Community Inclusive Trust (CIT) seeks to appoint two new non-executive directors to the board. The trust was formed in 2014, founded by two outstanding schools, Ambergate Sports College and Sandon School that made up the Grantham Additional Needs Fellowship (GANF). The trust currently has 12 academies across Lincolnshire: five primary schools, seven special schools, and also includes a Teaching School – LEARN Teaching School Alliance, which provides training and development for schools across the region. The trust is set to grow later this year.  Board meetings are held in Grantham area.

Role summary
Number of positions advertised: 2

Roles 1-2 – Trustee/Non-Executive Director

Trustees – or non-executive directors - are both charity trustees and company directors of the academy trust. The core functions of their role are: ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction; holding executive leaders to account for the educational and financial performance of a charitable company funded by the public purse.

The board of trustees manages the business of the academy trust and may exercise all the powers of the trust in compliance with its charitable objects, company and charity law.

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

In the interests of safeguarding and in accordance with DfE requirements, all trustee appointments will be subject to an enhanced disclosure and barring service check.

Person specification

Every trustee is expected to abide by the trust’s code of conduct and the seven principles of public life set out by Lord Nolan: selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership.

The Competency Framework for Governance (DfE) 2017 details the knowledge, skills and behaviours required for effective governance: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/583733/Competency_framework_for_governance_.pdf

The strategic expertise required for this role includes:

Essential (due to multiple roles, candidates may be accepted who possess one or more of the skills below)

• CEO/General Management
• Growth Management
• Corporate Governance

Desirable

• Legal/Compliance
• Real Estate/Property
• Non-executive Director

The trust seeks experienced business leaders to offer strategic oversight, support and challenge to the executive team and add to the broad skillset of the existing board members.  It is expected that the successful candidates will have proven experience in at least one senior role and ideally have board experience in a large multi-site company.  The individuals will be strong ‘team players’ who can commit to the pre-published schedule of meetings and can be relied upon to offer views relating to building the broader network of schools.

Particular specialisms are not essential but the trust may well be interested in candidates that have expertise in the areas of legal/compliance and or real estate/property to further broaden the skillset of the current board.

Time commitment

The Board meets 4 times per year (twice in the autumn, and once in each of spring and summer). In addition there is a strategy workshop in the summer term which involves all trustees and senior leaders as well as those involved in local governance. Trust meetings are planned well in advance but generally begin at 4:30 pm and last up to 2 hours.  Successful candidates will be invited to join a sub-committee following discussion with the chair as to where their skills are most likely to be effective. The subcommittees are/; Finance, Audit & Estates (meets 4 times per year); HR & Safeguarding (meets three times per year); Quality of Education (meets three times per year) Subcommittee meetings start 4-30-5pm and last up to 2 hours.  The trust are developing a new role for trustees where each will have a closer relationship with 2-3 schools.  This will involve occasional visits to the school (once or twice a year) and scrutiny of their local governors meetings minutes (but not attending these meetings).  This Link Trustee is likely to get to know the 2-3 schools’ data in more detail in order to contribute to the general oversight and discussion at the trust board meetings.  The trust has developed an induction programme which involves some initial training and may require some initial additional time.  In all the trust estimate that trustees will need to devote around 6 hours per month to cover all trust business.

Community Inclusive Trust (CIT) seeks to appoint two new non-executive directors to the board. The trust was formed in 2014, founded by two outstanding schools, Ambergate Sports College and Sandon School that made up the Grantham Additional Needs Fellowship (GANF). The trust currently has 12 academies across Lincolnshire: five primary schools, seven special schools, and also includes a Teaching School – LEARN Teaching School Alliance, which provides training and development for schools across the region. The trust is set to grow later this year.  Board meetings are held in Grantham area.