Non-executive director X 2

Delta Academies Trust

Delta Academies Trust seeks two new non-executive directors, with a family legal or finance/  auditor expertise, to join the board. The majority of academies in the trust are in areas of high deprivation and are continuously developing and improving. The trust will benefit from the involvement of skilled business people who can provide independent points of view and hold the executive team to account. Board and members meetings are generally held in Knottingley although board sub-committee meetings may be held within one of the trust’s academies.

About the trust

Delta Academies Trust was created in September 2016 when the former trust, School Partnership Trust Academies, was re-branded, following a change in both board and senior executive structures and appointments. The trust has a total of 50 academies across primary, secondary, alternative and pupil referral provisions. All academies are now making progress within a context of impactful leadership and rapidly improving outcomes for children and students.

The trust’s geographic base is located across the Yorkshire and the Humber area with general boundaries of the M1/ M62/ M180 road networks.

Plans for the Future

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

1. To enhance and develop the trust’s recruitment and retention strategy to ensure that the workforce trained by the trust remain, while simultaneously creating a stronger and more attractive workplace for new staff;
2. To implement the trust’s robust growth strategy that allows the trust to grow whilst ensuring current and future sustainability and stability is maintained whilst delivering improved outcomes for pupils;
3. To deliver increased CPD opportunities to senior members of the workforce, to allow leadership potential to be recognized and nurtured.

Trust ethos & values

Mission Statement

To improve educational outcomes for communities in the North of England, creating a sustainable organisation that improves our society and the wider environment.

Delta Academies Trust strives to:

• Place children and students at the heart of everything it does
• Place collaboration before competition, working with others for the betterment of all
• Develop and support professionals in its own and other academies and schools to establish practice that improves lives
• Ensure that all children make good progress irrespective of their starting point and those young people facing disadvantage are lifted from educational poverty
• Never do anything to the detriment of learners, staff, or other stakeholders, in a neighbouring community
• Adhere to the ‘Seven Principles of Public Life’
• Promote environmental awareness and protection locally, nationally and globally

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 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.

The trust seeks to appoint up to two new trustees in order to set the strategic course and work with the rest of the board in holding the executive team to account, providing effective leadership and accountability from the executive leadership team. Non-executive directors are responsible for maintaining stability and the management of a dynamic structure. The role also includes contributing to financial planning for sustainability and potential growth. Experience of working at a senior leadership level is essential to this position.

The competencies required for this role include:

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

 

• Legal/Compliance OR
• CFO/ Finance AND
• Audit

Desirable

 

• Corporate Governance
• CEO/ General Management
• Non-executive/ Trustee

Person specification Legal role: Applicants should have knowledge and experience of legal frameworks and quickly be able to get to grips with the structures of a multi-academy trust, where company and charity law applies. An understanding of corporate governance would be beneficial, along with prior experience in a trustee or non-executive role. A strong and demonstrable track record of leadership in an organisation of equivalent size and breadth is highly sought.

 

 

 

Finance/ auditor role: The trust is looking for a professional with considerable experience in the finance/ audit sector, to provide support and ensure that efficient and effective financial and audit processes are maintained. The individual should have experience in the analysis and scrutiny of financial information, and will act as a ‘critical friend’ with particular focus on financial information provided to the board. As there is a significant requirement for this individual to sit on the Audit and Risk committee, prior experience of this is essential.

 

 

Time commitment

The Delta Academies Trust Board of Directors meets six times a year, including its Annual General Meeting (AGM).  Board meetings tend to start at 9.30am and run for the full morning.

Directors also meet on ad hoc basis (between meetings) when required to do so to ensure compliance with the Articles of Association and its own Scheme of Delegation. Its rules and methods of operation are set out in the Delta Academies Trust published Memorandum and Articles of Association.

Any non-executive directors would be expected to play a part in both the full board and a sub-committee. Involvement with a sub-committee would be by invitation and dependent on the trustee’s skills and interests. Sub Committees tend to run from around 9.30am for up to 2 hours

The following sub-committees work as part of the governance structures of the trust and have terms of reference and delegated powers agreed by the board.

• Audit and Risk
• Finance and Capital
• Remuneration
• Education Standards
• Education Inclusion

Terms of reference for subcommittees are reviewed annually and are included in the Delta Academies Trust Governance Handbook. There is a structured programme of induction and an ongoing programme of governance training across the trust. 

Trustees are encouraged to visit academies occasionally to gain an understanding of the trust’s impact with staff and students.  These visits are planned well in advance and in conjunction with the trust executive team and individual Principals. 

Overall Trustees may need to allocate 6-7 hours per month (on average) which would include meetings and training

As part of the trust’s recruitment process, candidates are required to attend an initial meeting with the Chair of the board, after which a further interview will be scheduled, with Members and a further meeting with members of the trust’s core executive team. Candidates should be aware that this process is essential to the appointment timeline when registering an interest in the role.

  Location of Board/ Members Meetings and Trust Website

Board meetings are usually held at Education House, Spawd Bone Lane, Knottingley, WF11 0EP although some sub-committee meetings may take place within one of our academies.

http://www.deltatrust.org.uk/

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 26^th April 2019