Non-Executive Director X 1

Mid-Trent Multi Academy Trust

Mid-Trent Multi Academy Trust seeks to recruit a board member, bringing significant experience and expertise in finance. Board meetings are held at multiple locations in the Stafford area. Applicants of all faiths and none are welcome to apply. About the Trust

Mid-Trent Multi Academy Trust (MAT) originated from three like-minded primary schools, which joined together as a trust in order to create a pathway to excellence in the Stafford area and build on the joint work that had already taken place in improving educational provision in the area.

The process to convert started in 2014 and the Mid-Trent MAT was incorporated in November 2015 and

conversion to academy status occurred in February 2016.

The trust’s primary schools are all located in villages on the outskirts of Stafford.

Plans for the Future

The key challenges for the board over the next 12-24 months are:

1. To recruit to vacant positions on the Board of Trustees to fill the skills gaps in order to oversee

the work of the Local Governing Bodies (LGB) and the schools. The trust board is looking to evolve and change to support the MAT as it moves forward.

1. To continue to maintain and enhance the existing good work across the MAT, including reviewing the Leadership Team and looking to create capacity in order to grow the MAT. To review the trust’s financial situation and take any action required to ensure it does not go into

budget deficit.

The trust has commenced a plan to review the governance structure and to change the MAT board of

trustees in order to ensure it has a more independent outlook, possessing the right skill levels in order for the trust to add to the number of school in the MAT over the next 12-24 months.

  Trust Ethos & Values

The trust’s vision is always to put children first; it strives to offer education of the highest quality, underpinned by Christian values, from beginning to end. The trust views itself as a ‘family’ of schools, pooling expertise, resources and joy for learning to give all children an education that prepares them to be members of the wider community, including the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences that lie ahead.

More information about the Mid-Trent MAT core values is available here: https://www.mid-trentmat.co.uk/about-us/vision-values/

  Role Summary Number of Positions Advertised:

1

Role 1 – Trustee/ Non-executive Director

The successful candidate is required to advise the board on the current and forecast financial position and action required to ensure sustainability. Significant experience in the financial sector and expertise in financial governance is essential to this role.

Trustees – or non-executive directors - are both charity trustees and company directors of the academy trust; the role is to hold to account the executive and senior leadership team. The board of trustees manages the business of the academy trust and may exercise all the powers of the trust. The trustees ensure compliance with the trust’s charitable objects and with company and charity law.

Non-executive directors will be responsible for maintaining stability during a period of rapid growth and the management of a dynamic structure. The role also includes contributing to financial planning for sustainability and growth, and holding the CEO/CFO to account.

The competencies required for this role include:

Essential

• CFO/ Finance

Desirable

• Audit
• Risk
• Chair
• Corporate Governance
• Non-executive/ Trustee

  Person Specification

The trust seeks a qualified accountant, with proven financial skills and knowledge from the corporate sphere. The candidate must have experience of producing and overseeing the finance function of SMEs, social enterprise and/ or charities, in addition to being skilled in interpreting the organisation’s figures and able to generate succinct reports to the board. Experience of developing robust financial systems and safeguards including delegation of authority policies is sought. Additional skills in risk/audit and experience of undertaking a Chair position is highly sought, though not essential.

Willingness to adhere to the Nolan Principles of Public Life is essential.

Time Commitment

6 hours /month minimum.

Location of Board Meetings and Trust Website

Trust board meetings are held at multiple locations in the Stafford area.

Trust website: mid-trentmat.co.uk

Governance Structure

https://www.mid-trentmat.co.uk/governance-policies/

Background on Academy Trusts

Academy schools, which are charities run independently of local authority control, now account for 73% of secondary schools and 29% of primaries – and their number is growing all the time.

Many of these schools are grouped together as multi-academy trusts (MATs). There are currently 760 multi academy trusts of 3+ schools.  If the schools are to fulfil their potential, the trusts need non-executives (known in charity law as trustees) to bring a wide range of skills and experience to help guide strategy, ensure their ambitions can be soundly financed and keep their schools up to the mark delivering for their pupils.

“Academy boards must be ambitious for all children and young people and infused with a passion for education and a commitment to continuous school improvement that enables the best possible outcomes. Governance must be grounded in reality as defined by both high-quality objective data and a full understanding of the views and needs of pupils/students, staff, parents, carers and local communities. It should be driven by inquisitive, independent minds and through conversations focused on the key strategic issues which are conducted with humility, good judgement, resilience and determination.” 
Source: Governance Handbook, Department for Education (2017)

Trusteeship is a voluntary, unpaid role for people who have the energy and skills to make a real contribution to shaping the future of our schools.  You do not need to have any specialist knowledge of education. 

Applications

Academy Ambassadors is a non-profit programme which recruits senior business leaders and professionals as volunteer non-executive directors onto the boards of multi-academy trusts. If you are interested in applying for the role please send your CV and a short expression of interest detailing which role you are applying for to academyambassadors@newschoolsnetwork.org. Please note: candidates should live within reasonable travelling distance of the trust and/or have a link with the region. For more information, please call 0207 952 8556 or visit www.academyambassadors.org.

Key Dates

We strongly recommend applying as early as you can to have the best possible chance of being considered as we may change the closing date if we have received sufficient applications. Applicants should be aware of the following key dates in the recruitment process –

Deadline for applications: Friday, 19^th April 2019