Our Trust members currently include 4 non-trustees and 2 trustees. The members appoint the majority of trustees, who are appointed primarily for their skills. We seek to maintain a diverse board that also reflects the geographical area we cover.
The trust has three Policy and Scrutiny Committees to ensure high quality support and consistent approaches are taken in: Audit & Risk , Curriculum and Standards; Finance and Resources. Each committee is chaired by a trustee and membership is skills based. Some committee members are drawn from academy councils, some are trustees, and others are external appointees. Membership of each committee comprises at least 50% trustees. The P&S Committees are responsible for scrutinising and approving trust-wide policies, budgets, and QA processes. Committees look at cross-trust trends in data and contribute to risk management. Many school-based procedures are delegated to the Principal/Academy Council through the scheme of delegation. P&S Committees have strategic oversight of the core trust areas. There is also a Remuneration Committee, a Teaching School Hub Committee and a Chairs’ Committee; the latter has a consultative role. Effective management of risk is a priority across all of governance.
Each academy has an Academy Council to provide local governance. Additional support from the trust executive is provided if needed and for schools wishing to join. Discussion is a key aspect of our approach, but it is focused on allowing trust staff to do what is necessary to improve the school rapidly. The executive will focus upon developing each academy’s quality, reputation, leadership, governance and infrastructure as needed.
Champion meetings and reports have been streamlined to create regular series of focused engagements between academy, executive leadership and governance that provides the underpinning for our continued success and development. Reports are presented by those working in the academy to a team comprised of Academy Council Champions, Executive Leaders and, on occasion, trustees and/or P & S Committee members. Champions share their reports with their ACs and highlight key findings, including successes and potential areas for improvement. The reports are also available to the Link Trustee for each champion area and the relevant P&S Committee. A summary is reported back to the trust board through its P&S committees. The reports are also used by the Executive Board and its sub-committees to consider areas for development, to refine the trust evolution plan or to create budget priorities.
Trust board meetings alternate between having an academy and a champions’ area focus to provide a matrix overview of trust activity.
This is the “fixed basis” for trust governance (80%). Academy Councils have the opportunity to innovate and develop around this core (20%). For example: some have doubled up champion roles, maintained subject link work or additional champion areas to meet their specific circumstances and invited students to present prior to AC meetings. We hope that this enables ACs to best reflect their unique circumstances, maintain best practice and drive forward our approach.
The Curriculum and Standards Committee consider strengths and areas for development in terms of teaching, learning and achievement across Meridian Trust. The Committee draws on Academy Councils local work and consider trends, risks, support and best practice.
B) Training
There are three main strands to our governance training:
- Induction to governance: Induction for new Trustees and AC Members has three aspects:
a) Governance roles and structure (Meridian Trust-wide sessions held termly);
b) Get to know your school /link schools
c) Safeguarding and Child Protection Training, Prevent, GDPR
2. Champions’ induction: A series of materials are provided for new champions to learn more about a new role. This is supplemented by support from the local Leadership Team. Access is available to all on-line governance training. Academy Council members are encouraged to explore beyond their own areas when they have the time to commit and to link with champion in other trust schools.
3. Champions’ annual training: Face to face (in person or on teams) trainings for champions in each area are held at least annually. They are delivered by the lead professional in each area. The trainings provide opportunities for networking and sharing good practice.
C) Well-being of Volunteers
Well-being of volunteers is a key consideration. At a minimum, this means providing clear and simple processes which make sense for the benefit of the children and young people that all those involved in governance serve. This includes provision of concise and timely paperwork. Recruitment to fill any vacancies on the board and all ACs is a priority to ensure people are not overstretched.
D) Effective Communication
Effective communication across various layers is crucial as Meridian Trust continues to grow. This includes:
1) termly meetings for AC Chairs/Trust Chair/CEO and senior leaders
2) enhancing input from local contexts into P&S Committees through the inclusion of up to two AC members per Committee
3) electronic provision of information for reference
4) connecting champions across the trust
5) self-evaluation of governance
