Risk assurance for school trusts

How to take a strategic approach to risk management and assurance

This course will give you insights into the key concepts and core principles of risk management and demonstrate how to develop strategic approach to risk in your trust. Our expert speakers will provide you with practical advice on how strategic and operational risks are managed at school and trust level to enable you take a risk-based approach to decision making and receive real assurance that risks are being mitigated.

Who is it for?

Chief executives
Trust finance and operational leaders
Governance professionals
Chairs of Audit & Risk Board Committees

What you will gain

This course will give you:

An understanding of the fundamental principles and practices of risk management and the role and remit of the audit and risk committee
Insight into the relationship between strategy and risk, and the benefits of a risk-based approach to decision-making
Guidance on how to focus on strategic risk and gain assurance that your risk controls are working
An understanding of how you can reset your risk management approach and define the risk appetite of your trust
Practical tools to support you in developing risk assurance in your trust

Meet your seminar leaders

Craig Duff, Associate Director, RSM

Richard Mackie, Associate Director, RSM

What previous participants have said

"It has been excellent overall, covering an area of governance that I felt I need to learn much more about. I would strongly recommend this masterclass to other trustees.”

"Extremely useful. I didn’t expect to enjoy it so much! The sessions have definitely helped my understanding of risk assurance.”

"Very thought provoking and has resulted in further development with confidence.”

"Gets you thinking, gives reassurance that you are on the right track and it's useful to hear how other trusts manage risk.”

Course overview

This three-part series guides you on how to develop a robust risk assurance strategy which effectively identifies and mitigates risk and provides assurance for the trust board. It gives you access to specialist expertise via our experienced speakers, and signposts to practical tools and guidance to support you as you develop your risk assurance framework.

Seminar content

Seminar one: The fundamentals of risk management

Understanding why risk management is a requirement in academies
Identifying the principles of effective risk management
Avoiding common risk management pitfalls
Exploring worked examples of effective risk management in academies

Seminar two: Taking a strategic approach

How strategic and operational risk are managed
Establishing your trust’s risk appetite
Thinking about opportunity risk
How strategic risk considerations can improve decision-making
Resetting risk management to develop a more strategic approach

Seminar three: Putting effective controls in place

Mapping the control of risk in a board assurance framework by exploring a worked example that shows the interplay of risk identification, control, and overall evaluation and assurance of mitigations.
Implementing what you have learnt by sharing current risk practice in your trust and future development plans