Governance

Governance

The Mulberry Schools Trust believes in outstanding achievement for all, enabling all our students and staff to aspire and excel, so they can make a positive contribution to their school, community, workplace and society.

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To help our flourishing family of schools focus on delivering exceptional education and enrichment opportunities for the children they serve, they are supported by a strong business and governance infrastructure, led by a lean and nimble Executive Services Team. The people, process and polices involved in this executive support ensure the Trust not only meets its own regulatory, contractual and statutory obligations, but also enables it to provide strategic leadership and expert support to all the schools – helping them manage their own finance, resources, estates and communications appropriately and effectively.

Our multi-academy trust is a company limited by guarantee and an exempt charity. The charitable company’s memorandum and articles of association are our primary governing documents. For the purposes of company law, the trustees of Mulberry Schools Trust Limited are also the directors of the charitable company, which is known as the ‘Mulberry Schools Trust’. You can find all the governance documents, policies and plans that guide our Trust, along with our annual reports of progress and performance on our dedicated policies and plans page.

Governance and the Mulberry Schools Trust

Our governance enables the Mulberry Schools Trust to provide strategic leadership, accountability and assurance. It involves all the people, processes, policies, structures and functions that inform the direction, development and decision-making of the Trust, and how it appropriately manages all the people, physical and financial resources it requires to deliver its aims and address any challenges.

Mulberry Schools Trust was founded by company members and is run by trustees, who exercise their powers to further the charitable objects in our articles of association. The Trust members ensure the Board of Trustees has the necessary expertise to fulfil its functions effectively and that it acts in accordance with its charitable aims and objectives. At the heart of the codes governing practice and behaviours across the Trust are the Seven Principles of Public Life (also known as the Nolan Principles). We consider everyone working with us as public servants and stewards of public resources, and the principles outline the ethical standards we expect everyone to adhere to.

  • Selflessness
  • Integrity
  • Objectivity
  • Accountability
  • Openness
  • Honesty
  • Leadership
We also expect trustees of the Board and governors across the Mulberry Schools Trust family to demonstrate:
  • unwavering commitment to the vision for young people in our schools
  • conscientious application to the tasks that ensure all school systems and structures are working for the benefit of students
  • courage and determination to achieve our strategic aims.

The Members

The Trust is overseen by five company members who have the power to appoint and remove trustees. They are responsible for upholding the values and ethos of the Mulberry Schools Trust.

The Mulberry Schools Trust Board

The Mulberry Schools Trust is governed by a skilled Board of Trustees. The Board is responsible for the vision and strategic direction of the Trust, its financial strategy and efficiency, the appointment of all governors (except staff and parent governors) and the overall performance of Trust schools. It has delegated day-to-day responsibility for finance and propriety to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) as the Trust’s chief accounting officer.

The Board focuses on ensuring we deliver an excellent education while maintaining effective financial management, and that we meet all statutory, regulatory and contractual requirements. It also has a statutory responsibility for safeguarding and special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) arrangements, student welfare and keeping estates safe and well-maintained.

The Board is composed of eleven trustees, nominated and appointed by the members, who draw on the wide range of skills they bring from their private, public and social sector experience. Their collective capability ensures the good stewardship of all our resources, and holds the school Principals, CEO and Central Services team to account for what we do.

Co-opted trustees

Trustees may co-opt a trustee to fill a skills gap for a temporary period, as permitted within the articles of association. The Mulberry Schools Trust does not currently have any co-opted trustees.

Training and Board development

Trustees and governors all benefit from our comprehensive learning and development programme that covers areas such as induction, finance, safeguarding and risk management. The induction pack they receive on appointment includes the Trustee Handbook, code of conduct, role descriptions, the scheme of delegation, and everyone attends an induction on the Trust, their role and responsibilities. They have access to face to face and online training, a regular skills audit and a Board development programme that includes an annual strategic away-day.

Executive Services Team

Our Executive Services Team is led by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) as the accounting officer of the Mulberry Schools Trust, ensuring the Trust and all its schools are sustainably successful. With overall responsibility for the education of all the young people in our schools, our CEO provides leadership for all Trust activities, including the central services supporting all its schools.

Team members bring extensive expertise and experience in education and business, school leadership and improvement, and the lean and nimble Central Services team is led by an experienced Chief Officer for Performance and Operations, to ensure the statutory obligations of the Trust are fulfilled and strengthen the governance and business frameworks that support our schools.

Learn more about our Executive Services Team, who they are and what they do.

Committees

The Trust Board maintains its oversight with a range of committees that take responsibility for the different areas of its work. Each of the Trust schools also has its own governing committee, known as a Local Governing Body (LGB). The Trust’s delegation scheme sets out the powers and authority of the Trust Board, its committees and the LGBs.

The Trust Board meets four times a year to discuss the quality of education and growth, performance, finance and audit. The committees and LGBs report in to the Trust Board meeting each term.

The Finance Committee

The Finance Committee includes trustees with expertise in managing finance and resources who provide oversight for all the financial affairs of the Trust, including advising the Trust Board on setting the budget. It meets three times a year to consider financial matters, audit, premises, estates and assets, as well as HR and business development.

This committee also looks at the longer-term financial sustainability of the Trust and its schools, monitors performance against budget, and ensures an appropriate set of policies and procedures are in place to provide assurance that public funds are being used correctly and good value for money is being achieved.

A separate audit committee is called when required.

The Audit and Risk Committee provides assurance on the suitability and compliance of the Trust’s financial systems, operational controls and risk management. It provides assurances to the Trust Board that risks are being adequately identified and managed, particularly for internal financial control at Trust and academy level. It also deals with the Trust annual audits, estates and health and safety.

The Standards Committee

The Board’s Standards Committee is comprised of trustees with education expertise. It meets three times a year to consider strategy, school improvement and matters relating to the overarching quality of education, performance of schools and experience of learners within the Trust. It also supports the Local Governing Bodies in performing this function effectively for each school.

A separate pay and appraisal committee is called once a year to consider teachers’ performance-related pay and the quality of appraisal.

The Audit and Risk Committee

The Audit and Risk Committee provides assurance on the suitability and compliance of the Trust’s financial systems, operational controls and risk management. It provides assurances to the Trust Board that risks are being adequately identified and managed, particularly for internal financial control at Trust and academy level. It also deals with the Trust annual audits, estates and health and safety.

Local Governing Bodies

Each school has a Local Governing Body responsible for overseeing that school and implementing the Trust’s strategy and policies. It chaired by a trustee, so that information flows consistently between the Board and the Local Governing Body.

You can find out more about the governing bodies for all our individual schools on their own websites.