Policy

School trusts as new civic structures: A framework document

January 2020

We believe school trusts are well set up to play a civic role – particularly the larger trusts who may be quite large employers in an area and will have the capability and capacity to act with other civic partners. But even smaller trusts can all play a role – as many already do – as good civic partners to their local authority to advance education as a public good in their community.

This work was borne out of the UPP Foundation Civic University Commission report, Truly Civic: Strengthening the connection between universities and their places. The report sets out how universities have the capability, opportunity and responsibility to be civic partners and further support the places where they are based to solve some of their most pressing and major problems.

Lord Kerslake, Chair of the Civic University Commission said: "The deep economic and social changes that are happening in Britain today have, alongside Brexit, made the civic role of universities even more vital to the places they are located in.”

CST gave evidence to the Commission, and with CST members and Public First (secretariat to the Civic University Commission), produced this guide to help trusts think through how they might maximise and build their civic impact.

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Related policies

Public benefit and civic duty: Guidance for School Trusts

January 2020

School Trusts are exempt charities. This means that they are not registered or directly regulated by the Charity Commission but rather have the Secretary of State for Education as their principal regulator. School Trusts still have charitable purposes and apply them for the public benefit, and trusts must comply with the general law of charity.

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