Structure
Governance Overview
CELT is a charitable company. Our primary regulator is the Department for Education, and our charitable objects are set out in our Articles of Association.
Our Members, Trustees and Governors provide strategic leadership and accountability across our family of academies. We recognise these individuals as being absolutely key to the effectiveness of our academies and our trust as a whole.
Time and time again Ofsted has noted that the most effective schools demonstrate effective leadership and management – including by the governing board.
The Education & Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) holds academy trusts to account as central government public bodies for their finances and OFSTED holds them to account for academies’ teaching.
At a local level, CELT is answerable to other stakeholders including parents, their pupils and the local community.
Members
Our Members are akin to the shareholders of a company. They have ultimate control over the academy trust, with the ability to appoint some of the Trustees and the right to amend the trust’s articles of association. Their key purpose is to hold the Board of Trustees to account and ensure that the trust is well run and well managed. Members must meet annually although they may meet more frequently.
Trustees
The Board of Trustees are responsible for determining the overall strategic direction and development of the trust through good governance and clear strategic planning, to ensure that it delivers the best possible outcomes for children and young people. The Board ensures compliance with the legal and financial requirements under company and charity law, and under agreements made with the Department for Education (DfE). This is a position with a term of four years and involves meetings approximately every month.
The CELT Board of Trustees has five standing committees:
The CELT Board of Trustees has five standing committees:
- Audit and Risk
- Finance, Staffing and Remuneration
- Quality Assurance
- Estates, IT and Climate Change
- Ethos
Local Governors
The Local Governing Bodies (LGB) are responsible for carrying our trust vision forwards, based on the specific qualities and community characteristics of the individual academy and in line with delegated authority as set out in our governance schedules of delegation. They are expected to question and challenge academy leadership and to hold them to account. This is a position with a term of four years and invoves meetings approximately every half term.
The LGB is not legally responsible for the statutory functions (which rests with the Board of Trustees), but has an important role in challenging and supporting the academy to operate effectively in line with the responsibilities defined by the Trustees.
The LGB is not legally responsible for the statutory functions (which rests with the Board of Trustees), but has an important role in challenging and supporting the academy to operate effectively in line with the responsibilities defined by the Trustees.
Ethical Standards
Our Members, Trustees and Governors abide by the Seven Principles of Public Life which are: Selflessness; Integrity; Objectivity; Accountability; Openness; Honesty; and Leadership.