Governance
Governance structure
The trust has three layers of governance: members, the trust board (trustees) and local governing bodies at each school. Our scheme of delegation sets out which decisions are made at each level.
Scheme of delegation
| Decision | Members | Trust board | CEO | Local governing body |
|---|
| Appoint trustees | Yes | | | |
| Approve the trust budget | | Yes | Recommends | |
| Appoint headteachers | | Yes | Recommends | Consulted |
| Monitor safeguarding | | Oversees | | Yes |
Members
| Name | Appointed by | Date appointed |
|---|
| Harriet Calloway | Founding members | 1 September 2022 |
| Desmond Achterberg | Founding members | 1 September 2022 |
| Priya Lanchester | Members | 14 March 2024 |
Trustees
Our chair of trustees is Oliver Penhallow. Trustees who have served at any point in the past 12 months:
| Name | Role | Appointed by | Date appointed | Term of office ends | Date stepped down | Committees | Attendance 2025 to 2026 | Business and pecuniary interests |
|---|
| Oliver Penhallow | Chair of trustees | Members | 1 September 2022 (reappointed 1 September 2026) | 31 August 2026 | | Audit and risk, Finance and resources | 6 of 6 | None declared |
| Ngozi Featherstone | Vice-chair of trustees | Members | 1 September 2023 | 31 August 2027 | | Standards and curriculum | 5 of 6 | Governor at an unrelated fictional college |
| Callum Drysdale | Trustee | Members | 1 January 2024 | 31 December 2027 | | Audit and risk | 6 of 6 | Director, Drysdale Accounting (fictional) |
| Sunita Whitlock | Trustee | Members | 1 September 2024 | 31 August 2028 | | Standards and curriculum | 4 of 6 | None declared |
| Gareth Lindqvist | Trustee | Members | 1 April 2025 | 31 March 2029 | | Finance and resources | 6 of 6 | None declared |
| Rosalind Mbeki-Hart | Trustee (stepped down) | Members | 1 September 2021 | 31 August 2025 | 31 December 2025 | Finance and resources | 2 of 3 | None declared |
Committees
| Committee | Chair | Remit |
|---|
| Audit and risk committee | Callum Drysdale | Oversees internal scrutiny, the risk register and the external audit. |
| Finance and resources committee | Gareth Lindqvist | Monitors the budget, estates and staffing across the trust. |
| Standards and curriculum committee | Ngozi Featherstone | Holds school leaders to account for pupil outcomes and the curriculum. |
Accounting officer
Our accounting officer is Dr Miriam Ostrander, Chief Executive Officer and Accounting Officer.
Local governing bodies