Welcome
The Olympus Academy Trust is governed by a Board of Trustees. Our Board is responsible for holding the CEO, Mr Dave Baker, to account. The Board is made up of a mixture of parents, community members and experts who are appointed based on their skills, insight and knowledge. They work on a voluntary basis and bring a wealth of experience in areas such as HR, Finance, School Improvement and Education.
The Board of Trustees has overall responsibility for the organisation, while our School Improvement Committees oversee the interests of each individual academy. Each school within the Trust has a School Improvement Committee, some members of which are also members of the board.
Sarah Williams
Chair of the Board of Trustees, Olympus Academy Trust
How Governance Works at the Olympus Academy Trust
Our Board of Trustees provides oversight of compliance, finance, Health and Safety, Marketing and HR issues so that the School Improvement Committees can focus on student outcomes and well-being. The Board is made up of a mixture of parents, community members and experts who are appointed based on their skills, insight and knowledge.
There are 4 formal sub-committees that report into our Board: Audit and Risk, Trust Improvement, Finance and Resources and Remunerations and Nominations. We also have a more informal ‘Chairs Network’ where the School Improvement Committee Chairs meet to share best practice, current challenges and also feedback and input to the work of the Board.
Governor induction and mentoring is planned to ensure that each school’s governing committee can function effectively. A bespoke governance development programme is also run throughout the year to allow all those involved in governance to meet informally as a whole team for training in order to contribute to the strategic leadership and governance arrangements of the Trust.
We use a Governance Framework that is ultimately a collection of policies that make our ways of working clear for everyone and ensure that work completed in local governing bodies and our Board is consistent and aligned.
Get Involved
We think it's important that governance in our schools should be representative of the local community.
To that end each of our schools has a Local Governing Committee, with representatives from staff, parents, and community members. We also have a Board of trustees, who are accountable for all the school in the Olympus Academy Trust and provide oversight as a group of schools.
Why become a school governor or a trustee?
Make a difference.
Governors and trustees provide critical challenge and support to the leadership team of a school/Trust with the ultimate aim of improving student progress and outcomes. Taking a governance role is a unique opportunity to positively influence children’s lives.
Get to know your community.
Governors and trustees are part of the strategic leadership team. Our schools are tied to the fabric of their community and it is part of the role of being a governor/trustee to ensure that we are accountable to the area we serves, representing the community as a whole.
Develop your skills.
You can expect to develop a range of both new and existing skills. Training is provided and there is a wealth of independent training providers which offer opportunities for professional development.
You might want to develop your professional expertise in a specific capacity, or it could be softer skills like team working as the governing committee or Board deliberate and reach a significant decision.
Improve your knowledge about the education sector.
School staff make up part of a governing body so as a trustee or governor you are not expected to have a working knowledge of the education sector. What is more important to the role is a specific working skill set relevant to the operations of a governing body (HR, data analysis, finance, project management) and commitment to the position.
It’s a challenge.
There’s no denying that being involved in governance is a challenge, but that’s a good thing. The role should be a challenge (because it’s important) and it can put you out of your comfort zone when you have to get to grips with new policies, procedures and challenges.
This challenge does not necessarily mean the role is time consuming – though of course it can be – but it will certainly, at least initially, challenge you to think in new ways and work with new people.
It’s rewarding.
It IS enjoyable! The positive feedback we get from governors both over the phone, in emails and out at events far outweighs the occasional negative experience which can occur (as can happen with any role).
If you are interested in becoming a school governor or a Trustee in any Olympus school please email us at governance.admin@olympustrust.co.uk.