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ACE Governance

The Academies for Character and Excellence was formed in June 2016 as a private company limited by guarantee. The Academies for Character and Excellence has three levels of governance, to hold the CEO to account, and to ensure that the Trust operates as a charity and as a limited company should do in line with its Articles and Funding Agreement.

Members

The Members meet formally at least once a year at the AGM and also attend various Trust events that are held at our ACE schools during each academic year.  Members are similar to a company's shareholders - they sit above the board of directors and their key functions include:

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  • Overseeing the achievement of the Trust’s charitable objectives;

  • Taking part in Annual and Extraordinary meetings;

  • Appointing directors and holding them to account;

  • Signing off the company’s financial accounts and annual report; and

  • Having the power to amend the articles of association of the company and ensuring that they reflect the needs of the Academy Trust.

Board

The Trust Board meets at least five times a year and forms the board of directors overseeing the day-to-day running of the Trust. It approves policies and procedures, and holds the CEO to account for performance and outcomes across our ACE schools.

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It is assisted in this work by the Finance and Audit Committee who checks that the Trust complies with all relevant legal obligations and regulations, both financially and operationally and in line with its Funding Agreement. The Finance and Audit Committee also recommends an annual budget and monitors this during each academic year.

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The Board of Directors has legal responsibility for the running of the Trust.  The main responsibilities are to:

  • Ensure the quality of educational provision;

  • Monitor the performance of ACE Schools and challenge where necessary;

  • Effectively manage the ACE finances;

  • Take care of ACE property interests;

  • Ensure that staff are managed appropriately;

  • Operate The Academies for Character and Excellence in accordance with the Funding Agreement; and

  • Ensure the Trust is operating in line with its vision, values and mission.

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Local Committees

Local Committees are a sub-committee of the Trust Board and have specific duties delegated to them by the directors.  Local committees meet five times a year and examine the performance of each school in detail, holding the Headteacher to account. The Trust Scheme of Delegation is found on our documents page. Each governor also holds a portfolio and part of their role is to monitor the progress and impact of their portfolio. 

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There are eight elements to effective governance:

  1. The right people around the table;

  2. Understanding the role and responsibilities;

  3. Good chairing;

  4. Professional clerking;

  5. Good relationships based on trust;

  6. Knowing the school – its data, staff, parents, children and community;

  7. Commitment to asking challenging questions; and

  8. Confidence to have courageous conversations in the interests of the pupils.

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