Governance

Strong governance ensures that we are held to account by all our stakeholders – representatives of the learners, colleagues and communities served by our academies. You can read more about our approach to governance in our Governance Scheme of Delegation, below.

 

Governance Scheme Of Delegation

Governance Structure

Our Members, Trustees and local Governors are committed to our vision and values. We’re thankful that they volunteer their time to oversee our work and help us improve.

Our mission to transform lives is enhanced by a governance team from a diverse range of professional, social and cultural backgrounds. If you’re interested in joining our Trust as a Governor in one of our academies, you can contact our Head of Governance, Michelle Eaves, at michelle.eaves@attrust.org.uk  and follow us on facebook at ATT Governors, and check out our LinkedIn Showcase page.

NameDate of AppointmentTerm of OfficeDate Stepped DownDeclarations of Interests
Patricia Mary Beanland OBE1 June 20164 years-Chair of Governors at Moseley Secondary School since 2008
Matthew McDonagh18 January 20184 years-Senior Quantity Surveyor at Kier Construction Ltd since 2017; Director at MMcD Construction Ltd since 2016
Tracy Campbell24 August 20204 years-None
Louise Jones19 April 20224 years-Chief Finance Officer at Dudley College of Technology since 2022; Chair of the Bobbington Parish Council since 2006; Trustee on Finance & Business Committee at Dudley Academies Trust since 2022; Trustee at the Black Country Living Museum since 2022
Jessica Heale22 December 20234 years-Chair of Trustees at Invictus Education Trust since 2022; employee at Lapley, Stretton and Wheaton Aston Parish Councils 2022, employee at Capita: Entrust Governance Services 2022; Chair of Governors at South Staffordshire Learning Partnership since 2016; Trustee at St Chad’s PTFA since 2010.
Gurpreet Bhatia DL24 August 20204 years13 March 2024Executive Member at Sant Nirankari Mission since 2013; Board Member at Centre for Sikh & Panjab Studies since 2018; Trustee at the Commonwealth Sports Foundation since 2021; Trustee at the Legacy West Midlands since 2018
Bernard Dickenson21 November 20164 yrs 5 months12 May 2021
NameDate of AppointmentTerm of OfficeDate Stepped DownTerm ExpiresAppointed byDeclarations of InterestsBoard Meetings AttendedPossible Board Meetings (2021-22
Patricia Mary Beanland OBE22 Nov 2020 (previously appointed 22 Nov 2016) Next term agreed from 22 Nov 20244 years-22 Nov 2024Member AppointedChair of Governors at Moseley Secondary School since 200889
Tom Clark CBE1 Nov 2022 (previously appointed 1 Nov 2018)4 years-1 Nov 2026Member AppointedNational Ambassador for FED (Foundation for Education Development) Trustee for City Learning Trust since March 2023 Consultant Adviser to Association of Education Advisers since February 2023 Performance Management Consultant for Alpha Academy Trust since November 202299
Alistair Milne18 Aug 2023 (previously appointed 19 Aug 2019)4 years-18 Aug 2027Member AppointedDirector & 90% shareholder at Transformation Through People Ltd (appointment to Trust) since 201899
Elaine Bonar30 September 20214 years-30 September 2025Member AppointedTrustee for City Learning Trust since January 202379
Tania Craig6 October 20214 years18 May 20236 October 2025Member AppointedExecutive Headteacher of New Horizons Learning Centre since 2010; Treasurer & National Committee Member at Engage in Their Future since 201879
Diane Elleman23 November 20214 years02 February 2023Member AppointedEmployer for Kettering Science Academy (part of Brooke Weston Trust) since 202258
Mark Gill6 January 20224 years-6 January 2026Member AppointedDirector at Analysis, Research and Communications Ltd (since 2011) and Libertatum Ltd (since 2013), Co-founder and Director a\t Woodnewton Associates Ltd (2006-2014) Executive Director at Magna Carta Trust (since 2020) Member at World Association for Public Opinion Research (since 2005)45
Louise Jones28 March 20224 years-28 March 2026Co-opted by BoardChief Finance Officer at Dudley College of Technology since 2022; Chair of the Bobbington Parish Council since 2006; Trustee on Finance & Business Committee at Dudley Academies Trust since 2022; Trustee at the Black Country Living Museum since 202225
Joanne Dawson24 July 20234 Years24 July 2027Member AppointedChief Financial Officer at Ormiston Academies Trust since 2019; Chair of Trustees at St Albans Academy Trust since 2014; Chair of Governors at ARK St Albans Academy since 2013.
Gavin Hawkins25 September 20234 years24 September 2027Co-opted by BoardChair of Trustees at Elston Hall Learning Trust Trustee of NAACE – The Education Technology Association Trustee of Bradley Canal Restoration Society Co-opted Governor at Long Knowle Primary School Co-opted Governor at Lodge Farm Primary School Member at SHINE Academies Trust Member at Ignite Learning Partnership CEO of Squirrel Learning Limited Director and Shareholder of Online Behaviours Limited and Engagedu CIC
Geoff Stokes9 January 20244 years9 January 2028Co-opted by BoardVolunteer at Age UK (since 2021)
Carl Edwards29 March 20224 years06 March 2023Member AppointedOwner of Executive Business Management Ltd (management consultancy) since September 200315

Board Meeting Attendance

NameMeeting 1Meeting 2Meeting 3Meeting 4
11 Oct 2022 12.3015 Dec 2022 12.3007 Mar 2023 12.3004 Jul 2023 11.00% Attended
Alistair MilneAttendedAttendedAttendedAttended100%
Carl Edwards-ApologiesApologies-0%
Diane EllemanAttendedAttendedAttended-100%
Elaine BonarApologiesAttendedAttendedAttended75%
Louise JonesAttendedAttendedAttendedAttended100%
Mark Gill-AttendedAttendedAttended100%
Pat Beanland OBEAttendedAttendedAttendedAttended100%
Tania CraigAttendedAttendedAttended-100%
Tom Clark CBEAttendedAttendedAttendedAttended100%
CommitteePositionName
Audit and Risk CommitteeChairMark Gill
MemberAlistair Milne, Geoff Stokes
Finance and Resources CommitteeChairLouise Jones
MemberAlistair Milne, Joanne Dawson
Standards and Outcomes CommitteeChairPatricia Beanland
MemberTom Clark, Elaine Bonar, Gavin Hawkins
Remunerations CommitteeChairPatricia Beanland
MemberPatricia Beanland, Mark Gill, Louise Jones, Alistair Milne
Remunerations Committee (appeals)ChairTBC
MemberTom Clark & any other Trustee based on availability

ARC Meeting Attendance

NameMeeting 1Meeting 2Meeting 3
30 Nov 2022 12.3015 Mar 2023 12.3013 Jun 2023 10.30% Attended
Alistair MilneAttendedAttendedAttended100%
Diane EllemanAttended--100%
Mark GillAttendedAttendedAttended100%
Tom Clark CBE-AttendedAttended100%

FRC Meeting Attendance

NameMeeting 1Meeting 2Meeting 3Meeting 4Meeting 5
13 Oct 2022 9.3001 Dec 2022 9.3002 Feb 2023 9.3004 May 2023 9.3015 Jun 2023 11.30% Attended
Alistair MilneAttendedAttendedAttendedAttendedAttended100%
Carl Edwards-Attended---100%
Louise JonesAttendedAttendedAttendedAttendedAttended100%
Tom Clark CBEAttendedAttendedAttended-Attended100%

SOC Meeting Attendance

NameMeeting 1Meeting 2Meeting 3Meeting 4
01 Nov 2022 13.0011 Jan 2023 9.3029 Mar 2023 11.1524 May 2023 9.30% Attended
Elaine BonarAttendedAttendedAttendedAttended100%
Pat BeanlandAttendedAttendedAttendedAttended100%
Tania CraigMissedAttendedApologies-33%
Tom Clark CBE-AttendedAttended-100%

Please visit academy websites for details of governor attendance and more information about the work of our Local Governing Bodies.

AcademyPositionName
Beck Row Primary & Great Heath Primary ClusterChairSteve Shore
Vice ChairJane Seaney
Bristnall Hall & Pool Hayes Academy ClusterChairAntoinette Jackson
Vice ChairRicky Byrnes
Caldmore Primary & North Walsall Primary ClusterChairVacant
Vice ChairJenny Coles
Iceni & The Nicholas Hamond Academy ClusterChairHelen Warrick-Evans
Vice ChairSylvia Grice
Jubilee Academy Mossley & Phoenix Academy ClusterChairVacant
Vice ChairGary Smith
Kingsmoor & Ravens Academy ClusterChairAnita Thornberry
Vice ChairVacant
Mildenhall College AcademyChairSteve Shore
Vice ChairHelen Self
Star Academy Sandyford & Sun Academy Bradwell ClusterChairJon Hankey
Vice ChairChris Routledge
Sutton AcademyChairPete Edwards
Vice ChairGlen Roberts
The Dukeries AcademyChairDavid McLuckie
Vice ChairVacant
The Hathaway AcademyChairStephen Sweeting
Vice ChairLisa McGregor
The Queen Elizabeth AcademyChairAnn Webb
Vice ChairTracy Treharne
Westbourne AcademyChairGrant Skinner
Vice ChairAimee Haynes
ATT Further EducationChairMartin Rigley OBE
Vice ChairShaun Pollard

Nick Weller (CEO) since 01 November 2022

Declaration Of Interests

Trustees and Governors can click here to log into the Governor Virtual Office: GVO 

Our Local Governing Boards

Academies need a diverse, passionate range of individuals to build a strong governance structure that supports their improvement. We rely on the support of enthusiastic volunteers in our local communities to contribute to our academies’ improvement.

Joining a local governing body is a simple but effective way to support your community and make a difference in your local area. If you’re interested in education, you may find it particularly interesting and rewarding to serve as a school governor.

 

What is a Local Governing Body?

Our Local Governing Bodies, known as LGBs, are localised committees in each of our academies that form the base of our governance structure. These LGBs are made up of volunteers from the academy’s local area, who meet regularly to review the school’s progress.

Our LGBs are the local branches of our governance structure. They are made up of Staff, Parent and Community Governors.

One Staff Governor is elected by academy colleagues to serve on the board, which helps to represent the interest and viewpoints of colleagues in meetings. At least two Governors will be parents of children who are currently attending the academy. The rest of the board is made up of Community Governors, who we aim to recruit from a a broad range of professional backgrounds. Their range of experience helps the board to provide effective oversight of all the varied aspects of running a school.

Our local governors are accountable to ATT’s Trustees. LGB Chairs feed back to the Board of Trustees about their academy’s performance and progress. The Trustees are accountable to the Members, who provide the highest level of non-executive oversight in our Trust.

What does an LGB Do?

The role of a Local Governing Body (LGB) is to oversee the work that academy leadership undertake to improve the school. Individual Governors usually take on a specific area of focus, such as safeguarding or special educational needs, and work closely with the relevant school leader to learn more about the academy’s strategies to ensure success in that aspect. They report their findings back to the rest of the LGB, who ask challenging questions of leaders to establish and develop areas for improvement.

Responsibilies- What Governors Do

  • Look into the details to provide strategic oversight of the curriculum, staffing structure, expenditure, and other operational procedures. The input of Governors helps keep a school running efficiently.
  • Help set goals by contributing to the vision, ethos, and strategic direction of the school. The input of Governors helps academy leaders to aim higher and identify priorities for improvement.
  • Approve documents such as policies and procedures to ensure that the academy’s processes are effective, efficient and fair. Each governor provides a unique perspective that helps
    ensure all viewpoints and possibilites are covered.
  • Attend meetings four times a year and commit time to tour the school, meet students, and
    discuss the academy’s progress strategies with members of the leadership team.

 

Misconceptions- What Governors Don’t Do

  • Write school policies or make decisions on behalf of the academy’s leadership team
  • Undertake audits or fundraising activities
  • Have much interaction with pupils or observe teaching