Governance

Our highly valued, engaged and committed governance community sits at the heart of our Trust Partnership.

As a multi-academy trust, Northern Star Academies Trust (NSAT) is a charitable company limited by guarantee. This means that NSAT is a single legal entity, but it has several academies within its family of schools.

Currently, NSAT has fifteen academies in its Trust Partnership. These are situated across North and West Yorkshire and serve diverse and vibrant communities. This page provides an overview of how the Trust is governed.

Layers of governance

The Trust has established three key layers of governance: 

1. Members

2. Trustees

3. Local Governors 

Members

Members are the guardians of the governance of our Trust. They need to be assured that effective governance practice is taking place. To do so, they keep in touch with the work of the Board of Trustees by meeting at least twice per year (including the Trust’s AGM). Our Members receive the Trust’s annual report and accounts, an annual governance report, and they are able to appoint and remove Trustees.

Trustees

As NSAT is a charitable company, the Board of Trustees are regarded as directors in company law, and Trustees in charity law. Reflecting the charitable objects at the core of the Trust’s work, members of NSAT’s Board are referred to as our Trustees. They meet as a minimum six times per year.

The Board of Trustees is responsible for three core strategic governance functions:

1. Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction
2. Holding the CEO and Headteachers to account for the educational performance of each school and its pupils, and for the performance management of staff
3. Overseeing the financial performance of each school and the Trust overall, and making sure that the Trust’s money is well spent