- Have a clear golden thread of accountability
Clarity with all stakeholders on what your thread of accountability is and how it works is key to having a MAT that operates as one trust, rather than as separate schools. This thread should run from the trustees/members all the way down to the children, and its usage will ensure that policy is followed and adhered to.
- Know your role and definitions
Understanding your role and what your job description entails is paramount to running a successful MAT. Similarly, knowing the difference between Trustees and Local Governing Boards (LGB) is an absolute must.
Further to this, you should avoid areas of duplication, e.g. finance being discussed at the LGB and then separately with the Trustees, naturally wastes valuable time. These roles have different objectives and responsibilities, and so there is a real need to open up communication channels and ensure that each knows their respective duties.
- CEO report
The contents of a MAT CEO's report to the board can differ depending on the number of schools in the trust; however it should always be clear, succinct and by exception only. As a guideline, it should be no more than 2 - 3 pages, including appendices with a School on a Page (SOAP), or equivalent, for each school.
The report should have a brief discussion about each school and outline progress and objectives - for example, “School A and School B are on their trajectory for their end of year targets, but School C are slightly off… this is why and this is what we are doing about it.”
Whilst the trustees do not need to know who has visited each school or what trips they have been on, this level of information ensures that readers understand the key messaging.
What do you think? What are your top tips for Trustees and general governance? Leave a comment on our groups.
Popular topics this week (Thanks to our group members!)
- Interview questions for office managers - Primary School Leaders.
- Staff survey - Primary School Governors
- Communicating to stakeholders - Primary School Leaders
- Information about the new Ofsted Framework - Primary School Leaders
Related resources from The Key
Interview questions and tasks for office managers.
Stakeholder engagement strategies
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