Governance

Academy Governing Board

The TSAT Governance Model is different to the way a governing body in a non-academy or traditional school undertakes governance.

Essentially, there are three elements to the governance of the TSAT academies; local governance which is delivered via the Academy Governing Board (AGB), a Regional Review and Assurance Board (RAB) which ensures local governance is effective, and the Thinking Schools Academy Trust Board of Directors.

There is an Academy Governing Board for each school (or small cluster of schools) which consists of a group of 8-11 governors made up of the Headteacher, parents, staff, Trust link staff and community members who are appointed with the skills needed to fulfil the responsibilities of the AGB.Governors are elected for a term of 4 years and meet a minimum of 6 times a year.

The key responsibilities of the Academy Governing Body are to:

• Hold Academy leadership to account for schools' academic performance, quality of care and provision
• Ensure the Trust's vision, policies and priorities are delivered within the Academy
• Oversee and monitor the effectiveness of local strategies and implementation of the School Improvement Plan
• Ensure consideration is given to stakeholder voices in strategic decision making and policy setting
• Have involvement in the performance management of the Headteacher via the AGB Chair's inclusion in annual professional growth reviews

The Board of Directors

For information on the role of the Board of Directors, members and minutes please follow the link here: www.tsatrust.org.uk/about/governance/

Becoming a Governor

The role of a governor can be very rewarding, and volunteering within our schools will provide you with the opportunity to make a valuable contribution to your local community and the future of our young people.

Governors will sit on our Academy Governing Board and work with the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) to ensure students are receiving the best education possible and that all resources are being used effectively to support this ambition. A strong governing body is made up of a group of people who will contribute various skills and experience, and who will commit to working together for the benefit of the Trust and the local communities in which we work.

Being a governor requires individuals to learn about schools and ways of working, and it is also about individuals bringing their skills and experience to contribute to an existing skillset. It is important that every governing body is made up of a group of people who understand their role and responsibilities, who are committed to gaining knowledge about the school and who will ask challenging questions to scrutinise leadership and decisions made within school. Governing bodies have key strategic responsibilities and these need to be explored within every meeting, without getting involved in the day to day operational activity within the school.

AGB Members

If you are interested in discussing our governor vacancies further, please email privacy@tsatrust.org.uk to register your interest and a member of the Governance department will contact you to discuss your enquiry.