Diocese of Chichester Academy Trust

Diocese of Chichester Academy Trust (DCAT) The Diocese of Chichester Academy Trust is a multi-academy trust of the Church of England Diocese of Chichester, serving the counties of East and West Sussex and the Unitary Authority of Brighton and Hove, committed to helping every child achieve their God-given potential. As a Diocesan Trust of the Church of England, the trust has a deeply Christian vision with ‘life in all its fullness’ at its heart. The nine academies within the trust, whilst distinct in their character and ethos, share this foundation which is the catalyst for providing high quality education for nursery to secondary aged pupils in Sussex. DCAT is the second highest performing diocesan trust in England serving a higher than average number of disadvantaged pupils who outperform their peers. The board has ambitious plans for growth and seeks to recruit three additional non- executive directors/trustees. Board meetings are held in Hove BN3 4ED. Applicants of all faiths and of none are welcomed.

About the trust

The trust currently has a combined annual income of circa £16m employs 3500 staff and has the capacity to provide education for 3500 pupils. The trust considers that its role is to develop and enable the academy leadership to ensure all pupils can achieve their maximum potential. It fulfils this objective through providing appropriate support and challenge to academy leaders by provisioning appropriate personnel and services to support the Headteacher and other members of staff, both internally through its Head of Improvement and externally through other partnerships (e.g. Teaching Academy Alliances, academy-to- academy support and specialist services). Additionally, the Trust provides robust governance structures to ensure accountability at all levels, with a focus on the pupil’s experience and outcomes.

The trust currently oversees nine academies in East and West Sussex including: 1. All Saints CE Junior School in Hastings 2. St Leonard’s CE Primary Academy in St Leonards-on-Sea 3. St Paul’s CE Academy in St Leonards-on-Sea 4. St Catherine’s College in Eastbourne 5. Central CE Academy in Chichester 6. Christ Church CE Primary and Nursery Academy in St Leonards-on-Sea 7. The March CE Primary School in Chichester 8. St Columba CE Primary School in Fareham 9. St John’s Meads CE Primary School in Eastbourne

Two new schools joined the trust in 2020 to date: St Columba CE Primary School (rated inadequate by Ofsted in 2019) and St John’s Meads CE Primary School (confirmed as good by Ofsted in 2016).

The trust's ambitious growth plan is to build on the strength of its Hastings schools (Hastings Hub) and replicate this collaborative approach in the Chichester area and develop a new rural hub which will bring smaller, village schools together. Potentially two additional schools will join the trust by the end of 2020.

Plans for the future Three key challenges for the trust over the next 12-24 months are:

1. Increase executive leadership capacity in a phased, sustainable way to take on new schools and 2. Drive continuous improvement for new as well as existing academies so that standards and

Academy Ambassadors © 2020 outcomes enable all pupils to achieve their potential, and for this to be reflected in the judgements of future Ofsted inspections. 3. Embed systems and processes ready for the next round of growth and deliver on the trust’s longer- term ambitions and growth plan.

Trust ethos & values Vision: Helping every child achieve their God-given potential DCAT aim to be a trust in which:  Developing the whole child means pupils achieve and maximise their potential  Continued development of staff is valued and improves education for young people  All schools are improving and perform above national expectations  The distinct Christian identity of each academy develops and is celebrated

Role summary Number of positions advertised: 3

Roles 1 to 3 – Trustee/Non-Executive Director

Trustees – or non-executive directors - are both charity trustees and company directors of the academy trust. The core functions of their role are: ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction; holding executive leaders to account for the educational and financial performance of a charitable company funded by the public purse. The board of trustees manages the business of the academy trust and may exercise all the powers of the trust in compliance with its charitable objects, company and charity law.

In the interests of safeguarding and in accordance with DfE requirements, all trustee appointments will be subject to an enhanced disclosure and barring service check.

Person specification Every trustee is expected to abide by the trust’s code of conduct and the seven principles of public life set out by Lord Nolan: selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership.

The Competency Framework for Governance (DfE) 2017 details the knowledge, skills and behaviours required for effective governance: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/583733/ Competency_framework_for_governance_.pdf

The strategic expertise required for these three roles includes:

Essential (due to multiple roles, candidates Desirable may be accepted who possess one or more of - Regulatory/Legislative Compliance the skills below) - Risk - Qualified Accountant OR - Audit - HR/Organisation Development OR - Corporate Governance - Branding/Marketing/PR/Comms - Growth management

- Succession planning

Role 2 – HR/compliance: the trust seeks a trustee with a strong and demonstrable background in HR, with specific emphasis on succession planning and compliance, to ensure value for money and oversee the development of the trust’s HR policy and practice.

Role 3 - Branding/Marketing/PR/Communications: the board seeks to recruit a professional with expertise and experience in public relations, branding, marketing and/or corporate communications.

The successful appointees will be capable of offering scrutiny and challenge to the Executive Leadership Team and need to commit to upholding the Christian Distinctiveness of Church Schools.

Time commitment An average of 1 day per month to attend formal board and committee meetings plus visit a designated school as its trustee lead. Attendance at ad hoc training, panels and strategy days will also be a feature of the role.

Location of board meetings and trust website

Board meetings are held in Hove BN3 4ED.

The trust website: https://www.dcat.academy/about

Governance structure https://www.dcat.academy/trustees

Background on academy trusts Academy schools, which are charities run independently of local authority control, now account for 74% of secondary schools and 31% of primaries – and their number is growing all the time.

Many of these schools are grouped together as multi-academy trusts (MATs). There are currently 900 multi academy trusts of 3+ schools. If the schools are to fulfil their potential, the trusts need non-executives (known in charity law as trustees) to bring a wide range of skills and experience to help guide strategy, ensure their ambitions can be soundly financed and keep their schools up to the mark delivering for their pupils.

“Boards must be ambitious for all children and young people and infused with a passion for education and a commitment to continuous school improvement that enables the best possible outcomes. Governance must be grounded in reality as defined by both high-quality objective data and a full understanding of the views and needs of pupils/students, staff, parents, carers and local communities. It should be driven by inquisitive, independent minds and through conversations focused on the key strategic issues which are conducted with humility, good judgement, resilience and determination.” Source: Governance Handbook, Department for Education (2019)

Trusteeship is a voluntary, unpaid role for people who have the energy and skills to make a real

Applications Academy Ambassadors is a non-profit programme which recruits senior business leaders and professionals as volunteer non-executive directors onto the boards of multi-academy trusts. If you are interested in applying for the role please send your CV and a short expression of interest detailing which role you are applying for to [email protected]. Please note: candidates should live within reasonable travelling distance of the trust and/or have a link with the region. For more information, please call 0207 952 8556 or visit www.academyambassadors.org.

Key dates We strongly recommend applying as early as you can to have the best possible chance of being considered as we may change the closing date if we have received sufficient applications.