Trust Board of Directors

The South Lincolnshire Academies Trust (SLAT) has a Trust Board of Directors who have a broad range of expertise in education, business and the legal sector, with many also having chosen one of our academies for their child’s education. They also have a strong understanding of the importance of the work we do.

The Board of Trustees primary role is to hold the senior management of the SLAT accountable for the services they provide, including the SLAT Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Financial Officer, the Chief Operating Officer and SLAT Deputy Chief Executive Officers. They offer the Senior Team appropriate support and challenge to ensure each of the academies continues to improve and to ensure the central services of the SLAT are delivered to a high standard.

Our Trust Board of Directors is currently composed of up to 11 Trustees and Trustees can be:

  • Appointed by our members as a result of their experience within finance, business, HR, education and school improvement
  • One Trustee appointed from each of the partner academies, the Chair of the Local Advisory Board (LAB)
  • Co-opted Trustees as appointed for their relevant skills such as Project Management, Marketing and PR, Health and Safety, Procurement, strategy.

The Trust Board of Directors meets up to six times per year and focuses on matters concerning overall academic standards across the SLAT academies, capital projects and updates from the resources committee regarding staffing and finance.

    The Audit, Risk and Finance Committee

    The Audit, Risk and Finance Committee, is a sub-group of Trustees with particular expertise in finance and legal areas. This committee meets separately three times per year and has the remit to agree matters regarding finance, GDPR, website compliance, procurement and site issues (see Terms of Reference of the Resources Committee). This committee scrutinises the detail of the academies accounts, the implementation of budgets and audits the works of the Trust Board of Directors team.

      Local Advisory Board (LAB)

      The composition of the Local Advisory Board (LAB) can be varied to best suit the needs of the individual academy, for example to reflect its religious ethos or specific stakeholder groups.

      A typical community academy’s LAB will have the following members (maximum 11):

      • Chief Executive Officer
      • Two Deputy Chief Executive Officers
      • Two parents
      • Two staff members
      • Up to a further six members as appointed by the Trust Board of Directors

      It is responsible for:

      • Setting the aims and objectives of the Academy
      • Provides challenge and support for the leadership team of the academy to ensure standards are high and the ethos and vision of the school is implemented successfully
      • Determination of the educational vision of the Academy in consultation with the Directors, including, but without limitation, determination of the Academy’s school Transformational Plan (STP)
      • Determination and implementation of the admissions policy in consultation with the Board of Trustees for the Academy in accordance with admissions law and Department for Education codes of practice

      SLAT Leadership Model

      Click here for the South Lincolnshire Academies Trust Leadership model.

      The Trust’s Chief Executive Officer

      The South Lincolnshire Academies Trust (SLAT) Chief Executive Officer is also the Headteacher of all four Trust schools: Bourne Academy; Spalding Academy; Giles Academy; Cowley Academy and is responsible for the day-to-day management of these academies, working with the five Deputy Chief Executive Officers for the Trust and the Trust SENCO.

      In respect of the South Lincolnshire Academies Trust (SLAT), the Chief Executive Officer works closely with the Chief Financial Officer; Director of Human Resources and the Chief Operating Officer to ensure the Trust-based services and any capital projects are of a high standard and meet the needs of our academies. The role includes having strategic oversight of each academy, working with the Deputy Chief Executive Officers to develop robust improvement plans and quality assurance processes.

      The Chief Executive Officer reports directly to the Board of Trustees ensuring that the Board is well-informed regarding the performance of the SLAT, its academies and the services it provides. The Chief Executive Officer’s performance management is carried out by the remuneration committee, which is a sub-committee of the Trust, usually consisting of the Chair and two other Trustees alongside an external education advisor.

      The Trust’s Chief Financial Officer

      The South Lincolnshire Academies Trust (SLAT) Chief Financial Officer (CFO) is responsible for the financial management of the Trust. The Chief Financial Officer oversees all relevant areas of the Trust including: strategic financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, procurement, cash flow, internal and external financial audits and maintaining excellent banking relationships.

      The Chief Financial Officer manages a team of a Finance Staff across the Trust allowing staff to appropriately resource their lessons or teaching methods whilst adhering to both internal and external financial control procedures.

      The Trust’s Chief Operating Officer

      The South Lincolnshire Academies Trust (SLAT) Chief Operating Officer (COO) is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Trust ensuring that Trust procedures are followed and objectives are met. The Chief Operating Officer oversees all operational areas within the Trust including: Risk Management, Health & Safety, Project Management, Capital Development, Procurement, Premises & Site, IT Infrastructure & Network, Medical, Catering and Trips & Visits.

      The Chief Operating Officer also acts as the South Lincolnshire Academies Trust Data Controller.

      The Chief Operating Officer is responsible for the development and implementation of the Trust’s Strategic Estates Management Plan, maintaining an educational vision.

      The Trust’s Deputy Chief Executive Officers

      The title Deputy Chief Executive Officer at the South Lincolnshire Academies Trust (SLAT) encompasses the senior leaders who are responsible, along with the Chief Executive Officer for the day-to-day management our academies.

      The SLAT Deputy Chief Executive Officers have responsibility for all education matters involved in the running of an academy on a day-to-day basis. They will also manage the teachers and support staff in their schools. They will contribute to and present the school’s draft development plan for the Local Advisory Board (LAB) to approve. In addition, in consultation with the Chief Executive Officer, they will have additional roles which provide opportunities across the academies, based on their expertise and professional development needs.

      The current SLAT Deputy Chief Executive Officers are responsible for:

      • Curriculum / Data / Timetable
      • Teaching & Learning / Careers / KS4 & KS5
      • Behaviour / Pastoral / Safeguarding
      • Personnel / CPD / Vocational Education Qualifications
      • Governance / Leadership Development / Teaching & Learning

      This team also have responsibility for:

      • All groups of students, including Most Able / Disadvantaged / EAL
      • Careers Developments, including IAG and meeting the requirements of the Gatsby Benchmark

      The Deputy Chief Executive Officers are line managed by the Trust’s Chief Executive Officer and work closely with the Trust Middle Leaders in order to ensure that the academies are well resourced and led. Their performance management will be carried out by the Chief Executive Officer and the chair of the remuneration committee.

      The Deputy Chief Executive Officers bring a specialist skill set enabling them to be deployed in a range of capacities to support academies. Each Deputy Chief Executive Officers works across all the academies, providing support to the Chief Executive Officers, but they can also be deployed on a short or medium term for an extended period in each of the academies to oversee a particular project or purpose to support the wider Trust.

      In the past this has included:

      • Deputising for the Chief Executive Officer when out of school;
      • Being responsible on agreed days for the leadership of one of the academy organisations, supported by our Chief Executive Officer in order to provide effective leadership capacity;
      • Providing HR support through long-term sickness management, capability procedures and management restructures.

      The Trust leadership structure can provide an expandable model, to provide existing and future senior leaders with a wide range of experiences that benefit their own professional development whilst contributing to the wider success and growth of the organisation.

      The Trust’s Executive Education Directors

      The roles of Trust’s Executive Education Directors will support meeting the requirements of the school development plan in each academy. These roles replace the more traditional leadership model and this structure will allow for the Trust to expand, creating appropriate CPD opportunities for staff and enabling school improvement at a faster pace.

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