Meet the Members and Trustees
Scheme of Delegation
The responsibilities of the Trustees and its governing body are set out in the Trust’s Scheme of Delegation and Financial Scheme of Delegation. The schemes make clear which functions are retained at Board level and which are delegated, providing clarity on the role and remit of each part of the structure, as well as the relationship and reporting arrangements between them. Through these schemes the Trustees have defined where all key governance functions are exercised.
Lighthouse Multi Academy Trust Members
The Members of the Lighthouse Multi Academy Trust are the guardians of the governance of the Trust. They have a limited but distinct role and are essential to the integrity of the governance structure. They are the last line of defense from failures of governance and failure to uphold the Trust’s charitable purpose. Whilst it is the Trustees who are responsible for the core governance functions and conducting the business of the Trust, members have certain key powers afforded to them:
- Holding the board accountable: ensuring the Trust’s charitable objectives are being met
- Approving and signing the Memorandum and Articles of Association
- Determining the name of the Trust
- Oversight and information: They must stay informed of the trust's performance by receiving reports and audited accounts from the board of trustees.
- Appointing and removing trustees
- Appointing and removing the external auditors
- Dissolving the Trust
The members are:
- Andrew Damon
- Paul Cain
- Pat Hunt
- Robert Trawford
- Wendy Siverns
Lighthouse Multi Academy Trust trustees
Subject to the provisions of the Companies Act 2006, the Trust’s Articles of Association and to any directions given by the Members by special resolution, the business of the Trust is managed by the Trustees who exercise all the powers of the academy trust. The Trustees are responsible for the overall strategic direction of the Trust, as well as holding executive leaders to account for delivering agreed priorities and ensuring the financial probity of the Trust. There are key matters that are reserved for the Trustees:
- Responsibility for the Trust’s strategy, objectives and values
- Ensure compliance with charity and company law
- Approval of new schools joining the Trust
- Approval of Trust plans, targets, budgets and capital expenditure
- Determine, alongside the Trust Central Team, the strategic priorities of the MAT
- Review and challenge progress of the trust against its agreed objectives and key performance indicators (KPIs)
- Oversight of long-term financial planning, maintenance, risk mitigation, internal controls and compliance with regulations
- Determine the funding model across the Trust and set the budgets for individual Academies
- Approval of material acquisitions or disposal of land or buildings
- Approval of significant changes in accounting policies or practices
- Determine and review Trust-wide policies
- Approval of annual accounts
- Approval of the Scheme of Delegation and Financial Scheme of Delegation
- The appointment of the Chair and Vice Chair of the Board and approval of the Board’s committee structure and composition, including the appointment of Committee Chairs.
- Appointment of CEO, CFO and academy headteachers
- Ensuring effective safeguarding policies and procedures are in place
- Appoint staff at Senior Leadership Level
The Board of Trustees is responsible for all the Academies in the Trust. It exercises its role by delegating some functions to the Local Governing Body (LGB) of each academy through an agreed Scheme of Delegation.
Trustees are:
- Paul Drew - CEO
- Pat Hunt - Chair
- Michael Christoforou - Vice-Chair
- Natasha Bourne
- Neil Brown
- Helen Mallett
- Leigh Etheridge
- Duncan Whitehouse
- Adam Hicken
Sub groups of Trustees
In order to allow the Board of Trustees to focus on their core functions, some other powers and functions are delegated to committees, the Chief Executive Officer and school Headteachers. To ensure oversight, all delegated actions taken and decisions made are reported back to the Board of trustees. The committees to which the Board of Directors will delegate powers and functions to, as defined in the Scheme of Delegation, are:
- Finance and Audit Committee
Pat Hunt, Paul Drew, Neil Brown, Duncan Whitehouse, and Michael Christoforou
- RAISE Committee (Education, Performance and Standards)
Paul Drew, Pat Hunt, Natasha Bourne, Helen Mallet, Michael Christoforou and Leigh Etheridge
- People and Culture Committee
- Pay Committee
Pat Hunt, Duncan Whitehouse, and Michael Christoforou
The constitution, membership and proceedings of these committees are determined by the Board of Trustees and clarified through Terms of Reference for each committee. The establishment, Terms of Reference, constitution and membership of all committees will be reviewed at least once every twelve months.
Please visit the Trust Website to view the attendance record to meetings and member/Trustee details.
https://www.lhmat.com/Governance-Structure-and-Attendance/
Local Governance Arrangements
Each established Local Governing Body (LGB) is an integral element of governance in an academy trust, extending the reach and knowledge of the Board of Directors into our academies and local communities, providing vital local information to support decision-making. Provision is made for at least one parent representatives to serve on each established Local Governing Body.
