The Pioneer Academy promotes and achieves excellence by ensuring the very best care and guidance for every child within its family of schools in South-East London and Kent. The Trust is well known for taking on failing schools and for a commitment to driving school improvement. Many of its schools operate in deprived areas and the Trust’s staff are committed to a culture of care and guidance, aiming to offer an environment which is as good internally and externally as any independent school. To this end, The Pioneer Academy has invested significantly in site refurbishments and capital projects, investing over £5m in the last five years.

The Pioneer Academy is a financially sound organisation and has developed income streams through a grounds maintenance business, supply teacher business, and recruitment business. Proceeds are all invested back into the schools.

The schools under The Pioneer Academy are Stewart Fleming Primary, Broadmead Primary, South Norwood Primary, The Crescent Primary, Edenbridge Primary, Red Hill Primary, Burnt Oak Junior, Chatsworth Infant, Belvedere Junior, Belvedere Infant, Woodcote Primary and Moulsecoomb Primary. Two more schools will be joining the Trust in the next couple of months: Halstead Community Primary and Holland Junior. It plans to expand and add a further five to ten more schools to its family.

The Trust Board is made up of members of the management team, key stakeholders and invited partners who ensure an equality of opportunity for all schools during the decision-making processes of The Pioneer Academy. A key principle that drives The Pioneer Academy is that each school will be as autonomous as the quality of education it provides dictates.

The Pioneer Academy seeks a Trustee who will join a high-calibre, engaged and passionate Board which oversees the Academy's exciting trajectory towards expansion. Trustees scrutinise educational outcomes, financial management and the quality of delivery of the people strategy, providing challenge and advice to fellow Trustees and the executive team as appropriate. They will also support the Trust's ambitious plans for growth while scrutinising its pace and ensuring that issues of risk and long-term sustainability are considered.

The HR Trustee will be responsible for reviewing policies, plans and practices relating to HR, culture and leadership of the Academy. They will support and challenge the executive as it seeks to build a robust HR function and bring a strategic mindset to the Trust as it seeks to grow.

The Finance Trustee will be responsible for reviewing policies, plans and practices relating to the finance, culture and leadership of the academy. They will recommend to the Trustee Board what aspects of the finance activities should be in strategic or operational plans and then oversee the monitoring, implementation and reporting of any such activities. This Trustee will also be expected to Chair the Finance Committee.

Trustee (Human Resources)

The Pioneer Academy seeks a new Trustee who is aligned with its mission and is passionate about improving the lives of children by means of education and opportunities. The Academy is looking for a Trustee with a background in human resources to complement the skills and experience of the existing Board. This person will advise on various strategic HR and people-related issues as the academy continues to expand.

The successful candidate will have a strategic understanding of human resources and add value by providing strategic oversight as The Pioneer Academy grows by five to ten more schools and doubles in staff over the next five years.

This Trustee will bring commercial acumen and have a deep understanding of human resources strategies of large and complex organisations. Further, candidates should also have an understanding of U.K. employment law as well as a sense of current market trends in terms of people and employment practices.

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Trustee (Finance)

The Trust Board is made up of members of the management team, key stakeholders and invited partners who ensure an equality of opportunity for all schools during the decision-making processes of The Pioneer Academy. A key principle that drives The Pioneer Academy is that each school will be as autonomous as the quality of education it provides dictates.

The Pioneer Academy seeks a Trustee who will join a high-calibre, engaged and passionate Board which oversees the Academy's exciting trajectory towards expansion. Trustees scrutinise educational outcomes, financial management and the quality of delivery of the people strategy, providing challenge and advice to fellow Trustees and the executive team as appropriate. They will also support the Trust's ambitious plans for growth while scrutinising its pace and ensuring that issues of risk and long-term sustainability are considered.

The Trustee will be responsible for reviewing policies, plans and practices relating to the finance, culture and leadership of the academy. They will recommend to the Trustee Board what aspects of the finance activities should be in strategic or operational plans and then oversee the monitoring, implementation and reporting of any such activities.

This Trustee will also be expected to Chair the Finance Committee.

There are four Board and four Committee meetings per year in addition to four training sessions per year and occasional visits to schools. The visits to schools will be tentatively three times per year but it is not mandatory to go to all of them. In addition, Trustees are required to prepare for meetings and provide remote support to the executive on occasion. It is a four-year term with the possibility to renew. Meetings will be a blend of in-person and face-to-face. This role is unremunerated, but reasonable, pre-agreed travel expenses will be reimbursed.