Non-Executive Director X 1

Isle Education Trust

Isle Education Trust (IET), a small multi academy trust based in North Lincolnshire, seeks a new member to join its supervisory board. The trust currently has in excess of 1100 students and 160 staff and it is looking to grow. All of the academies within the trust are currently rated as ‘Good’ by Ofsted. Meetings are held in the Epworth area.

About the trust

In Spring 2013, South Axholme Academy was approached by the Department for Education to become a sponsor of Epworth Primary Academy which had gone in to special measures in February 2013. This local solution to support the neighbouring primary school was agreed and a restructure of the senior leadership team at South Axholme Academy allowed support to be placed in the primary school to accelerate their journey out of special measures.

Epworth Primary Academy came out of special measures and was graded good in December 2014, 14 months after being sponsored. The trust sought to grow and, in October 2014, what was the Young People's Education Centre (YPEC) - an alternative provision for KS3/4 - academised and joined the trust. The former YPEC now operates as Coritani Academy; its results are now outstanding compared to similar providers, nationally.

There are currently three academies within the trust: South Axholme Academy (SAA) is a secondary school and sixth form for students aged 11-19, Epworth Primary Academy (EPA) is a primary school with nursery for pupils aged 3-11, Coritani Academy is an Alternative Provision (AP) school for students who need a more bespoke learning experience than is offered in mainstream schools.

Plans for the Future

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

1. Ensuring the quality of the IET product (ie the education for its students) in challenging economic circumstances.
2. Financial challenge - ensuring that the trust’s plans are sustainable in the long term
3. MAT Growth - ensuring there is a good strategic fit between partners to enable growth plans and synergies

The trust is in conversation with many academies and trusts in the Lincolnshire/ Nottinghamshire/ Yorkshire and Humber area and welcomes collaboration. It is conscious of the economic benefits of growth as well as the opportunity to share resources.

Trust Ethos & Values

Isle Education Trust aims for its students to attain the highest level possible in all areas of academy life. It aims to provide a platform for students to develop a sense of self-esteem and self-discipline and become responsible for their own actions and decisions, whilst developing moral and ethical values.

Role Summary Number of Positions Advertised: 1 Member Role

A member is able to alter the trust’s Articles of Association and appoint (or remove) trustees/directors where necessary. They provide independent oversight to the work of the board of trustees in order to ensure suitable accountability for its decision making and strategy. At Isle Education Trust, the members are expected to be signatories for the academy trust, to attend two meetings per year, and to add to the already broad skillset within the existing team of members.

The intention is that IET has a supervisory board of five Members; the main role of the Member’s board is to hold to account the board of trustees.

The competencies required for this role include:

Essential (candidates may be accepted who possess one or more of the skills below)

• CFO/ Finance
• Growth Management
• Corporate Governance

Desirable

• Change Management
• Risk
• Non-executive Director/Trustee

Person Specification

This is a strategic role overseeing the existing IET Board.  Knowledge of accountancy and public funding would be an advantage.

Time Commitment

The members meet twice per year: once for the Annual General Meeting and at one other point in the year to gain an understanding of the operation of the trust.  In addition, members receive quarterly reports to keep them updated with progress. Meetings are held at South Axaholme Academy, Epworth, and tend to start around 6 pm and last for up to 2 hours.  We envisage this role will require occasional short periods of time to read papers and attend the two meetings which will equate to approximately 10-12 hours per year.

One hour per month.

Location of Meetings and Trust Website

South Axholme Academy, Burnham Road, Epworth, DN91B

https://www.isleeducationtrust.co.uk/

Governance Structure

https://www.isleeducationtrust.co.uk/IET/information/governanceArrangements.php

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 22^nd March 2019

Interviews:    TBA