Support us as an Academy Committee Member

We are looking to recruit new members to our family of schools across Norfolk and Suffolk. Joining the Academy Committee at an Inspiration Trust school is a hugely insightful, satisfying and fulfilling role. You can help shape the future of our academies and have a genuinely positive influence.

These important members of our Trust's governance function are vital in the smooth running of our schools and work with everyone in the school community to continue to improve our offer.

A Trust-appointed member does not have to be a parent, and doesn't need to have a familial relationship with the academy. These members are appointed by the Chief Executive of the Trust.  Experience in previous governance, health and safety, risk assessment, SEND or safeguarding is desirable, but not essential.  If you are interested in joining the largest group of volunteers in the UK, please get in touch with governance@inspirationtrust.org to arrange an initial chat, a tour of the school or ask further questions, or please click here to find more information on each academy.

What does the role involve?

What is an Academy Committee member?

Inspiration Trust believes that every child deserves an excellent education. Our family of schools collaborate, supports and innovates to give every child the best start in life.

To achieve this, we know strong partnerships with parents, staff, and the wider community are essential. Academy committee members play a pivotal role in fostering these relationships to ensure the voice of the school community is heard.

Responsibilities

The Board of Trustees is accountable in law for all major decisions about all the academies within the Trust. However, this does not mean that the Board is required to carry out all the Trust’s governance functions, and many functions could and should be delegated elsewhere, including to Academy Committees. The Board of Trustees agrees a Scheme of Delegation that explicitly establishes who carries out which governance function and can make the decisions associated with that function. The academy committee has delegated responsibility for:

Standards:

1. Ensure that the Trust’s vision, ethos and strategy is adopted and applied by academy leaders.
2. Work with senior leaders to identify areas for improvement and develop strategies to address them in line with the Trust’s strategic objectives.
3. Monitor academy performance and improvement through performance data, including exam results, attendance rates, and pupil progress.
4. Understanding policies and procedures which are in place and that the academy is operating effectively in line with these policies.
5. Establish a strong relationship with the Principal in order to provide effective support and challenge

Stakeholder engagement:

1. Consult stakeholders – parents, staff and pupils – and use insights to inform decision- making.
2. Help stakeholders to understand the Trust’s values and vision for the future.
3. Ensuring that Trustees and the Chief Executive are aware of parents’ and community views by sending out surveys once a year to parents and reporting on these findings.
4. Provide the Trust Board with insight into the challenges and opportunities faced by the academy’s local community.
5. Attending academy events.

Safeguarding:

1. Foster a culture that prioritises the safety and wellbeing of all pupils and staff in the academy.
2. Ensure that the adopted safeguarding policies and procedures reflect the safeguarding challenges and context of the academy.
3. Monitor the implementation of safeguarding policies and the effectiveness of procedures.
4. Designate a link academy committee member to take leadership responsibility for safeguarding.
5. Ensure that appropriate policies are adopted and followed in order to keep pupils and staff safe.

SEND:

1. Ensure that the Trust policy for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) is implemented and adapted to the specific academy context where necessary.
2. Seek assurance that staff are trained to implement pupil strategies and support plans.
3. Ensure pupils with SEND have the resources they need to succeed.
4. Designate a link academy committee member to take leadership responsibility for SEND.
5. Ensure that pupils with SEND are well-supported and included in all aspects of academy life.
6. Monitor the overall effectiveness of the academy’s SEND provision, referring to pupil outcomes and other relevant data.

Who are we looking for?

An academy committee member is a voluntary position, and you don’t need to have an educational background. A variety of skills make someone ideal to become a member, including a positive and proactive attitude and a willingness to learn. It is often useful if a member has professional experience, for example, finance, project management, or health and safety, but this is by no means essential, and we encourage a diverse representation.

Which personal attributes will be helpful?

• Commitment and energy to the role
• Independence and confidence
• Curiosity and challenge
• Friendly criticism and creativity to solve problems
• Collaborative and supportive.

What training is available?

All Academy Committee members will have an induction and have access to mandatory training, such as safeguarding, as well as to a vast range of free online training courses, many of which are useful in any line of work. Support is always available, and there’s no such thing as a stupid question.

How much time will I need to commit?

Each Academy Committee holds three meetings a year; one in the autumn term, one in the spring term and one in the summer term.

Individually, academy committee members may also attend ad-hoc daytime in-school monitoring activities.

Typically, including meeting preparation and training, this amounts to between 2 and 4 hours per month. Academy Committee membership is for a term of four years.

What is in it for me?

Being an academy committee member is a hugely insightful, satisfying and fulfilling role. You’ll join a friendly, progressive team, working with staff, parents, and other stakeholders. By sharing your ideas and perspectives, you will help to shape the future of the academy and have a genuinely positive influence on the outcomes for our pupils.

Thank you for your interest in this important role. If you have any queries, please contact our Governance Support Team – governance@inspirationtrust.org - or submit an application here.