Information about becoming a Governor or Trustee

Click to read National Governance Association 'Becoming a school Governor or Trustee'

School Governors are the largest volunteer group in the country and are drawn from all walks of life. They share a passionate belief that all children deserve to have access to effective schools.

Are you enthusiastic about education?

Do you have time to spare?

If so, then you may be just the person we need!

We are looking for committed people to join Cockburn Multi-academy Trust (Cockburn MAT) as Trustees and Governors across our schools.

We have a number of vacancies in the Trust and would welcome applications from people with experience in:

  • Finance (Accountant, Finance Manager etc.)
  • Human Resources
  • Marketing
  • Health and Safety (H&S officer, union rep etc.)
  • Capital projects management

The Local Governing Bodies are made up of parents/carers, staff, and co-opted governors.

The recruitment process initially requires you to complete an application form available CLICK HERE

The next stage is the completion of a skills audit, to allow the Local Governing Body and Trust Board to understand your skill set.

The final stage is an interview and recruitment checks.

The Local Governing Body operate at a strategic level and are not involved in the day-to-day running of the academy. They are responsible for both the conduct of the academy and for the promotion of high standards.

They carry out this role by; ensuring that the academy works efficiently and effectively towards achieving the Vision, and that the academy provides a high quality education for its pupils. This is done by building a thorough knowledge of the academy and its community, by both supporting and constructively challenging the academy, and by ensuring accountability and compliance.

The Cockburn MAT Board Trustees have overall responsibility and ultimate decision making authority for all work of Cockburn MAT including the establishing and running of academies.

Governors and Trustees need not be experts in the field of education. What they do need is an interest in the academy and in the welfare of its pupils, together with the time and willingness to get involved. The skills you have can be very useful to the Trust.

Governors and Trustees also need ‘soft skills’ – the ability to be able to build relationships with a range of people, to be able to work as part of a team, to be able to question, and to make connections between different types of information.

For further information please contact Emma Watson, Deputy Chief Operating Officer, on watsone39@cockburnmat.org in the first instance.

Roles and Responsibilities

Members? Powers & Responsibilities

Members have ultimate control of the Trust as they can appoint and remove Directors and they can change the constitution.  They are the subscribers to the Trust’s Memorandum of Association which is available here.

Members can amend the articles through a legal process. 

Members must not be employees of the Trust.

Trustees? Powers & Responsibilities

  • The Cockburn MAT Board, its powers and administration of meetings and affairs is established in the Articles of Association.
  • The Cockburn MAT Board have overall responsibility and ultimate decision making authority for all work of Cockburn MAT including the establishing and running of academies.
  • The Cockburn MAT Board have the power to direct change where required.
  • The Cockburn MAT Board will have regard to the interests of all academies for which Cockburn MAT is responsible in deciding and implementing any policy or exercising authority in respect of any one academy.
  • The constitution, membership and proceedings of each Local Governing Body or Joint Local Governing Body (LGB) are determined by the Cockburn MAT Board and as stated in this document.
  • The Cockburn MAT Board has the authority to remove delegated powers from an academy LGB and will exercise that authority where required.

Committees of the Cockburn MAT Board Powers & Responsibilities

The Cockburn MAT Board has chosen not to establish committees at this stage and the areas of finance, standards and audit are all part of the Board meetings therefore ensuring compliance:

Finance:

Its purpose is to assist the Cockburn MAT Board by enabling more detailed consideration to be given to the best means of fulfilling the Cockburn MAT Board’s responsibility to ensure sound management of the Trust’s finances and resources, including proper planning, monitoring and probity. HR functions including pay and conditions, training and development and personnel matters.

Standards:

Its purpose is to assist the Cockburn MAT Board by enabling detailed consideration of educational standards,

Audit and Risk:

Its purpose is to assist the Cockburn MAT Board in fulfilling its oversight responsibilities for internal controls and for maintaining an appropriate relationship with the Trust’s external auditors.

Governor Expression of Interest

Governor Expression of Interest
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