Your role on the finance committee

What every finance committee member needs to know and do for the effective stewardship of trust finances 

Designed for trustees serving on finance committees, this course develops the mindset and practice of strategic financial oversight. We will focus on sustainability, risk, and assurance and explore how funding realities translate into multi-year strategy, how to interrogate budgeting and forecasting, how to spot and test financial risk, and how to connect financial decisions to educational priorities, workforce plans, growth, and estates. Participants will leave with a clear oversight framework, a set of committee routines, and sharper questioning techniques. 

Who is it for?

This course is for people in the following roles in trusts of all sizes: 

• All trustees serving on finance committees 
• Trustees who want a deeper understanding of strategic financial oversight 
• Governance professionals 

What you will gain

• How to set and test a multi-year financial strategy 
• How to challenge assumptions in forecasting and reserves 
• How to understand cash and liquidity risk 
• How to connect workforce, estates, SEND pressures, and growth decisions to affordability 
• The committee’s role within the wider assurance system, including internal scrutiny, audit, risk management, and external regulatory expectations 

Course leader

Samira Sadeghi

Director of Trust Governance

Samira Sadeghi

Director of Trust Governance

Samira is Director of Trust Governance. She has been involved in school governance for over a decade. Prior to joining CST, she served as Head of Governance and Company Secretary at Academies Enterprise Trust, a trust with 57 schools. She started her career in governance with Ark Schools, as a regional governance officer.