Governance
Governance arrangements
Burntwood became a grant-maintained school in January 1992 and a Foundation school in September 1999. In May 2013, Burntwood converted to an Academy and subsequently adopted the Multi Academy Trust (MAT) Articles of Association in August 2017, establishing ‘Burntwood Trust.’
Burntwood Trust is a UK (England) registered company (company number: 08550180), with its registered company address at Burntwood School, Burntwood Lane, London, SW17 0AQ. The Directors of Burntwood Trust also serve as the Trustees. Relevant statutory documents of the Trust can be found below.
As an Academy, Burntwood is independent of the local authority. Funding comes directly from the Government, allowing the Trustees the autonomy to make key decisions regarding staff employment, premises management, curriculum design, and the school's overall activities. While the Trust serves as the Admissions Authority for the school, it adheres to the statutory framework for admissions, operating within the Pan London arrangements for secondary school admissions.
At all levels, Burntwood Trust governance provides robust support and challenge to the leadership team, ensuring accountability for the organisation's educational performance and efficient financial management. Specifically, Trust governance is responsible for:
- Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos, and strategic direction;
- Holding executive leaders to account for the educational outcomes of the school and the performance management of staff;
- Overseeing the financial performance of the organisation to ensure value for money.
The Trust's governance structure consists of three primary layers: the Members, the Trust Board and the Local Governing Body, all of which operate within the framework set out in the Scheme of Delegation. The Members act as guardians of the constitution, holding the Trust Board accountable for upholding the Trust’s values, vision, and charitable objectives. The Trust Board, which serves as the central decision-making body, is responsible for the strategic leadership of the Trust and its schools. The Trust Board delegates certain aspects of governance to subcommittees that focus on specific areas such as Finance, Audit, Risk, Standards and Performance, in addition to the Local Governing Body, who provide oversight and support to the academy within the Trust. For further information on the responsibilities and delegation of each layer of governance, please refer to the Scheme of Delegation.
The Board of Trustees and Local Governing Body regularly undertakes a thorough assessment of its own governance practices. This includes reviewing the board’s composition in terms of the skills and expertise available, the overall effectiveness of governance, leadership, and the impact of decision-making on the school’s strategic objectives. The Board and Local Governing Body ensures that its members possess a broad range of skills across education, finance, governance, and strategic leadership, which supports the Trust’s mission. Periodic self-evaluations and external reviews provide opportunities for continuous improvement and adaptation to meet evolving educational and operational needs.
The Board of Trustees operates under the terms laid out in the Articles of Association and maintains overall responsibility for the strategic direction and educational performance of Burntwood Trust. The Trustees are directors of the Trust, which is a company limited by guarantee with no share capital and is also an exempt charity.
Governance Structure
Members
The Members of the Trust oversee the Board of Trustees, holding the Trustees to account and ensuring that the values and ethos of the Trust are upheld. The Members meet at least once a year.
Board of Trustees
The Trustees are responsible for the actions of the Trust and are accountable to the Members, the Secretary of State for Education and the wider community for the quality of education and the expenditure of public money. Trustees meet at least 6 times a year as a board of Trustees.
Finance, Audit and Risk Committee
The Trustees delegate financial scrutiny and oversight of the Trust’s finances to this committee, who are responsible for ensuring there is sound internal control, risk management and assurance processes. They are made up of 6 Trustees and meet at least 3 times a year.
Standards and Performance Committee
The Trustees delegate the responsibility to ensure there is consistency in the delivery of a broad and balanced curriculum to this committee, in line with the Trust’s overarching strategic plan. The committee support with curriculum priority decision making and ensure that funding and resources are targeted to need. They are made up of 6 Trustees and meet at least 3 times a year.
Local Governing Body
The Trustees delegate aspects of governance and the day to day oversight of school leadership to the Local Governing Body, who are mostly made up of individuals drawn from the school’s community. The Local Governing Body are accountable to the Trustees and meet at least 3 times a year.
Scheme of Delegation
The Scheme of Delegation sets out where responsibilities and accountabilities sit within the Burntwood Trust Governance structure. It provides clarity as to the roles of those involved in the governance of the Academy and how decisions are made.
Meetings
Trustees and Governors meet at regular intervals each academic year. As well as attending their formal governance meetings, they are also invited to attend functions and events at the school.
Governance Meeting Attendance Record
Register of Pecuniary Interests
To ensure Trust transparency and openness, a register of the relevant business and pecuniary interests of members, trustees, local governors and the accounting officer is kept.
Register of Pecuniary Interests