Governance at Esteem
Effective governance is an essential success factor for the Esteem MAT. Like other educational trusts we operate as a charitable company limited by guarantee. We have a strong governance structure in place made up of our members, trustees (known also as Directors , Board of Trustees, Board), and local governing boards which operate as committees of our Trust Board. These are all unpaid volunteers with strategic leadership responsibilities. In trusts, the purpose of governance is to provide:
- strategic leadership
- accountability and assurance
- strategic engagement
The Esteem MAT Board of Trustees
Our Board , which is the accountable body, has collective accountability and strategic responsibility for the trust. It has a focus on ensuring the trust delivers an excellent education to pupils while maintaining effective financial management and must ensure compliance with:
- the trust’s charitable objects
- regulatory, contractual and statutory requirements
- their funding agreement
The rules and guidance that they must work to in relation to governance are set out in our Articles of Association and our Funding Agreement. The Board delegates some functions and decision making to operational leads and committees. This is set out in our Scheme of Delegation.
The Department for Education also provides non-statutory guidance on the strategic leadership and governance of academy trusts and the guidance that we must have regard to is detailed, along with our other key documents.
Governance at The Aspire Academy
The Aspire Academy governance arrangements currently reside at Trust level. This means that governance related responsibilities and decision-making related to the academy sits with the Esteem Multi- Academy Trust Board of Trustees. The Trust Board meets regularly, and there is also a committee in place that has a specific focus on The Aspire Academy. The committee meets regularly with the Accounting Officer of the Trust and the leadership team at The Aspire Academy.
The Aspire Academy is part of the Esteem Multi Academy Trust. Strong and effective governance was an important building block when Esteem was formed back in 2018 and continues to be an important factor of the Trust’s continued success. Having local governing committee’s (LGCs) in place at the schools within Esteem is a key part of the Trust’s governance structure.
Trustees and Governors
The Trust ‘Esteem’ has a Board of Directors, known as the Trust Board. The Trust Board, led by their Chair, has legal responsibilities and is the accountable decision-making body of Esteem. The Trust Board is responsible for all the schools that sit within the Trust. LGC’s work as part of the committee structure of the Trust Board and The Aspire Academy LGC sits as part of this local tier of governance. We are proud that The Aspire Academy has had an experienced and well established local governing board in place for many years. The LGC meets regularly, and our governors are part of the fabric of our school and work together to fulfil their governance role making a positive impact on our school, our pupils, and the communities we serve.
Please click here to see more information about the structure and the register of interests for The Esteem MAT Members, Trustees, Executive Team and Accounting Officer Central Governance Documents | Esteem MAT
Please click here to access the Esteem Multi Academy Trust central governance and financial information. This includes the Esteem MAT Articles of Association, Funding Agreement, our audited accounts and Annual Report. Statutory Documents | Esteem MAT
What Do Our Governors Do?
Our governors are all volunteers. They come from different walks of life, bringing with them a wealth of knowledge and experience. Our governors work collectively and meet as a board every half term.
Our governors often hold link roles which means they have strategic monitoring and reporting responsibilities that are aligned to specific areas for example safeguarding and keeping our pupils safe, SEND, wellbeing and school improvement priorities.
Our Governors Work Together to:
- develop a vision and strategy for the school.
- oversee the financial performance of the school and make sure its money is well spent.
- hold the school and its leaders to account to ensure that every pupil has the best possible education.
- engage with pupils, staff, parents and the school community to understand their views.
Should you wish to enquire about volunteering as a governor or discuss any aspect of governance at The Aspire Academy please email chairofgovernors@theaspireacademy.org.uk using the message title FAO The Local Governing Committee.
Safeguarding Recruitment Statement: The Aspire Academy Free School Trust are committed to safeguarding all children and young people in their care and will look to an enhanced DBS and references prior to any governor appointment.
At the Aspire Academy governors perform these duties by ensuring that we have a governing body with a suitable skill set, regular full and sub-committee group meetings and giving individuals specific foci to address on their regular visits to the Academy (e.g. Safeguarding). Currently there are 3 sub-committee groups; Teaching and Learning, Finance and Resources and Pay and Personnel.
Our Governors Key Roles (at Trust Level):
- Chair of Esteem Trust Board – Kathryn Boulton
- Link Trustee for The Aspire Academy – Mark Emly
- Safeguarding Link Trustee – Carol Hart
- SEND Link Trustee – Pete Hines
- Trust Accounting Officer – Karen Hayes (CEO)
Funding Agreement – including articles and memorandum.
The Schools Financial Benchmarking service
National Standards of Excellence for Head Teachers
Parent Governor Vacancy
We currently have a two vacancies for the voluntary position of Parent Governor. If you are interested in this important role, please contact Simon Stevenson (Head Teacher) or Carol Hart (Chair of Governors) for further information – admin@theaspireacademy.org.uk
Applications for the above Parent Governor vacancy will close on Friday 22nd May 2026
