Governance

The Dixons Academies Trust has three levels of governance, to hold the CEO and Principals to account, and to ensure that the Trust operates as a charity and a limited company should do.

The Members meet twice a year. They set the overall purpose, ethos, and strategic direction of the Trust, and have the power to make key appointments to ensure that these are upheld. No expansion of the Trust can happen without their approval.

The Trust Board meets four times a year and forms the board of directors of the charity, 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 Academies. It is assisted in this work by two committees. The Audit Committee checks that the Trust complies with all relevant legal obligations and regulations, both financially and operationally. The Finance Committee recommends an annual budget to the Governing Council, and reports on how well this is being met during the course of the year.

Local Governing Bodies meet four times a year and examine the performance of each Academy in detail, holding the Principals to account and making recommendations to the Governing Council as appropriate. Several of our Local Governing Bodies oversee two Academies in similar circumstances, for example as turnaround primaries, start-up primaries or start-up secondaries: we believe that the opportunity to compare the performance of two similar schools makes for more informed and perceptive governance. The Trust Scheme of Delegation and Register of Interests are available in our Document library.