Good governance in multi-academy trusts (MATs): what

does it look like?

Academies1 need especially2 robust governance3 structures because of their independence from local
authorities (LAs). Academy trusts receive their funding directly from government and, therefore, need
strong systems of accountability and support to ensure financial stability and educational success.
The basics
All academy trusts have both members and trustees. MAT boards may also delegate functions to local
governing bodies (LGBs) or other committees that may each oversee one or more individual academies.
Members
1

Composition
Requirements
There must be a minimum of three members. Members cannot be trust employees, and those who are LA-
influenced cannot exceed 19.9% of the total.
Strong recommendations
There should be an odd number of members to ensure majority voting and no need for unanimity to pass
resolutions. While the minimum is three, the department recommends five members to ensure a diverse
range of views, particularly in larger trusts. At least a majority of members should be independent from
the trustees. There is no requirement for the chair of trustees to be a member, but neither are such
arrangements prohibited as long as they conform to the requirements and recommendations above.
Role
Members have a role akin to that of shareholders in a company limited by shares. Founding Members are
signatories to the articles of association. Members can amend their trusts articles subject to relevant
restrictions; receive the trusts annual accounts; and have power to appoint Trustees as set out in the
trusts articles of association.

Trustees
Composition 2

Requirements
The number of LA-influenced trustees cannot exceed 19.9% of the trust board; two elected parents must be
at board level or alternatively on each local governing body (see below); no more than one third of the
board can be employees of the trust.
Strong recommendations
The number of trustees should be kept to the minimum required. Members decide whether to appoint the
principal/CEO as a Trustee, if he/she is willing to be. The departments strong preference is for no other
employees to serve as trustees in order to retain clear lines of accountability through the trusts single
senior executive leader. Boards should recruit based on the skills and experience needed to be effective.
Trustees should not be involved with companies that sell services to the trust and where this is the case,
should
Role commit in writing to adhering to guidance set out in section 3.2 of the Academies Financial
Trustees are responsible for governing and exercising all the powers of the trust. They should focus on
three core functions:
1. Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction
2. Holding the chief executive/executive headteacher to account for the educational performance
of the trust and its pupils, and the performance management of staff
3. Overseeing the financial performance of the trust and making sure its money is well spent
Trustees must also ensure compliance with company and charity law and with the trusts funding
agreement they should set up audit and risk committees for this purpose.

Local governing bodies (LGBs) and/or other

Composition: committees3 Role:
Trusts have complete flexibility in designing LGBs. However, decisions It is the decision of the
should be informed by trust need: some choose to have one LGB per trustees about which, if
school, others one per group of schools, and some none at all. Larger any, governance
trusts might also appoint committees to oversee groups of LGBs e.g. as functions they delegate
regional clusters. Local governors are appointed by the trustees, and to LGBs or regional
should be recruited to role specifications informed by the skills required by committees. LGBs with
the LGB. Local governors are not trustees themselves unless they also sit no delegated governance
on the trust board. Where the MAT does not have elected parents on the functions are wholly
1 See the Governance Handbook, pages 45-47

2 Governance Handbook, p. 44-45

3 Governance Handbook, p. 47-49

 Considering LGB structures and delegation:
When deciding how to organise LGBs and what to delegate to them, MATs should consider the following:
Does the chosen structure ensure the 3 core governance functions can be carried out effectively
across the entire MAT?
Do trustees and local governors have the necessary skills to carry out their functions?
Will levels of delegation vary based on previous school performance and the strength of
Good governance in multi-academy trusts (MATs):
4
governance?
what does it look like?
Six features of effective
1. Strategic leadership that sets and champions vision, ethos and strategy.
2. Accountability that drives up educational standards and financial performance and effectively
manages risk. Audit and risk committees are vital for any MAT, and trusts should continually review
their capacity and effectiveness as the MAT grows. Trusts might also consider whether the MAT
needs a finance director as part of its central executive team.
3. People with the right skills, experience, qualities and capacity. Trustee and local governor
recruitment, along with training and development, should be used to address skills gaps within the
trust. The Governance Handbook (section 4) and Competency Framework set out the skills required.
Trusts can use Academy Ambassadors and Inspiring Governance to aid recruitment, while a budget
should be set aside to ensure thorough induction and continued training and development.
4. Structures which reinforce clearly defined roles and responsibilities. What has been delegated, and
to whom, should be set out clearly in a written scheme of delegation. The scheme should cover:
members, trustees, LGBs, the central executive team and school leaders. Each group should
understand its role as well as the role of others.
5. Compliance with statutory and contractual requirements. The trustees must ensure compliance
with company and charity law, the trusts funding agreement and articles of association, and the
Academies Financial Handbook.
6. Evaluation to monitor and improve the quality and impact of governance. MAT governance

Figure 1: Diagram taken from page 6 of the departments competency framework for governance.

Usefuldocuments on governance:
- Governance handbook
- A competency framework for governance
- Academies financial handbook
- a detailed
4 For MATs: good practice
explanation guidance
of the andofexpectations
six features for growth
effective governance, see pages 9-13 of the Governance Handbook and
pages 19-27 of the departments MATs: good practice guidance and expectations for growth

The Regional Schools Commissioner for the South East and South London has produced
This document has been
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available Commissioner
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GOV.UK website
East and South London.
Further It isPages
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