Governance

Core Functions of Governors

All Governors need to:

deliver the character, mission and ethos of the Trust and the academies;
hold the leadership to account for its educational performance;
ensure financial resources are well spent.

Working together we can make a huge difference

All our Governors are expected to abide by The Principles of Public Life:

Selflessness
Integrity
Objectivity
Accountability
Openness
Honesty
Leadership

Excelsior Governance Structure: Hub Model

Trust Board
• Trustees hold overall accountability for the performance, compliance, and strategic direction of the Trust;
• Trustees receive regular updates via Governor Advocate reports.

Governor Advocates
• Each of the 8 schools has (a minimum of) two Governor Advocates:
o One Parent Governor;
o One Co-opted (Community) Governor.
• These Governors act as the local link between the school and the Trust.

Governor Advocate Meetings
• Held half-termly at each school;
• Attended by:
o The Headteacher;
o A member of the Senior Leadership Team (e.g., DSL);
o The two linked Governors.
• Meetings follow a Trust-set agenda focused on:
o Safeguarding;
o Half termly focuses;
o Celebrations & community engagement;
o Any other strategic priorities;
o Report completion / What is going well? It could be better if?

Reporting & Feedback Loop
• After each meeting, the Governors complete a standardised report;
• This report is shared with a designated member of the Core Trust Team (referred to as their QA – Quality Assurer), and Trustees;
• The QA reviews the report and feeds back any concerns or observations to the Trust Board or relevant Trust leaders.

Benefits of the Model
• Ensures local insight is captured and escalated appropriately;
• Strengthens accountability and community representation;
• Promotes consistent oversight across all schools while maintaining individual school identity.