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Wigston Academies Trust is a charitable company comprising Wigston Academy (11-16) and Wigston College (16-18), both of which share a single campus. We are based in the heart of the vibrant town of Wigston, south of the city of Leicester.
Our governance has multiple tiers and involves a wide range of professionals as well as internal stakeholders who contribute a rich mix of knowledge and skills to support and challenge Trust leaders and ensure the Academy and College deliver the best learning experience and outcomes for our young people.
At the top of the Trust sit Members. Members are the Trust custodians and they ensure the Trust operates within the scope outlined in the Articles of Association. Members have one annual general meeting every year.
Our Members
Elizabeth Abbott (Chair), Julian Cooke (Vice Chair), Pauline Munro
Under the Members sit the Board of Trustees which comprises six Trustees. Our Trustees are both charity trustees and company directors. The Board of Trustees provides strategic leadership and accountability for the Academy and College. There are six scheduled meetings across the academic year and the Board can delegate responsibilities to specific committees or governance mechanisms or specific individuals through its Scheme of Delegation, whilst retaining overall responsibility for the business of the whole Trust.
The Board has three key functions:
- Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction
- Overseeing the financial performance of the Trust and its Academies and making sure its money is well spent
- Holding the Executive Leaders to account for the educational performance of the Academy and College and their pupils, and the effective and efficient performance management of staff
Our Trustees:
Pauline Munro (Chair), Sheila Lamb (Vice Chair), Elizabeth Coates, Gaynor Singler, Colin Gore, Nicki Green
Others in attendance: the Interim CEO and Interim Deputy CEO
Our Board has delegated specific responsibilities to two committees – The Finance, Audit & Risk Committee (FAR) and the Pay Committee. Both committees enable Trustees and senior leaders to discuss matters in granular detail. Each Committee reports its recommendations into the full Board, where strategic decisions are taken and ratified. The Finance, Audit & Risk Committee meets six times a year, preceding every Board meeting in the governance meeting schedule. The Pay Committee meets once a year and its membership is derived from the Finance, Audit & Risk Committee. The Academy Trust’s Interim CEO and Deputy CEO and the Director of Finance and Operations attend the FAR.
Our Local Governing Body (LGB):
The Local Governing Body comprises six Governors who offer an external perspective from a range of professional backgrounds, as well as internal stakeholders – two Staff Governors and two Parent/Carer Governors. The LGB meets once a term.
The core purpose of the LGB is to hold senior leaders at both establishments to account for keeping pupils safe and for raising educational standards.
Typically Headteachers attend LGB meetings and are often the authors/presenters of reports. The Interim CEO and Interim Deputy CEO also attend LGB meetings.
Governors seek external sources of information and comparative data to compare and contrast with information presented by senior leaders, in their capacity as ‘critical friends’ who support and constructively challenge senior leaders.
Trustees are also assigned to the LGB to ensure there are clear lines of communication across the different levels of governance.
The LGB is able to identify matters which it would like to escalate to the Board of Trustees. An update from the LGB is presented to the Board every term.
Our LGB Governors:
Helen McDermott (Chair), Ian Cox (Vice Chair), Liz Abbott, Michael Ashton, Daniel Hodgkinson, Andy Jones, Pauline Munro, Mark Rogers, Tracy Shilcock, Gary Willars
Trustees in attendance: Sheila Lamb and Gaynor Swingler
The Clerk to the Trust is Mrs P Crommentuijn-Marsh and can be contacted at clerk@wigstonmat.org