Local Governing Bodies (LGBs)

Even though the Board of Trustees is ultimately accountable in law for all decisions about its MAT schools, this does not mean that our Board is able to or needs to unilaterally and directly govern all individual schools; rather responsibility and decision-making powers need to be and should be delegated to our LGBs.

Our preferred approach to the governance of individual schools is that LGBs should have significant decision-making powers delegated to it from the Trust Board in a full range of key areas, so that governors are empowered to actually govern their school and not just advise the Trust Board.

Our Trust believes that LGBs are able to scrutinise key areas of a school’s and performance and financial probity in greater depth and with a more detailed understanding of the school’s context than the Trust Board. Indeed, LGBs have a critical ‘eyes and ears’ role that both the Trust and LGBs themselves take seriously in order to discharge the governance responsibilities of ensuring that voices are heard and account is rendered effectively in all MAT schools so that improvement is driven at local level.

However, although empowerment through a high level of delegated decision-making is our preferred approach, we recognise that, as the MAT grows and develops, there may be LGBs which are at different points of the ‘delegation spectrum’ depending on their relative effectiveness. Therefore, following formal reviews of governance activity, or whenever circumstances dictate, the Trust Board has the right to amend the Scheme of Delegation, if necessary and justified, to support individual schools.

Indeed, being as LGBs are, strictly speaking, Trust Committees, it is the Trust Board which determines what exactly will be delegated. It is crucial, therefore that the roles and responsibilities are clearly defined via the Scheme of Delegation, so that local governors are empowered to fulfil their role with real clarity and confidence. Naturally, it is also crucial that LGBs are informed and consulted about any potential changes.

You can learn more about our academies Local Governing Bodies via their respective websites: