Our Lady of Grace Catholic Academy Trust is a multi-academy trust founded in 2015 to operate and maintain a group of Catholic schools in the Diocese of Brentwood, with the purpose of developing the whole child and ensuring Gospel Values drive childhood aspiration in serving their communities throughout their lives. The Trust's aim is to ensure the long term sustainability of Catholic Education within Newham, East London, and currently provides education for over 2,000 children aged 2-11 years old.

The Trust currently comprises six primary schools, with plans to add further schools over the coming years. The schools work collaboratively to offer an excellent high quality education for local children, whilst celebrating Catholic Life through a variety of shared experiences, including whole school and class masses, collective worship, following the liturgical calendar, promoting acts of mercy and service, providing an experience of pilgrimage, and supporting a range of charities. The Trust's schools use the Come and See scheme of work, a Catholic Primary Religious Education programme for Foundation and Key stages 1 and 2.

Schools within Our Lady of Grace Catholic Academy Trust are “places where mercy is freely given; where everyone is welcome, loved, forgiven and encouraged to live the good life of the Gospel" (Evangelii Gaudium – Pope Francis).

The Trust Board is made up of Foundation Trustees appointed by the Bishop of Brentwood. Its key responsibilities are to develop the vision and values of the Trust, provide strategic leadership, hold leadership to account and to ensure the financial viability of the Trust and each of its schools. The Trust Board is the accountable committee, answerable in part to the Secretary of State for Education, the Bishop, and the  wider community for the quality of the education received by all pupils of the Academies and the expenditure of public money. Trustees of a multi-academy trust fulfil the role of both Directors under company law and Trustees under charity law.

The Trustees have overall responsibility and ultimate decision-making authority for the work of the Trust, including the running of the Academies and the growth and development of the Trust. They have the power to direct change where required. The Trust Board delegates some governance decision-making and the day-to-day oversight of school leadership to the Local Governing Body of each school within the Trust, whilst continuing to have the necessary strategic and legal oversight of the Trust and monitoring all activities. They determine the strategic direction of the Trust, assessing the performance of the Academies and establishing and reviewing the policies and practices governing the life of the Academies. They are supported at all times with this and work with both the Headteachers and the Local Governing Body of each Academy as appropriate.  

The Members of the Trust consist of the Bishop of Brentwood, the Brentwood Roman Catholic Diocesan Trust and the Episcopal Vicar for Schools and Colleges. Both the Trust and the Academies must comply with any advice or directive issued by or on behalf of the Diocesan Bishop.

As Our Lady of Grace Catholic Academy Trust looks to further grow and develop, it seeks to appoint two new Trustees to the Trust Board. It is anticipated that one Trustee will bring knowledge and experience of secondary education, to support and advise the Board as the Trust looks to acquire more schools in accordance with the wishes of the Diocese. The second Trustee will bring a marketing background, as the Trust looks to increase admission rates at its current and future schools, and to promote the excellent work the Trust schools do in educating local children.

Additionally, the new Trustees will care about young people and aspire to make them outstanding citizens, will be practising Catholics, and will understand the ethos of the Trust.

Michael Coleman, Chair
Dr Claude Warnick, Vice Chair
John Anthony
Keith Fernett
Raphaella Gabrasadig
Dr Evelyn Okpanachi
Steve Webb

This role is unremunerated, and reasonable, pre-agreed domestic travel expenses will be reimbursed. There are four Board meetings annually which take approximately half a day each. The Trustees will also be expected to sit on a committee, which hold an additional four meetings per year. In addition, Trustees will be expected to visit the school they're linked to and attend a Governors' meeting once a year, as well as being involved in Headteacher performance management. Board and Committee meetings are a mixture of in-person and virtually. The appointment is for a four-year term, which can be renewed at the discretion of the Board.