Why did you get involved as a trustee?
Academy Ambassadors came to speak to the MIN (Multicultural and Inclusion Network) at Vodafone about why it was important for individuals in corporate settings to get involved with education. This conversation tugged at my heart strings as I knew there was more I could be doing. I asked myself, Adanna – what have you got in your hands and how could you contribute?
Why did you become a trustee?
Education wasn’t an area I had any previous involvement with. I thought it would be quite fascinating area to get stuck in with and the setup of Academy Ambassadors was interesting. I had a chat with a Regional Advisor from the Programme, and they matched me with an academy trust that fit what I was looking for. I wanted to become a trustee to widen my portfolio. Alongside other roles I have, it’s helped me to understand things like environmental, social and corporate governance better; school curriculums; and delegation of duties.
What is the purpose of an academy trust board?
A trust board primarily has a statutory purpose, as it is a requirement for an academy trust to have an independent body charged with the oversight of the trust’s governance, finance and operations. The duties are very similar to that of a board of directors and many trustees will also have been directors of private companies so will be familiar with the kind of responsibility that it entails.
"I welcome the Chancellor's announcement today to invest in new special school places.
"Special and alternative provision free schools provide some of the highest quality and most innovative opportunities for families across the country. Demand has been outstripping supply for a number of years, and there are countless children whose needs are going unmet. The funding announced today is a welcome step in the right direction.
The collection features free schools of all types and phase from across the country, and provides a candid insight into the process of establishing and running a free school. Interviews feature the founders and/or leaders of:
Emma Gregory, Head of the New School Network's Academy Ambassadors Programme, responds to a new report by Forum Strategy, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion amongst Academy Trust CEOs:
"Diversity and inclusion at trust board level has a transformative impact for pupils and staff alike. This welcome research shows the important consequences of absent diversity on the aspirations of future trust leaders.
The Trustees are grateful for Unity’s work over the past seven years at NSN and wish her all the very best in her future endeavours.
Unity Howard, outgoing Director at NSN, said:
“When I joined NSN as an Intern seven years ago, I never imagined I would one day be leading the team. NSN is such a fantastic organisation and I feel incredibly proud of the work we have done together. I want to thank all the amazing school and trust staff NSN has worked with, and of course the brilliant team I have had the honour of leading.
The report, Lost Learning: Why we need to level up education, found families in some areas have little chance of securing access to a Good or Outstanding school – such as in South Derbyshire, where every secondary school is underperforming, and Knowsley and Boston, where 80% of secondary pupils attend schools rated Inadequate or Requires Improvement. This compares to other parts of the country, particularly in London, where a