other Members as necessary in line with the provisions of the Articles of Association
If deemed appropriate Members have the authority to change the name of the company
To receive a copy of the annual report and accounts
To appoint the external auditors
Members have the power to wind up the company and pledge the sum of £10 towards any debts in the event that the Trust is wound up

Expected time commitment – 2 meetings per year

Trustees

David Middleton (Chair)

Dan Roberts (Salisbury Board of Education)

Sarah Busby

Sandra Reynolds

Tony Searle

Tina Wilkes

Will Mackenzie-Green

Trustee Overall purpose

Trustees are responsible for the strategic direction, broad policy framework and oversight of the Trust and all its schools. They take decisions that are in the best interests the MAT as a whole and are not representative of any one of the constituent academies. The Trustees are also Directors of the Academy which is a company limited by guarantee and registered as such at Companies House.

Main duties and responsibilities

To ensure that the activities of the Trust fulfil the objectives as described in the Articles of Association and the Memorandum of Understanding
To ensure compliance with the Trust’s duties under company and charity law
To ensure the schools are compliant with all statutory obligations (eg curriculum, SEND, inclusion, safeguarding)
To safeguard the assets of the Trust
To ensure the solvency of the trust and to abide by the agreements made with the Department for Education and Educational Funding Agency including the Master Funding agreement and the Supplemental Funding Agreement and as defined in the current issue of the Academies Financial Handbook
To determine the overall strategic direction and development of the Trust through good governance and clear strategic planning
To approve the Trust’s strategic plan
To challenge and support the Trust’s CEO and trust leaders to achieve the outcomes of the strategic plan
To oversee the performance of the Trust and its schools and direct change where performance falls short of expectation
To agree trust based policies across the schools within the Trust
To ensure that risks are mitigated where possible and otherwise effectively managed
To review the Trust Board’s terms of reference on a regular basis
To approve the terms of reference of the Board’s committees (including Local Governance Committees)
To, approve the Trust’s annual budget and monitor progress through the receipt of regular reports and managment accounts
To agree and review the scheme of delegation
To review the effectiveness and skill set of the Board
To appoint and if deemed necessary to remove the CEO

Expected time commitment – 6 Board meetings per year plus committees

*Trustees appointed by the Diocese are required to provide prescribed reports to the Salisbury Diocesan Board of Education

SAST Trust Board Committees:

SAST Finance Committee

SAST Standards and School Improvement Committee

SAST People Committee

SAST Audit & Risk Committee

Register of Business Interests and Meeting Attendance – Trustees and Members

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