Establishing a successful Multi-Academy Trust - Mark Blois - May 2016
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In this session Mark will look at issues you might face and he will give you things to think about during the process including: - key characteristics of MATs - governance models - leadership models - some practical questions.
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Establishing a successful Multi-Academy Trust - Mark Blois - May 2016
- 2. Multi-Academy Trust 26 May 2016
- 3. Drivers for change ‐ accountability – Education and Adoption Act - pressure ‐ political will - white paper - more pressure? ‐ finances – joint working ‐ benefits of formal collaboration
- 4. @BJEducationLaw “A new system led by good and outstanding schools… putting our great school leaders in charge of running and improving schools”.
- 5. @BJEducationLaw New hierarchical system of MATs • ‘Starter Trusts’ – up to 5 schools in one region • ‘Established Trusts’ – between 5 – 15 schools in a single region
- 6. @BJEducationLaw New hierarchical system of MATs • ‘National Trusts’ – 15 - 30 schools across more than one region • ‘System Leader Trusts’ – 30 plus schools across a number of regions
- 9. Academy 1 multi-academy trusts LGB School Level Board of Trustees Trust level Members Academy 2 Academy 3 Academy 4 LGBLGBLGB Members – appoint & remove directors Board of Trustees – approve accounts, MFA, employ staff, hold land & overall responsibility Academy - SFA, oversight of educational standards at local level Note: also church/mixed MAT models
- 10. @BJEducationLaw Governance • one employer, one holder of land titles, one legal entity • MAT board equally responsible for all academies in group • MAT board are the directors and trustees
- 11. @BJEducationLaw Governance • governors on LGB are not directors (unless also sit on board) • still usual for each academy to have its own local governing body • but hard ‘Federations’ of LGBs increasing in numbers where LGBs oversee more than one academy
- 12. @BJEducationLaw • DfE prefer minimum of 5 members • no employees as members • separation between members and trustees
- 13. @BJEducationLaw • latest articles have majority of trustees appointed by members • movement away from ‘representative model’ to a delivery model based on skills and experience • reluctance to have multiple Heads on trust board
- 14. @BJEducationLaw • DfE will look closely at the proposal for the board membership • can be difficult area at the beginning of a MAT project
- 15. ‐ “21 questions every multi-academy trust board should ask itself” - APPG on Education Governance and Leadership (March 2015) ‐ “The 9 Characteristics of Successful Multi- Academy Trusts” – Sir David Carter (July 2015)
- 16. Accountability of the executive 16. How well does the Trustee Board understand its academies’ performance data, & how do Trustees know that pupils in all their academies are making the best progress they can? 17. What mechanisms does the Trustee Board use to ensure there is a strong and effective executive leadership structure and personnel in place across the Trust with the right skills, clear line-management and reporting mechanisms?
- 17. Accountability of the executive 20. Do the compliance systems give assurance to the Trustee Board that the Trust is meeting its statutory and legal responsibilities? Taken from 21 key questions for MATs document available from the NGA & APPG on Education Governance and Leadership
- 18. @BJEducationLaw Main Board Strategic oversight, setting visions and policies for the Trust, governance, contractual relationships with third parties LGB Day to day running of the academy, carrying out the Trust’s vision, policies and priorities, holding academy leadership to account
- 20. @BJEducationLaw Finances • master funding agreement plus supplemental funding agreements • funding allocated on an individual academy basis
- 21. @BJEducationLaw Finances • can amalgamate a proportion of GAG funding • must have due regard to funding needs and allocations of each academy trust but is an appeals process
- 22. @BJEducationLaw Ofsted • inspection as individual academies • placement in category triggers right of SofS to give notice to terminate that academy’s SFA – does not affect MFA or other SFAs • one academy’s inspection grade will not directly affect another’s
- 23. @BJEducationLaw Ofsted • Ofsted discretion to inspect if concerns around group generally • inspectors likely to meet with members of Local Governing Body, as well as board
- 24. @BJEducationLaw The gatekeepers of MAT design RSCs do not like: • ‘Flat MATs’ • ‘Mates MATs’ • ‘Empty MATs’ – sometimes • another gatekeeper is Diocese eg mixed MATs?
- 25. Executive Head/ Principal Head of School School A Head of School School B Head of School School C
- 27. CEO Headteacher School A Headteacher School B Headteacher School C Headteacher School D Headteacher School E
- 28. @BJEducationLaw • not enough time? • too complex? • GB feels pressurised? • working group to report on ‐ why needed ‐ approach • firm but fair timeline • clear rationale with targets
- 29. @BJEducationLaw Will you… • have a clear common vision and values? • have a shared distinct teaching and learning model?
- 30. @BJEducationLaw Will you… • have a system for training leaders and other staff? • deploy key leaders and staff across the group? • have shared T&Cs and pay scales?
- 31. @BJEducationLaw Will you… • insist on geographical proximity? • have central resources and systems? • develop strong common quality assurance arrangements?
- 32. Mark Blois | +44 (0)115 976 6087 mark.blois@brownejacobson.com @MarkBlois