Chair of the Board of Directors

Create Partnership Trust seeks a candidate with a proven track record in corporate governance and senior level experience from leading a medium or large organisation, to take on the role of Chair of the Board of Directors (trustees). Applicants of all faiths and none are welcomed.

Board meetings are held at Cambria Court, Stratford Road, Birmingham.

About the Trust

Create Partnership Trust is a young multi-academy trust (MAT) with high aspirations for its stakeholders, aiming to create fulfilling futures for all. The trust was established in September 2016 by Greet Primary School and Conway Primary School and joined by Hodge Hill Primary School in January 2017.

Brookfields Primary School joined Create in November 2018, bringing it to the current total of four primary schools; additionally, the trust has a Teaching School, while three of the schools also have nurseries.

In a relatively short period the trust has established strong governance and leadership structures as the

foundation for future growth. It is responsible for 2,600 pupils, almost 400 staff and a collective budget of £10 million.

Plans for the future

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

1. School improvement – continuing the different journeys for each school, aiming for consistently high performance through partnership working;
2. Ambitious but sustainable growth –   developing the business growth model balanced with robust financial management and risk mitigation;
3. The management of change - whilst improving total school and employee performance.

Over the longer term, the trust is committed to growing by at least one more school over the next 12-18 months. It is developing its centralised services infrastructure to support the schools’ business operations, enabling each school to focus on the teaching and learning opportunities for its children.

Trust ethos & values

The values of Create Partnership Trust are: excellence, partnership and perseverance. Each school in the trust is unique and its character and heritage are respected and preserved. The trust is ambitious and expects the best – challenging itself to always achieve.

Role summary

Number of positions advertised:

1

Role 1 – Chair of the Board of Directors  

Trustees – or non-executive directors - are both charity trustees and company directors of the multi-academy trust. Sitting as a trustee / non-executive director, the role of the Chair is to work with the Trustees collectively and the CEO to:

• Set strategic direction, oversee governance and scrutinise plans for growth;
• Ensure financial stewardship and risk mitigation;
• Improve the performance of the schools including the progress of their pupils;
• Hold the CEO and executive team to account;

The board has strategic oversight of the business of the trust and may exercise all of its powers. Trustees ensure compliance with the trust’s charitable objectives and with company and charity law.

Person specification

The competencies required for this role include:

Essential

 

• Chair
• Risk
• Corporate Governance
• CEO/ General Management
• Strategic

 

 

Desirable

 

• CFO/ Finance
• Legal/ Compliance
• Property/ Real Estate
• Growth Management

 

 

The trust seeks a candidate with a proven track record in corporate governance and senior level experience from leading a medium or large organisation, ideally in a leadership role such as CEO or Managing Director. Experienced in board-level working, the preferred candidate will be able to demonstrate a strong grasp of risk and key elements of robust corporate governance, while maintaining the ability to deliver strategically and lead the way in setting strategy and organisational objectives.

As the trust seeks to develop and grow over the coming period, experience and skills in terms of business growth, governance of not-for-profit organisations, financial or asset management is highly sought, along with some awareness and/ or understanding of the challenges of the education context. This may include safeguarding and multi-academy trust development.

The trust would like to receive applications from candidates who can commit to its values and principles and who possess good independent judgement.

Time commitment

4 meetings per year and regular contact with the CEO. As Chair, there is likely to be a regular time commitment per month to ensure full visibility of trust activity and engagement.

Location of board meetings and trust website

Location of Trust board meetings: Cambria Court, 1231 Stratford Road, Birmingham, B28 9AA.

Trust website: www.createpartnershiptrust.org.uk

Governance structure

http://createpartnershiptrust.org.uk/media/upload/files/Overview-of-the-Governance-Structure-at-Create-Partnership-Trust(2).pdf

Background on academy trusts

Academy schools, which are charities run independently of local authority control, now account for 74% of secondary schools and 31% 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 832 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, 1st March 2019