Trustee Vacancy Information for RESILIENCE MULTI ACADEMY TRUST
About RESILIENCE MULTI ACADEMY TRUST
| Number of Schools: | 5 |
| Meetings held at: | Rodillian Academy, WF3 3PU
Committee meetings are remote. |
| Website: | www.rodillianacademytrust.co.uk |
| Frequency of board meetings: | The Trust Board meet 6 times per year (one meeting each half term). All meetings are face-to-face, starting at 5pm.
The remaining Trust Board meeting dates for 2024-25 are: 24.03.2025, 09.06.2025, and 14.07.2025* *This will be a 4pm start with the General Meeting afterwards at 6pm.
Trustee Committees are held 3 – 4 times per year. Committee meetings are held on remotely on Mondays at 5pm.
There will also be a Trust strategy day once a year, this year it will be held at the end of March. Member meetings are twice a year in December and July. Meetings are in person. Members receive Trust updates via comms and Trust newsletters and are welcome to visit the academies to see the Trusts impact. |
| Annual Budget: | £24.3 Million |
Resilience Multi Academy Trust (formerly Rodillian Multi-Academy Trust) is a successful multi-academy trust in West Yorkshire which has transformed previously under-performing schools. The trust has four secondaries, of which three were judged ‘Good’ and one which was judged ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted under the former Ofsted Inspection Framework. The Trust also has one University Technical College (UTC) which the Trust have supported from ‘Requires Improvement’ to ‘Good’ under the former Inspection framework. In addition, the Trust operate the Southway Alternative Provision (AP) site and are actively seeking to grow the size of the Trust. The Trust’s schools are in Featherstone, Kirklees, Leeds and Selby and serve working class communities with a number of students in receipt of Pupil Premium funding (in some cases higher than the national average) and an increasing student cohort with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). The Trust has over 300 staff and supports over 3,000 students.
It is an exciting time to join the Trust during a period of growth and expansion. As part of the Trust’s development Resilience Multi-Academy Trust have recently undergone a rebrand, all of which is underpinned by ‘The RMAT Way’. The Trust combines classical educational values with a forward thinking approach and isn’t afraid to challenge the status quo and adapt to best serve it’s students. RMAT aims to help students develop the skills they need to transition into the wider world as confident, capable and resilient young adults. You can read more about the Trust’s values on their website linked in the table above.
What the trust are looking for
The Trust is looking to recruit one Trustee and one Member.
The Trustee will be an experienced Educationalist with knowledge/experience of school improvement and strategic leadership, experience in the Primary Sector or similar would be advantageous as the Trust intends to grow its Primary offer. The Trust would look for this Trustee to join the Education Standards sub-committee.
The Member role is akin to that of a shareholder – typically an eyes-on, hands-off role attracting a low time commitment – candidates will be comfortable working at a strategic leadership level and will appreciate that the role of the Members is slightly less involved than Trustee level. The Members receive regular updates via the Trust newsletters and meet twice a year in December and July. Member meetings are held in person (however hybrid arrangements are available if necessary). The Trust Governance lead will support candidates with appropriate induction into the roles and candidates would be welcome to arrange a visit to a couple of the academies to see the impact of the Trust.
General – About Governance in Education
The role of the trustee / director
There are now more than 1,150 academy trusts across the country, each of which receives direct government funding and operates alongside a board of trustees. A board is responsible for holding the trust’s executive team to account, delivering strategic leadership, overseeing budgets, and upholding the highest levels of governance. A strong board will possess a diverse blend of individuals, capable of representing the communities they serve. It will also comprise a good mix of professional skills, expertise, and experience from areas such as finance, HR, law, governance, estates and IT. Insights from an array of backgrounds can ensure boards make informed decisions on matters that impact the lives of children and staff.
Governors for Schools has a rich background in matching skilled people to governing board roles across England and Wales. The need to identify strong, independent trustees has never been greater, and we are working to match those who want to offer their time, knowledge and acumen with volunteering opportunities.
The GfS team assesses each volunteer’s background, skills, and experience, and identifies suitable openings on academy trusts boards.
What do trustees do?
These roles have a dual function – as well as operating as a trustee of the academy trust as a charity, volunteers are classed as Non-Executive Directors, listed on Companies House and subject to company law. You’ll 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.
From large national trusts to small community-based trusts, you can work with our regional experts to find a suitable match.
Board governance in education is considered a strategic, “eyes on, hands off” commitment, requiring that you give up to eight hours per month of your time and attend up to six meetings across a 12-month period.
The key functions of the board are
- Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction
- Holding executive leaders to account – both for the educational performance of the organisation and its pupils and the effective and efficient performance management of staff
- Overseeing the organisation’s financial performance and ensuring its funds are directed to the best possible educational outcomes for young people
What difference will you make? What’s in it for the volunteer?
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
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.