Details of the Focus-Trust Board

Transcription

1 Details of the Focus-Trust Board Legal and administrative details Company name: Focus Academy Trust (UK) Ltd Company number: Charitable status: Exempt charity Registered office: Talking Point Conference Centre Huddersfield Road Scouthead OL4 4AG The Focus Academy Trust (UK) Ltd is known as The Focus-Trust. Purpose The Company's object ( the Object ) is specifically restricted to the following: a) to advance for the public benefit education in the United Kingdom, in particular but without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing by establishing, maintaining, carrying on, managing and developing schools ( the Academies ) offering a broad and balanced curriculum; b) promoting for the public benefit the provision of facilities for recreation or other leisure time occupation in the interests of social welfare and with the object of improving the condition of life for all; c) such other charitable activities which the Directors may agree from time to time. Articles of association The articles of association outline the relationship between the Trust Board and academies within the Trust; effectively outlining the rules for the running of the Trust. Commitment The Trust is committed to: Learning together making the difference with an underpinning belief that every child deserves the opportunity to have a life that is free from fear and danger, where they can give and receive respect and enjoy a sense of wellbeing, belonging, worth and achievement. Academies The Focus-Trust works with both converter and sponsored academies. Trust Board The work of the Trust is overseen by the Trust Board. The Board and the committees of the Board work closely with the Trust CEO. Communication The Chair of the Trust Board can be contacted in writing at the above address. Safeguarding All members of the Trust Board have enhanced CRB disclosure.

2 Structure of Trust Board Focus Academy Trust (UK) Ltd. Trust Board Education Committee Operations Committee Principals Forum Governors Forum The Trust Board routinely considers the following standing items: Trust academy membership Spotlight on schools Pupil progress Quality of teaching issues Inclusion and SEN Admission issues Safeguarding issues Trust personnel issues Trust finance issues The Trust Board publishes: An annual report An annual corporate plan

3 s (Listed alphabetically after the Chair) Clive Davies OBE Chair of Trust Board and Founding board member Clive is one of the founding Directors of Focus Education UK Ltd. Prior to establishing Focus, Clive worked as a headteacher, Ofsted Registered Inspector (RGI) and LA Adviser. Clive draws on a wealth of experience working with schools nationally and internationally. Clive undertakes a mixture of work including key note speaker at large scale events; national conferences; training; and in-school consultancy. Much of Clive s work involves supporting schools to analyse their current position and supporting leaders to construct purposeful and fit-for-purpose self-evaluation systems which impact on pupil outcomes. Over recent years, Clive has been focusing particularly on the development of an approach to leading and delivering the curriculum which ensures a high degree of engagement for children. The Learning Challenge Curriculum is being used in over 500 schools in England. Clive works in all areas of school improvement and works from early years through the secondary phase. Linda Davies Founding board member Linda is one of the founding Directors of Focus Education UK Ltd. Prior to establishing Focus, Linda set up and ran the Inspection Unit for St Martin s College at Lancaster University. Linda takes day to day responsibility for the management of the company including all financial and taxation requirements. She also leads the consultancy strand of the company. Claire Duggan As Operations Director for Focus Education, Claire is responsible for marketing, publishing, sales and distribution operations. She joined the company in 2000 following some time at Findel Education. Her role involves ensuring that Focus goals for continuous improvement, profitability, efficiency and sales growth will be met. Additionally, she is actively involved in the publishing of new material alongside implementing quality training and conference programmes. Claire works closely with the publishing, despatch, events and sales teams to ensure Focus customers receive a high standard of service and support.

4 Jonathan Felce Jonathan is a Relationship Director at Barclays Corporate Bank responsible for the bank s Education and Public Sector accounts in the region. With over 5 years experience in the sector Jonathan has worked with Schools/ Colleges/ Academy Trusts/ Local Authorities providing all aspects of their banking requirements. This involves everything from providing finance for large capital projects to using new technology to help them streamline their processes. Jonathan also works with schools, Colleges and other institutions delivering Barclays MoneySkills and LifeSkills courses as well as our other social value adding projects. Before moving into Corporate Banking Jonathan graduated with a degree in Psychology and Economics and worked as a Trainee Forensic Psychologist for the prison service Katie Greaves Before converting to the law, Katie graduated with a BA (Hons) business degree and then worked for 6 years in a variety of commercial roles. Subsequently she re-trained to become a Solicitor; from 2008 to Katie studied at The College of Law in York and passed the Graduate Diploma in Law and the Legal Practice Course with Commendation. Katie trained as a Solicitor in private practice and went on to qualify as a Solicitor in January 2013, during which she obtained extensive experience in all aspects of Family and Child Care law with a particular emphasis on child protection. Katie acted on behalf of parents and other family members in public law proceedings, which has given her invaluable insight and has enabled her to experience child protection work from more than one perspective. Katie joined a local authority legal department in August 2015 and since then has specialised in advising and representing Children's Social Services on child protection issues. She is a member of the Association of Lawyers for Children, an organisation committed to ensuring children s voices are heard in proceedings concerning them. Sarah Mynes Sarah is a solicitor with over 20 years experience. After leaving university she started her career in private practice eventually being made a partner when she was 32 years old. In 2007 she decided it was time for a change so left the world of private practice and joined a local authority legal department where she specialises in complex child protection matters. In 2013 Sarah was made Senior Solicitor. Sarah s work means that she brings to the Trust a comprehensive knowledge of safeguarding issues including the benefits of multi agency working to protect the needs of children. Sarah has 2 daughters who are aged 8 and 5.

5 Helen Rowland Chief Executive Helen is the Chief Executive of the Focus-Trust. She joined the Focus-Trust from the headship of a school judged outstanding in all aspects and worked as the Trust s Academy Improvement Officer for two years. A former headteacher with over 12 years experience, Helen has experience of the full diversity of schools: English as an additional language, challenging social contexts, village and faith schools. Helen now works in partnership with academy leaders, governors and academy teams on developing & improving teaching and leadership for positive impact on pupil outcomes. Helen has led schools in moving from good to outstanding teaching and learning, preparing for Ofsted, implementing the Learning Challenge Curriculum, the new National Curriculum and Assessing without levels and worked with governing bodies to undertake Head Teacher appraisals. Helen is a qualified inspector, holds the Professional Qualification of School Inspectors (PQSI) and has recently undertaken Ofsted inspections. Dan Spencer Dan is a Facilities Manager for Amey, a public services company. He became a school governor 6 years ago when his youngest son started school. In this school, it quickly became apparent that the school was not performing well. The leadership and management of the school were poor and OFSTED judged the governing body to be inadequate. This culminated in the Head and Chair leaving and I took on the role of Chair, quite early in my career as a governor. The school is now massively improved and on a consistently rapid upward trajectory. A range of improved governing body processes and practices have implemented have been successfully adopted by other local schools. Dan now engages in governance work beyond his children s school; this has involved speaking at Clerking Seminars and working with the local authority on a number of focus groups, including topics such as Communication, Complaints Against Governors and Head Teacher Wellbeing. He also served as Secretary to the LA Governors Association. Earlier this year Dan was asked by the local authority to Chair the governing body of another school which is going through considerable difficulties and he is now steering that school through the challenging process of merging with a neighbouring school. In 2012, Dan s commitment was recognised by the local authority via the award of Outstanding Chair of the Year. September 2015