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.
The role of governors is to:
SAST’s Scheme of Delegation explains how the above core responsibilities are delivered through its Members, Board of Trustees and Local Governor teams.
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 the SAST, and are the only people able to amend the Articles of Association of the SAST. There are 6 members of which 1 will be the Diocese of Salisbury in a corporate capacity and 2 other have 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 each School. There are 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, estates.
Local Governing Body (LGB):- Each school has a LGB with agreed delegation to respond to the context, status, needs and resources of its school community and its connections to the wider world. The LGB will focus on teaching and learning, standards and achievement, community and safeguarding. There will 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.
The SAST Board of Trustees has two central Trust Committees: one for Teaching, Learning and Improvement and one for Finance and Resources. All schools are accountable to the Board of Trustees for standards and achievement.
Sherborne Area Schools' Trust - Scheme of Delegation
Nigel Rees
Governance, Foundation, Finance
Mandy Christopher
Diocese of Salisbury Corporate Member, School improvement, Foundation
Edward Gregory
Diocese of Bath & Wells Corporate Member, School Improvement, Foundation
Peter McGuigan
Education, HR, Resourcing
Tony Cooke
Business, Strategy, Commercial
Canon Jonathan Triffitt
Diocese of Salisbury Corporate Member, School Improvement, Foundation
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
Expected time commitment – 2 meetings per year
Nigel Rees (Chair)
Leadership, Governance, Finance, Business
Ruth Sullivan
Education, HR, Foundation
Roy Davey
Education – Primary and Secondary, School improvement, Foundation
Caryl Plewes
Strategic, Governance, School improvement, Primary Education, Foundation
Tim Bartley
Business, Project Leadership, Finance, Asset Management
John Ponsonby OBE (Vice Chair)
Strategic, Business, Commercial, Training
Claire Bedding, SEND Trustee
Executive skills training
Steven Lusher
Estates management
Graham Colls
Strategic business management, Finance
Simon Jones
Foundation Trustee
Ian MacFarlane
Strategic, Business, Commercial
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
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.
Finance & Resources Committee
SAST Teaching and Learning Improvement Committee
SAST Pay & Remuneration Committee
SAST Audit & Risk Committee
Trustee Meeting Attendance 2020-21 SAST Register of Business Interests 2021-22