This was the last board meeting of the 2023-2024 academic year and, as usual, there was a packed agenda to work through. Our trust board meetings have had several challenges before we even started this year, ranging from road gridlock to POSH playing at home. This meeting was no exception as the heavens decided to open 30 minutes before the start, which meant at least two trustees arrived looking like proverbial drowned rats!

Before meetings, trustees have a huge amount of information to read through and then prepare their thoughts, comments, and questions – usually addressed to the CEO or the Governance and Compliance Manager. The chairs of our committees also have information to share and to be questioned about. Although this was Stuart Mansell’s final appearance as CEO prior to his retirement, he came thoroughly prepared as usual and able to answer the challenges and queries sent his way. We were fortunate that our CEO designate, Lorraine Greco, was able to attend her second board meeting before starting fully in September. The final two weeks of term have seen Lorraine working very closely with Stuart, the trust central team, and our schools as part of her handover and induction, and our board meeting was a key part of this.

Although the 9th of July was the day Key Stage 2 SATs results were published, trustees did not focus sole attention on data. The CEO report covered wide areas such as staffing updates, finance, movement of the central team office, risk management, complaints, suspensions, and exclusions. The main agenda saw trustees considering reports about the local governance committees, approving the updated Scheme of Delegation, appointing the new chair of the Audit and Risk Committee, approving the new Admissions Policy for Trust schools, and discussing trustee and member visits to the schools.

Of course, trustees were keen to have an overview of the trust performance data and there was rigorous and robust challenge and questioning. The Quality of Education committee will spend time looking closely at the broad data on 16th July. In addition, a forensic and in-depth analysis will be carried out firstly by the leadership group at the start of the Autumn term and then by the Quality of Education Committee at the start of October where full and comprehensive reviews of last year’s performance can take place. We will be reviewing very carefully how the trust level of attainment compares to 2019 and the last pre-pandemic data, since nationally this year, only reading at Key Stage 2 is in line with pre-COVID results.
 

Not only was this Stuart Mansell’s final board meeting, but David Perkins’ too. Good trustees are like gold and David is no exception. Initially a governor at Orton Wistow Primary School, David became one of the founding trustees of OWN Trust and its first vice chair. David worked tirelessly to support the creation of the trust and provided astute and determined contributions to all aspects of the trust governance. Trustees joined me in thanking David for his years of service and acknowledged how difficult he will be to replace. Fortunately, we are not losing David altogether as he has agreed to be nominated as a Member, which is subject to formal approval by our other members. Trustees also expressed their thanks to Stuart as we marked the end of the era of his leadership and quite rightly hope he goes on to enjoy a very long, happy, healthy, and well-travelled retirement.

I am always mindful that trustees and governors are volunteers. They willingly commit themselves to attending meetings, visiting our schools, talking to our headteachers, and leading sub-committees, but above all, wanting the very best outcomes for every child in our schools. At OWN Trust, we are very fortunate that our local governing committees are strong with very few vacancies and have a balance and diversity of skills and knowledge, so they demonstrate effective leadership and management. Our trustees are also professionals from diverse backgrounds with exceptional skills and understanding of the education sector that collectively add value to OWN Trust. As Trusts embrace the challenge of working in education with a new government that will bring different ideas and expectations for our schools, I'd like to offer thanks in advance of the next academic year to every governor and trustee who will commit themselves once more to being ambitious for children and passionate about improving outcomes for all.