Trustee Vacancy Information
We are currently seeking an academy trustee to join the board of Southend East Community Academy Trust, a trust of 6 schools.
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 an academy 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 Southend East Community Academy Trust
Southend East Community Academy Trust has a total of six schools within 1.5-mile radius of each other:
- Shoeburyness High School
- Hinguar Community Primary School
- Thorpedene Primary School
- Bournes Green Infant School
- Bournes Green Junior School
- and Richmond Avenue Primary and Nursery School
All schools were judged good at their last inspections and serve a diverse catchment area, covering different communities and needs. There are some areas of severe deprivation and others of relative affluence. For example, Shoeburyness High has 48% pupil premium with high numbers of children in care, high numbers of SEND including c.80 pupils with EHCPs. SECAT is ambitious to grow further, preferably with another secondary.
All schools are within their budgets and the trust has suitable reserves. The current board has a good mix of expertise and skills, with good diversity in age, gender and ethnicity. This includes two trustees who are parents of children in some of the schools.
Meetings
All trustees tend to join one committee, either Curriculum & Pupil Matters or Finance, Audit & Risk. The board meets four times a year. These have been mainly virtual but there is a clear desire to move to more (if not all) face to face.
Remote access will still be available but likely to become the exception rather than the norm. Meetings held at Trust HQ (SS3 9NP).
What the trust are looking for
The trust is seeking to fill two Trustee vacancies who will be able to allocate 6-8 hours per month.
The first will be someone with a background in education, while the second priority is for HR skills. Ideally, they are looking for keen volunteers who will be interested in committee chair roles as part of longer-term succession planning. The trust has two committees, Curriculum & Pupil Matters and Finance, Audit & Risk. However, this is not an immediate need.
What difference will you make?
Volunteering on an academy trust board is deeply rewarding as it allows you to impact the life chances 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 your local community by strengthening education. As well as looking for new opportunities to give something back to society, you may be looking for opportunities 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
People from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply. Governing boards should represent the communities they serve, as well as wider society. We welcome interest from underrepresented groups 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 children, from school finance all the way through to staff and pupil recruitment. It’s essential that boards possess a broad set of beliefs, experiences, and ideas to inform their final judgements. We believe that true representation at board level enables all children to fulfil their potential.
Further Information
You can also find out more public information about the Trust on the Get Information About Schools Page.
On this page you will find a link to the Trust’s record on Companies House. The following documents provide useful information and reading to any potential trustee:
- Academy Trust Handbook
- The Governance Handbook
- Competency Framework for Governance