SPA Education Trust - Trustee/Non-executive Director (HR and/or education)

SPA Education Trust is currently seeking two trustees to join the board. Ideal candidates will have strategic senior leadership experience in either HR or Education/Multi Academy Trust Governance. An understanding of SEND/Safeguarding would be an advantage but is not essential, and the trust welcomes applications from candidates from traditionally underrepresented groups. 

The educationalist will be asked to join the Education Standards Committee and should have a sound understanding of performance data. Due to the nature of the pupils that SPA supports, all pupils are below age-related expectations and follow a modified curriculum. Consequently, it is inappropriate to compare these schools in terms of academic performance to mainstream schools. 

The HR candidate could come from a range of professional backgrounds, such as talent development, performance management, recruitment and retention, or change management. An understanding of employment law would be an advantage but is not essential. 

Meetings

The trust board meets six times a year, with the focus of each meeting alternating through the year to cover all key strategic topics. Meetings tend to take place towards the end of each half term. Occasionally, there may be a need for two meetings in one half term (in this case, there would be no meeting in the next half term). The board reviews its meeting schedule to ensure suitable spacing. The six board meetings are generally held on Mondays from 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm, subject to review and adjustment for newly joining trustees. The ability to join meetings remotely is available, although it is expected that trust board meetings and operational meetings will be held in person at one of the schools. 

Trustees are also asked to attend monthly finance update sessions, which are held around midday online via Microsoft Teams. These brief lunchtime meetings give trustees the opportunity to review cash flow and financial demands with the executive headteacher and finance director and provide challenge, support, and updates. Trustees are expected to attend the majority of these finance sessions. The trust also holds its Annual General Meeting once a year, which trustees are welcome but not required to attend. 

New trustees will be paired with an existing trustee to provide mentorship and support (this will be adjusted to suit the requirements of the candidate). You will also receive a school-based induction from the executive head, heads of schools, and senior leaders, as well as support from associations including Governors for Schools, CST, NGA, and the local authority. All new trustees will also be given access to Governors for Schools’ ‘The First 100 Days as a Trustee’ eLearning module. 

About SPA Education Trust 

SPA Education Trust is a unique two-school Multi-Academy Trust that grew out of Spa School Bermondsey, which caters for the 11-19 age range. The trust enjoys strong and effective relationships with the local authority (Southwark), which requested the school convert to academy status and bid for a brand-new free school to provide additional SEND provision in the area. The trust opened Spa School Camberwell in 2020, providing a primary provision. The schools are less than two miles apart, each with just over 100 pupils and around 60 staff. Around one-third of the pupils have English as an Additional Language, and almost one-third of pupils in the secondary school (Bermondsey) are deemed to be from disadvantaged backgrounds, while two-thirds in the primary school (Camberwell) are in this category. 

All pupils have autism and a broad spectrum of special needs, with most having moderate or severe needs. All pupils follow a specialised curriculum that provides a range of skills, often to help them gain life skills and independence. Both schools have been inspected by Ofsted in the last two years and were judged to be ‘Good’ in all areas except for ‘behaviour and attitudes,’ which were judged to be ‘Outstanding’. When pupils leave the secondary school, while some are able to seek employment, around half of the pupils require continued support for the remainder of their lives. 

SPA has an ambition to grow further, either by working with another trust, expanding the current schools, or adding more schools to the trust. There are no firm arrangements in place at the moment, but this could be a key part of the next phase of the trust, and new trustees would play a key role in this strategic expansion. SPA Education Trust has worked closely with the local authority to ensure they provide the necessary additional funding to meet children’s needs. The board and executive team have worked hard to ensure a suitable surplus and are working to a balanced budget with appropriate contingency funds. The team has effectively managed a period of challenge and, while they will need to continue closely monitoring the budget situation, they are proud to have established a firm financial base for the trust to continue operating. 

SPA Education Trust is keen to refresh its strategy for the future, and you will play a key role in helping to devise this by challenging the executive team and reviewing plans. The schools serve children with very special needs, and having trustees to hold senior leaders to account is key to ensuring the highest quality provision. As the trust grows, having business leaders with expertise in growing and developing businesses is essential. This is a chance to make a real difference to the lives of children who experience multiple disadvantages while supporting leaders. 

The board is keen to increase its capacity. The current chair has been in post for four years, and the trust is keen to follow good governance practice and start the process of succession planning. Consequently, there may be an opportunity for someone aspiring to be chair to work alongside the current chair and board members as part of a succession plan. Candidates not seeking a chair role should not be discouraged from applying for a trustee role. Priorities for the trust going forward include organic growth at existing sites, new provisions and/or acquisitions, sustainable governance, developing central services, maintaining quality of education, ICT strategy, and identifying funding sources and revenue streams.