Academy Trust Handbook 2023: Short sharp focus
Academy leaders returning from the summer break in readiness for the new academic year will want to get themselves up to speed with the latest edition of the Academy Trust Handbook, (the Handbook), effective from 1 September 2023.
The new Handbook seeks to bring greater transparency to governance by linking the Handbook’s section on roles and responsibilities to the DfE’s July 2023 publication on Commissioning High-Quality Trusts and the Trust Quality Descriptors.
Are your governance arrangements ‘fit for purpose’?
Those academy trusts looking to merge and grow their organisations will need to review, strengthen and improve their governance arrangements. Many academy trusts haven’t reviewed their existing governance arrangements for some time, perhaps in some instances since the academy trust was first established and the governance frameworks in place don’t mirror what happens in practice or are no longer ‘fit for purpose’.
This emphasis on governance ties in with another of the main changes of the Handbook which sets out that the board of trustees should have sufficient financial knowledge to hold the executive to account (para 1.25). No further detail is provided on what constitutes ‘sufficient financial knowledge’ but boards are reminded of the DfE Competency Framework for Governance.
Time to focus on governance
The attention to having an effective board means now is the time for academy trusts to focus on governance, particularly relevant for academy trusts who are minded develop and grow their organisation over the next few years.
Key contact
Lydia Michaelson-Yeates
Legal Director
lydia.michaelson-yeates@brownejacobson.com
+44 (0)121 237 3986
Related expertise
You may be interested in...
Legal Update
Charity law update: December 2024
Online Event
Handling parent complaints against staff: Panel discussion
Online Event
Pupillage open evening
Press Release
Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill: Comments from education lawyers
Legal Update
School exclusions case confirms ‘substance over form’ is key
Press Release
Browne Jacobson continues strategic expansion in Wales with new corporate partner
Legal Update
Stark increase in rates of school suspensions and exclusions
Online Event
Embracing AI to improve school governance
Legal Update
Navigating workplace sexual harassment laws during the festive season
Press Release
Comments on the latest SEND tribunal statistics
On-Demand
Managing safeguarding allegations against staff
Guide - PFI expiry
PFI expiry guidance for schools
Opinion
Revolutionising the Workforce: Impact of Get Britain Working White Paper
Legal Update
The power of storytelling (and curiosity)
Online Event
Supporting universities to meet their financial duties
Podcast - #EdInfluence
#EdInfluence podcast (series 4): In conversation with inspiring leaders
Press Release - School leaders survey
Browne Jacobson’s latest School Leaders Survey illustrates need for better SEND guidance as exclusions rise
Press Release
New hires at Browne Jacobson will support schools with data compliance amid enhanced ICO scrutiny
Opinion
Balancing employer flexibility and employee rights
Legal Update - School leaders survey
School Leaders Survey Autumn 2024: The results are in
Legal Update - Be Connected (schools)
Be Connected: Schools and academy trusts November 2024
On-Demand
Shaping a culture of respect and safety: Preventing sexual harassment in our schools
Legal Update
Funding withdrawn for trusts and academy conversions
Legal Update
Top five takeaways for schools on the Employment Rights Bill
Legal Update
Martyn's Law: A closer look at the UK's new proposed anti-terror measures
Legal Update
New High Court case on exclusion reconsiderations
Legal Update
Building an inclusive workplace: Strategies for attracting and retaining disabled talent
Legal Update
New practical guidance on challenging Ofsted inspections
Legal Update
What will the new RISE Scheme mean for schools and academy trusts?
On-Demand
How schools can grapple with new employment law to thrive in a new era
Legal Update
Five steps to turn the tide on Subject Access Requests
Guide
New guidance for intervention in schools
Legal Update
Silence persists on gender questioning guidance for schools
Online Event
EdCon 2025
Press Release
Browne Jacobson comments on the government's announcement of tuition fee rises
Legal Update - Be Connected (higher education)
Be Connected: Higher education Autumn 2024
Legal Update
Supreme Court clarifies public authority liability: Police duty of care in negligence cases
Legal Update - Employment Rights Bill
Labour’s employment law reforms: Employment Rights Bill unveiled
Legal Update
Expanding the role of school attendance mentors
