LEO Academy Trust is proud to serve over 3800 pupils from across the London Borough of Sutton and Surrey. The Trust was formed in 2015, from a singular academy trust and grew with converter academies joining. Since then, it has developed a self-improving network of great learning communities formed from seven primary schools, supported by a range of hubs of excellence, providing endless opportunities for its pupils, staff and the local communities it is part of. With over 500 staff, its schools are empowered to support each other to improve both outcomes for its pupils, and to drive performance across the wider school system.

LEO Academy Trust is proud that all of its schools are members of the Challenge Partners Network of Excellence. Learning, Excellence, and Opportunity are at the heart of the Trust, embedded through its shared mission, values and aims. It is a high-performing MAT both financially and educationally, and has won DfE contracts for EdTech and more recently Behaviour Hubs both at the MAT and at the lead School level. The Trust has a good working relationship with Surrey for school improvement. It was invited to support a school last year and, with great successes, the school joined the Trust and the Trust has recently begun supporting another Surrey school.

LEO Academy Trust has ambitious aims to continue its growth and development in its next stage by increasing its network of eight schools to 12, or possibly 16. The Trust's main focus is to take on strong converter academies, but is about to take on its third failing school to support and revitalise. The schools that form the Trust are very diverse in terms of pupils with a large representation of ethnic minorities; 38% of its pupils are EAL students.

LEO Academy Trust is looking for a number of new Trustees to provide strategic leadership in conjunction with the Executive Team.

The key duties of Trustee board members are to:

• Ensure that the Trust complies with its governing document (its Memorandum and Articles of Association), charity law, company law and any other relevant legislation or regulations, pursues its objects as defined in its governing document and applies its resources exclusively in pursuance of its objects
• Contribute actively to the Board of Trustees by giving firm strategic direction to the Trust, setting overall policy, defining goals, setting targets, and evaluating performance against agreed targets, working as an effective team, using the appropriate balance of skills, experience, backgrounds and knowledge to make informed decisions
• Make sure that decision-making processes are informed, rigorous and timely, and that effective delegation, control and risk-assessment, and management systems are set up and monitored
• Exercise a clear, agreed and effective approach to supporting equality, diversity and inclusion throughout the Trust and through their own practice
• Safeguard the good name and values of the Trust
• Ensure the financial stability of the Trust
• Support the Trust through exercising their skill and knowledge as a member of one or more of the Trust’s standing committees or project steering committees
• Trustees with particular skills may additionally be asked to assist the Trust through attendance at executive advisory committees

LEO Academy Trust is looking for a new Trustee to provide strategic leadership in conjunction with the Schools’ Executive Team who will advise the Board and the Executive Team on matters relating to Inclusion and Special Educational Needs and Difficulties (SEND). They will bring senior-level experience as a SEND and Inclusion Specialist, and will be well practised in the areas of safeguarding, SEND and inclusion and have gained experience working with schools, local authorities, NHS CAMHS or within educational psychology. They will look at the ongoing work at the multi-academy trust through this expert lens and support and challenge the executive in inclusion matters.

The new Trustee will be comfortable with high levels of accountability for the progress of over 3,800 children. Above all else, this person will care about young people and aspire to make them outstanding citizens, and should be sympathetic to the values of Leo Academy Trust. They will work closely with the CEO and one of the Executive Principals who has a particular focus on Inclusion.

The LEO Academy Trust Board is committed to maintaining and / or improving the diversity on its Board to accurately represent the diversity present in its schools. For more information, please see the Diversity section.

For more information on LEO Academy Trust's Board of Trustees, please see here.

LEO Academy Trust welcomes applications from everyone regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, faith or disability. As individuals from ethnic minority backgrounds are currently under-represented on the Board, applications from those individuals would be particularly encouraged. All appointments will be made on merit, following a fair and transparent process. In line with the Equality Act 2010, however, the organisation may employ positive action where diverse candidates can demonstrate their ability to perform the role equally well.

This role is pro-bono, reasonable pre-agreed travel expenses will be reimbursed. The time commitment for this role includes four Board meetings per year, plus an additional three Sub-Committee meetings if asked to join. The Trustees will be expected to commit time ahead of these meetings to prepare, which should only take a couple of hours. There is an additional annual strategy away day, and additional Trustees and Members days, where Trustees may be expected to attend events at the Trust's schools. The appointment is for a four-year term, which can be renewed at the discretion of the Board.

This organisation is based in Sutton, Worcester Park (South West London) and meetings will take place in-person but open to virtual attendance where necessary. Candidates will therefore be UK-based for this appointment.