Academy trust’s are founded by members who have a general duty to exercise their powers, to further the academy trust’s charitable purpose. The members have a hands-off, but significant, role.  They monitor the performance of the trust and hold the trustees to account. They appoint Trustees and they will intervene if the Trustees are not performing by making changes at board level.

As charitable companies, MATs have articles of association and a scheme of delegation, legal documents that set out the governance composition and procedures for the Trust. The people on the main board of a MAT are known as Trustees.  The academy trust board provides:

• Strategic leadership of the academy trust: the board defines the trust vision for high quality and inclusive education in line with its charitable objects. It establishes and fosters the trust’s culture and sets and champions the trust strategy including determining what, if any, governance functions are delegated to the local tier
• Accountability and assurance: the board has robust effective oversight of the operations and performance of the academy trust, including the provision of education, pupil welfare, overseeing and ensuring appropriate use of funding and effective financial performance and keeping their estate safe and well maintained
• Engagement: the board has strategic oversight of relationships with stakeholders. The board involves parents, schools and communities so that decision-making is supported by meaningful engagement.

The trust board, led by a Chair, is the decision-making body of the academy trust and is accountable and responsible for all the academies in the academy trust.