A MAT’s board of trustees is accountable in law for all major decisions about their academies. But many decisions can and should be delegated and recorded in a ‘scheme of delegation’. What and how much the board decides to delegate can depend on a number of factors including:
The size of the MAT;
- the way in which its leadership is structured;
- geographical spread of the schools;
- the numbers of pupils in the MAT’s schools.
The National Governors Association has published four models for delegation:
- Delegation to local governing committees. The trust board delegates responsibility for the performance of the trust, including the performance of the academies within the trust, to the chief executive officer. However, some responsibilities concerning the performance of each academy are delegated to a local governing committee.
- Academy Councils. The trust board delegates responsibility for the performance of the trust, including the performance of the academies within the trust, to the chief executive officer. At school level are academy councils who understand how the school is led and managed, act as the eyes and ears of the school and its community and have a role in influencing decision making.
- Delegation to cluster governing committees. The trust board delegates responsibility for the performance of the trust, including the performance of the academies within the trust, to the chief executive officer. However, some responsibilities concerning the performance of groups of academies are delegated to cluster governing committees.
- ‘Earned autonomy’. The trust board delegates responsibility for the performance of the trust, including the performance of the academies within the trust, to the chief executive officer, and determines on a case by case basis whether to delegate some responsibilities concerning the performance of each academy to a local governing committee.