Governance

As a Trust we place a high value on good governance, believing that it is an essential part of our strategy to deliver the best possible education for our children and young people. We have sought to create a clear governance structure that places as much decision-making as possible in our schools to empower Governors and staff. At the same time, Trustees recognise that their duties and responsibilities underpin the work of the Trust and protect and nurture pupils, students and staff. The Scheme of Delegation offers an appropriate balance between the delegation of powers and responsible oversight.

It is important that we ensure our schools are delivering an education underpinned by the vision and values developed through our Trust. Governance committees keep a strong focus on our values as we support our schools and the trust in delivering our strategic objectives. This will enable us to deliver our vision for Central Region Schools Trust.

Governance Declarations of Business Interest, Attendance and Terms of office:

Terms of Reference

Trustees:

Name	Appointing Body	Term of Office End	Role/s
Eric Griffiths	Member Appointed	28/11/26	Vice Chair
Elizabeth Keates	Member Appointed	19/09/25	Co-Chair to Trustees/HR Committee Chair
Orla MacSherry	Member Appointed	20/03/27	Co-Chair to Trustees/Finance & Resources Committee Chair
Claire Grainger	Member Appointed	03/09/27	Trustee/Education & Standards Committee Member
Nick Clifford	Member Appointed	09/01/24	Trustee/Education &Standards Committee Chair
John Howard	Member Appointed	29/03/26	Trustee/Audit & Risk Committee Chair/Remuneration Committee Chair
Christopher Smith	Member Appointed	18/06/27	Trustee/Education & Standards Committee Member
Gareth Bower	Member Appointed	03/01/27	Trustee/Finance & Resources Committee Member

Members:

Name	Position	Date Appointed
Orla MacSherry	Member	13/12/23
Malcolm Forbes	Member	13/07/16
Sue Hind-Woodward	Member	13/07/18
William Adams	Member	10/12/14
Sue Horner	Member	23/03/23

Historic Trustees: (Left within last 12 months)

Name	Appointed	Stepped Down
Nicole Riley	07/09/22	01/10/23
Dominic Bradley	30/03/22	12/09/23
Mohammed Emtyiaz Chowdhury	15/06/20	12/06/23
Jo Townshend	19/03/20	21/02/24

Historic Members: (Left within last 12 months)

Name	Stepped Down
Eric Griffiths	Stepped down as Chair and confirmed and replaced under article 12b 13.12.2023

Are you enthusiastic about education and offering the best life chances to young people? 

If so, the Central Region Schools Trust has a number of vacancies and is seeking high-calibre, committed Governors and Chairs of Governors to strengthen its Local Academy Governing Boards (LAGBs).

The Central Region Schools Trust is a multi-academy sponsor with a mission to transform the life chances of the young people and their families in the academies we support.

Volunteering as a School Governor is a great opportunity to gain school leadership experience at board level as well as transferable skills that enhance performance and employability. Most of all, you will have the satisfaction of making a real difference to children’s lives and helping them to realise their potential.

The main purpose of a Governor is to:

Help set the strategic direction of the school
Hold the leadership to account for the performance of the school

Make sure that resources are used well and that money is well spent
To ensure that both they and the school are answerable to the communities they serve, in particular parents.

We are looking for a Chair of Governors that can provide the following key skills & areas of expertise; Governors should have experience in at least some of these areas:

The ability to work in a team

An interest in education and a commitment to the school
Educational delivery in an AP, SEMH, ASD and/or mainstream context
Enthusiasm for taking on an active role on the Governing Body
Availability to attend Governing Body meetings and carrying out visits to the school
A willingness to listen, learn and to undertake training

Experience of organisational leadership (essential for the Chair)
Performance Management in the context of outcomes and progression
Safeguarding
Financial Management and Fund Raising
Human Resource Management, including staff development
Knowledge of the local area, including the labour market

For Governors, the time commitment will be approximately 10 days per year spent attending meetings, visiting the school from time-to-time and undertaking relevant training. The time commitment for Chairs is approximately 2-3 days per month.

There are no specific qualifications for the role of governor. You just need the right attitude, enthusiasm and time to devote to the role.

It is important that we ensure our schools are delivering an education underpinned by our values as RSA Academies and we encourage our LAGBs to keep a strong focus on these as we support our schools and the Trust in delivering our strategic objectives.

The Central Region Schools Trust seeks a diverse Board and welcomes applications from all sections of the community.

Our organisation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and governors to share this commitment. Before your appointment as governor is confirmed you will be required to undertake an enhanced DBS check.

To discuss these opportunities further, please contact Jennie Homer, Head of Governance via our contact form or on telephone number: 0121 270 3119

Thank you for your interest, we look forward to hearing from you.

Governance

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