1. MATs

2. Schools White Paper 2016: Educational Excellence Everywhere
Puts the best leaders at the heart of the school system, with the support to thrive
Will allow recruiting and development of great teachers wherever they are needed
Sets high expectations for all – supported by fair, stretching accountability measures
Enables pupils, parents, and communities to demand more from their schools

3. A school-led system with every school an academy, empowered pupils, parents and communities and a clearly defined role for local government
Expectation that all schools will be academies
Most schools in dynamic multi-academy trusts (MATs)
Intervention in coasting and failing schools
Parents and communities able to demand more for their children
A clearly defined role for local authorities

4. A school-led system Government will:
continue to encourage high performing maintained schools to apply to become academies
implement measures in the Education and Adoption Act so that all inadequate schools become sponsored academies and coasting schools are tackled for the first time
take powers to direct schools to become academies in underperforming local authority areas or where the local authority no longer has capacity to maintain its schools

5. A school-led system
Build sponsor capacity, speed up the process of conversion to academy status, and work with the Church of England, Catholic Church and other faith groups to support Church and faith schools to become academies
Promote greater collaboration between schools, particularly through multi-academy trusts (MATs) which we expect most schools will join
Ensure that the future school system is dynamic, responding to success and failure, and that RSCs intervene promptly where academies or MATs are underperforming

6. A school-led system
Define the role of local authorities (LAs) in education: ensuring every child has a school place and that the needs of all pupils are met, and championing parents and the local community. Local authorities will step back from maintaining schools and school improvement
Review the responsibilities of local authorities in relation to children, including the implications for the roles of the Director of Children’s Services and the Lead Member for Children, in light of the policy changes set out in this White Paper

7. Forming MATs Can be single or cross-phase
Can include existing academies and currently maintained schools
Can include ‘good’ and ‘outstanding’ schools
Can include ‘required improvement’ schools if the MAT demonstrates capacity needed to ensure the school improves
Can include ‘inadequate’ school if the MAT is also approved as a sponsor

8. Forming MATs Guidance is a minimum of 5 members
Members appoint Board of Directors
Directors need to cover all the skills needed – we recommend employees are not on the board, other than CEO – heads will of course attend and advise board
Where gaps in skills – Academy Ambassadors scheme - a non-profit organisation set up to bring inspirational educationalists together with talented business leaders to build better multi-academy trust boards -

9. Forming MATs
Trust board oversees aggregate of schools’ income and decide on central functions
When a request to convert to become an academy is approved, school receivers a grant of £25k to support conversion – legal, governance, scheme of delegation – takes about 4 months
Trusts need executive leadership from the start

10. What is a MAT? Charity Company
Responsible for standards and finances and legal compliance of schools within Trust (as set out in the Funding Agreement with the Secretary of State)
Funding is via the EFA rather than the LA
Employer of all the staff in the schools in the Trust
Board Directors are also Charity Trustees

11. What is a MAT? MULTI-ACADEMY TRUST Academy 1 Academy 2 Academy 3
There is only one legal entity accountable for all schools within the chain, the Multi-Academy Trust (MAT). The MAT has one set of Articles which governs all the academies in that chain.
MULTI-ACADEMY TRUST
The MAT has a master funding agreement with the Secretary of State and supplemental FAs for each school
Members
Trustees
The MAT may set up either a local governing body or advisory body for each academy. The MAT can agree to delegate some matters to this local governing body.
Academy 1
Academy 2
Academy 3
Local Governing Body
/Advisory Body
Local Governing Body
/Advisory Body
Local Governing Body
/Advisory Body

12. Functions of the Board Setting the direction and ethos
Creating robust accountability
standards
Finances
Ensuring best use of finances
It is for the Board to determine committee structures and schemes of delegation

13. Roles Members: guardians of the Trust, at least 5
Trust Board: small & skills based
Local Governing Bodies
Executive headteacher/CEO/Accounting officer
Leadership team
Cross-trust roles

14. Rationale - Better outcomes for children
Raise standards by sharing best practice and using resources more effectively:
CPD
Staffing structures
Richer curriculum – specialist staff
Recruitment & career development
Back office efficiencies
Future sustainability
Whole school system led by strong schools

15. What is academy conversion process?
Academy conversion process begins
Named Project Lead assigned from the DfE
TUPE consultation
Consultation
Land transfers (Land arrangements must be agreed by the DfE. Land issues can often be tricky, time consuming to resolve and cause delays to conversion so it is suggested that these should be prioritised for early work).
Any shared use agreements must be approved by the DfE and set up with the Academy Trust
Any loans must be approved by the DfE and transferred to the Academy Trust
Memorandum & Articles of Association for the Trust to be completed
Draft Funding Agreement to be completed
Commercial Transfer Agreement agreed between the LA & the Academy Trust
Academy Opens
Approval
Governing Body passes resolution applying to SoS to convert, naming MAT and sends to DfE
RSC/Headteacher Board considers application
Academy conversion or sponsorship approved by RSC
Academy Order issued by DfE
Application Approval
Governing Body passes resolution applying to SoS to convert, naming MAT and sends to DfE
Initial consultation with stakeholders
RSC/Headteacher Board considers conversion/sponsorship
Academy conversion/sponsorship approved by RSC
Academy Order issued by DfE
4 weeks
5 months

16. Conversion Funding £25k to meet costs of conversion
Sponsorship – school improvement grants

17. Sponsor application process – application form
Vision
Ethos, aims & objectives of your organisation, your aspirations for growth
Structure
Organisational structure & lines of accountability
Pen portraits of founding members & Directors
Partner organisations
Capacity & capability
Academic performance data & Ofsted outcomes
Support for underperforming schools previously provided & its impact
Key people that you plan to use for school improvement & details of their experience & previous impact
Financial planning and propriety
Financial performance of organisation over past 3 years
Name, qualification & experience of Finance Director
Internal & external financial scrutiny/audit mechanisms
Financial plan & details of any top-slice

18. Developing operational & governance structures

19. All trusts need strong and effective governance
The Academies Financial Handbook requires that governance MUST….
have the skills, knowledge and experience to run the academy trust
fully understand their duties as company directors and charity trustees
take full control of the academy trust’s financial affairs, apply the letter and the spirit of the AFH, and ensure appropriate oversight of financial transactions
prevent losses or misuse of the trusts assets and property
ensure value for money, regularity and propriety in relation to the management of its funds
Report on their review of governance in their first set of audited accounts and should assess effectiveness annually
complete, and return to EFA, a financial management and governance self- assessment for new academy trusts, or constituent academies joining a multi-academy trust
recognise and manage present and future risks including business continuity planning

20. academy (in special measures)
MAT Governance Option 1
Main Board
local academy board 1
academy (in special measures)
local academy board 2
local academy board 3
local academy board 4
Standards Committee
Resources Committee

21. Primary Trust Example – cross trust roles
5 primary schools
Executive headteacher
School improvement team
Qualified HR manager
Accountant as Finance Director
Executive attendance leader
Executive SENCO
Specialist teachers

22. Leadership – evolution in a Trust example
Point where reporting structures and processes will need to change
15 + schools
Head
Exec Head
Exec Principal
CEO
6-15 schools
2-5 schools
1 school
…mind set, role development, delegation, task and skill diversity…

23. Developing central functions as Trust grows
Leadership
School Improvement
Finance HR
IT services
Facilities Management
Administration

24. MAT Governance Option 2 MAT Board CEO SoD Regional Board 1
Function is to hold the EP and Principals to account, sign off school budgets, taking reports from committees. Manage by exception
MAT Board
CEO
SoD
Regional Board 1
Regional Board 2
Regional Board 3
Critical friend to the Principal. Includes parents, school staff. One RB member in attendance for reporting. CEO does not attend. May be an Advisory Council rather than LGB
EP1
Include Directors and members of Trust on each, enabling better sharing of information between schools.
SoD P1 P1 P1
LGB
LGB
LGB 24

25. REAch2 overview, Sept 2015 Governance Executive Trust Board
Accountable body; remains responsible even for
functions delegated to regions, LGBs or executive
3+ meetings a year
4 committees: education, HR, £, risk
Executive team
CEO = Accounting Officer; together with 3 other directors, can delegate executive functions to other staff at any level
Central team/services
National
delegation of powers
CEO is an ex officio trustee
reps attend each other’s meetings
Regional Boards
committees of Trust Board, providing scrutiny, challenge & support to LGBs/academies, ensuring info/comms flow
3+ meetings a year
4 committees as above, plus forums for all Headteachers and Chairs of LGBs in the region
Regional teams
Led by Executive Principals, responsible for standards and activities across academies in the region
Cross-functional teams: school improvement but also HR, finance, governance support
Regional
EPs are on Regional Boards (RBs)
on Regional
3 CoGBs
Boards
Local Governing Bodies
Appointed by Trust Board plus elected/co-opted members to provide scrutiny, challenge and support to academy leadership teams
3+ meetings a year
Committees as approved by Trust Board
Academy leadership teams
Day-to-day leadership & management of individual academies
accountability
Local
HTs are on LGBs, 3 on RBs too

26. Outwood Grange Example - Governance
16 secondary academies
3 primary academies

27. Developing operational structures

28. Operational Committee
Committee overkill!
New MAT Board
Weak SoD
Education Committee
Operational Committee
Audit Committee
Existing LGB
Existing LGB
Existing LGB
Audit Committe
HR, payroll
Committee
Standards Committee
Finance Committee
Operations
Committee
Curriculum Committee
Finance Committee HR
Committee
Teaching & Learning

29. Establishing reporting/monitoring processes
How do you know how individual academies are performing?
How do you track and manage risk?

30. Risk Management Why Bother?
Governance
Better Management
Protects reputation
Compliance
Less risk averse
Improved planning
Focus on priorities
Achieving objectives
Proactive approach

31. Top ten governor checks
Staff pay as percentage of total expenditure (typically 70-80%)
Average teacher cost
Pupil to teacher ratio
Class sizes by key stage
Teacher contact ratio
Proportion of budget spent on leadership team
Three to five year budget projections
Spend per pupil for non-pay expenditure compared to similar schools
School improvement plans priorities
List of contracts with costs and renewal dates

32. Consistency versus conformity?
Ensures entitlement to the best education possible
Systems and Operating procedures
Data Collection Points
Common Exam Syllabi
Assessment and Reporting
Key Educational Policies
HR practice as one employer
Not in every respect
Culture of the school
Uniform
Enrichment
Relationship with the local community
Educational networks unique to the school

33. Sources of information
Guidance on academy conversion
Technical questions:
Academy Ambassadors – a not-for-profit organisation set up to support academies across England by finding senior figures from the world of business and the professions to sit on the boards of academy trusts:
Regional schools commissioners (RSCs)
The RSC for the East of England and North East London is Dr Tim Coulson, who can be contacted via

34. Questions