Governance of schools and colleges
Effective governance is an essential part of any organisation. School, academy and college governors have a difficult task – as unpaid volunteers they are responsible for providing effective leadership, direction and control of their schools and colleges. Good governance requires an active governing board working with a strong leadership team to create effective corporate governance throughout the organisation.
Our experienced team gives you access to experts (including National Leaders in Governance) in the full range of corporate and governance issues. Those relevant to the education sector include academy projects, governance structures, multi-academy trust structures, joint ventures and commercial arrangements, collaboration, alliance arrangements and trading companies. Our team has an excellent reputation for providing practical, commercial and innovative advice.
- Advising on all constitutional matters and on conflicts of interest 
- Facilitating board strategy days
- Governance training on a range of issues including legal duties, decision-making and board relations
- Governance reviews in line with the National Leader of Governance criteria
- Strategic support to boards
- Advising on EFA, DfE and OFSTED requirements. 
- Providing options appraisals 
- Delivering horizon-scanning sessions for boards on latest developments/trends in the sector
Featured experience
A well-established and traditional multi-academy trust
Supporting a well-established and traditional multi-academy trust in reviewing its governance arrangements. We provided a succinct report including a range of options that could be adopted to enhance their governance arrangements together with links and sign-posting of relevant research. The MAT were then able to use the meeting with us and the advice note to make the enhancements they wished to adopt.
A high-performing primary multi-academy trust
Working with a high-performing primary multi-academy trust that had been successfully operating for a number of years to review its approach to governance including local governance. We worked with the MAT to design a suitable approach to governance that supported their vision and values whilst also meeting the DfE’s requirements.
A multi-academy trust comprising secondary, primary and special schools
Supporting a multi-academy trust comprising secondary, primary and special schools with a number of twilight training sessions for their main board and their local governing bodies. The sessions were interactive and supported the continued development of links between the local and main boards. Following the training we then provided a short report on recommended actions that could be adopted to enhance governance arrangements at the MAT.Â
Key contacts
Nick MacKenzie
Partner
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Victoria Hatton
Senior Associate
Hayley O'Sullivan
Senior Associate
Testimonials
“They were excellent. They listened to our requirements, worked with me and our Chief Executive Officer to develop the structure for the event and activity associated with any input. They designed a session to provoke discussion on effective governance in preparation for continual improvement in the governance arrangements for our Trust.”
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