This discussion paper sets out why and how trust governance can evolve to focus more on forward strategy than compliance, engaging a broader range of voices and better serving our communities.
Trusts unlock the power of schools working together. When people unite toward a shared goal, their work must be coordinated to ensure efficiency, accountability and success. Governance is akin to a magnet passed over iron filings. Without it, people can point in different directions, efforts become fragmented, workloads increase, and the common purpose is lost. A clear vision and shared values keep everyone aligned, transcending individuals and creating a legacy that outlives any one person’s involvement.
Our work with trusts, through daily contact with our members and structured support through external governance reviews, vision setting, and reviews of governance structures and schemes of delegations reveal that trusts overall are strong on regulatory compliance, but less confident when it comes to strategy and leadership.
This is in part a reaction to our environments. The sector was born out of innovation and then grew rapidly, at times without a clear roadmap. Government responded with rules and regulation, targets and benchmarks. It is right that there are checks to ensure public funds are protected, but these should be the baseline and not the goal. As a maturing sector, we need a shift in attitudes that takes us forward.
We need governance that evolves and is thoughtfully designed for the ‘now’, with cultures that are resilient and sustainable. We can no longer simply rely on the ways of the past: governance vacancies are at an all-time high and 40% of CEOs we surveyed identified succession planning as a governance priority. Only 35% are aged under 50, and more likely to have direct recent experience of the education system. Why is this? Is it a question of capacity? Is it the expectations and workload? Or is it the way we carry out governance?
