Altus Education Partnership: Rochdale

20th February 2025

 

Trustee vacancy information

We are currently seeking a trustee to join the board of Altus Education Partnership, a trust of 4 schools, with an annual budget of £32m.  

As a trustee/director your key responsibilities will be to: 

  • Ensure clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction 
  • Hold executive leaders to account – both for the educational performance of the organisation and its pupils and the effective and efficient performance management of staff 
  • Oversee the organisation’s financial performance and ensure its funds are directed to the best possible educational outcomes for young people 

By volunteering as a trustee/ director you will be responsible for contributing to the strategic decision-making of the board, helping the trust to realise immediate and long-term goals, and ultimately ensuring transparency, accountability and challenge. 

About Altus Education Partnership

Altus Education Partnership is a four-academy trust based in Rochdale (two secondary schools, one primary school, and Rochdale Sixth Form College). The trust’s mission is to build a family of inclusive academies from early years to age 18 in Rochdale and its surrounding areas, with the memorandum between Rochdale Sixth Form College and Hopwood Hall College forming the cornerstone of the trust’s strategy. Altus has an ‘all-through’ strategy, with the vision of having one Level 3 provider (Rochdale Sixth Form College) supported by a number of secondary and primary schools that enable the intelligent sequencing of the curriculum from early years to age 18. All schools in the borough of Rochdale and its surrounding areas are eligible to work with the trust through memoranda of understanding, service level agreements, and, for those interested in joining Altus, through a trust partnership agreement. 

The trust is committed to working with Rochdale schools and regularly collaborates with local schools in various supporting capacities, such as the Rochdale Enrichment and Activity Hub (REACH) and the Children’s University. The trust is due to expand to five academies in 2025 with an outstanding primary school joining, and a number of other schools are in discussions about joining Altus. Altus also enjoys good relationships with Rochdale Local Authority. 

The trust has a dedicated school improvement team, which reports to the Trust’s Education and Standards Committee. Of the four current academies: 

  • Rochdale Sixth Form College is graded Outstanding by Ofsted and is regularly one of the top-performing sixth-form colleges in the country. 
  • Bamford Academy is graded Good. 
  • Kingsway Park is graded Good. 
  • Edgar Wood Academy is graded Requires Improvement. 

What the trust is looking for 

Altus Education Partnership is seeking two trustees with specialisms in HR and Audit/Risk to join the board of trustees. The ideal candidates will have senior leadership experience in their respective fields and be familiar with working in a strategic role. The trust welcomes applications from all backgrounds but would particularly welcome applications from those from traditionally underrepresented groups. 

Trust board meetings are held four times a year on a Wednesday, typically from 5 pm to 7 pm. Meetings are held face-to-face at the trust’s headquarters in Rochdale centre, although the option to join remotely can be facilitated in exceptional circumstances. Occasionally, meetings will be held at one of the schools to align with trustee site visits. The trust board also has the following committees: 

  • Finance & Resources* (four meetings per year) 
  • Audit & Risk (three meetings per year) 
  • Education & Standards (five meetings per year) 
  • Staff Pay and Performance Management* (three meetings per year) 
  • Governance & Search (one meeting per year) 

It is expected that the Audit/Risk trustee will bring their expertise to the Audit & Risk Committee, while the HR trustee is likely to be asked to join Staff Pay and Performance Management. The new trustee would not be expected to chair the committee, although there is scope for succession planning if a candidate is interested in this opportunity. 

A full induction programme, including meetings with the CEO, CFO, COO, and Chair of the Board, along with a full training package available online and via local providers, will be provided for new trustees joining the board. Successful applicants will also receive access to Governors for Schools’ ‘First 100 Days of Being a Trustee’ e-learning. 

To be considered, please apply through the Trustee Recruitment Service and reference this role in your application.

Apply now

 

General information about being a Trustee in the Education Sector

What difference will you make? What’s in it for the volunteer?

Volunteering on an academy trust board is deeply rewarding and impacts the lives of hundreds, even thousands, of young people. Academy trusts support schools to give children a better future. For young people to have the best possible opportunities in later life, it’s vital we have individuals with the right expertise leading schools and holding executive teams accountable. Becoming a trustee is a  

fantastic opportunity to give back to communities by strengthening education.

Becoming a Trustee is also an opportunity for you to build your experience in strategic decision-making at senior level or demonstrate your ability to perform in a non-executive position as part of a portfolio career. 

All roles are pro bono.

Governing boards should represent the communities they serve, as well as wider society. We encourage people from diverse backgrounds to apply to ensure academy trust boards are diverse in background, skillset, and thought.

Diversity is a powerful instrument for effective governance. Trustees are required to make choices that impact the daily lives of students, from school finance all the way through to staff recruitment and pupil admissions. We believe that true representation at board level enables all students to fulfil their potential.

 

Further Information

We strongly recommend that you review information about the trust both via their website, and also on Companies House, Get Information About Schools and the Schools Financial Benchmarking Service.

For essential reading, please visit the resources for academy trustees section of our website, where you will find the Academy Trust Governance Guide, Academy Trust Handbook and our free eLearning, ‘Becoming a Trustee’.