Becoming the trustee of an academy trust is an exciting opportunity to help guide academies and the communities around them.
If you’re a trustee, or you work closely with the trust, this is our breakdown of the trustee’s responsibilities.
Overall purpose
Trustees collectively ensure that the academy trust delivers high-quality education, uses public funds properly, and complies with its legal, regulatory and charitable obligations.
Trustees do not manage the day-to-day running of schools; this is delegated to the senior leadership team (SLT). Instead, trustees set direction, provide challenge and hold leaders to account.
Legal status and duties
Academy trustees hold dual legal roles as charity trustees (academy trusts are exempt charities) and company directors (academy trusts are companies limited by guarantee). As a result, trustees must comply with both charity law and company law duties.
Core legal duties include:
- Acting only in the best interests of the trust
- Acting within the trust’s powers and charitable objects
- Exercising reasonable care, skill and diligence
- Avoiding conflicts of interest
- Not accepting improper benefits
- Declaring interests in proposed transactions or arrangements
Strategic leadership and vision
Trustees are responsible for setting the vision, ethos and strategic direction of the trust. They also agree long-term priorities and objectives and ensure that decisions support the trust’s charitable purpose and public benefit.
This means thinking strategically, distinguishing between strategy and operations, and making sure that executive leaders are delivering agreed priorities.
Educational oversight
Although trustees do not manage schools directly, they are responsible for holding the SLT to account for educational performance. As well as monitoring outcomes, standards and inclusion, they ensure arrangements are in place for school improvement.
Trustees must use performance information intelligently and provide constructive challenge where standards are not being met.
Financial oversight and proper use of public money
This core trustee responsibility includes:
- Approving budgets and financial plans
- Ensuring robust financial controls and risk management
- Monitoring financial performance throughout the year
- Ensuring value for money, regularity and propriety
Trustees must comply with the Academy Trust Handbook (ATH), which is a condition of the trust’s funding agreement.
Compliance and accountability
Trustees are accountable for ensuring the trust complies with the ATH, funding agreement, charity law, company law and DfE (Department for Education) regulations.
They must ensure that statutory accounts are prepared, audited, and filed correctly, and that the Accounting Officer’s regularity statement can be properly supported.
Managing risk, assurance and internal scrutiny
Trustees must ensure that:
- Key risks (financial, educational, safeguarding, operational) are identified and managed
- There is an effective system of internal control
- Internal scrutiny arrangements provide independent assurance
This responsibility often sits with the audit and risk committee but remains a collective board responsibility.
People, culture and safeguarding
Trustees are responsible for ensuring that:
- The trust promotes a positive culture and ethical leadership
- The SLT are held to account for staff wellbeing and performance
- Effective safeguarding arrangements are in place and monitored
While safeguarding is operationally led, trustees retain strategic and oversight responsibility.
Delegation and governance structures
Trustees may delegate functions to committees, local governing bodies or advisory boards, and the SLT. However, trustees remain ultimately accountable for all delegated decisions and must ensure delegation is clear, monitored and effective.
Collective responsibility and behaviour
Trustees must:
- Act collectively as a board
- Abide by the Nolan Principles for public life: selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership.
- Maintain confidentiality and professionalism
- Commit sufficient time, preparation and training to the role
Individual trustees have no authority outside board decisions unless formally delegated.
