Education trust searches for new governors

The Learning Community Trust, which is responsible for more than 5,500 children across Telford and Shropshire, is seeking to widen the breadth of experience among its team of trustees and governors.

Mike Briscoe, chair of the board of trustees, said the Trust was keen to attract both new trustees to help shape the provision of learning locally, and governors for the various academies and schools it supports.

“We are looking for people who will actively contribute to the success of our Trust and academies, who will bring a range of knowledge, skills, and experiences, and have a passion for making a difference," he said.

“We are particularly interested in diversifying our governance to ensure we represent and reflect our communities as closely as possible.”

He said the Board and its local governing bodies met four times per year. Governors and trustees may meet more regularly if they take on additional responsibilities, such as curriculum and quality of education, safeguarding, finance, audit and special educational needs.

“Our Board is already outstanding and our trustees have significant experience in education, knowledge of the locality, and from the world of business and industry,” he said.

“But we’re always looking for new faces who can make a real difference to thousands of young people and their communities, to help shape the future of our Trust and to guide our growth and continued success over the coming years.”

The trustee and governor roles are voluntary, but there is a policy in place that if trustees/governors wish to, they can claim for any expenditure necessarily incurred to enable them to carry out their duties.

The Learning Community Trust was established in 2017, with the backing of the Department for Education, and works closely with its local partners including Telford College, Telford & Wrekin Council, and Shropshire Council.

Academies that form the Trust include Hadley Learning Community, Ercall Wood and Charlton secondary schools; specialist education centres such as Queensway in Telford and Severndale in Shrewsbury; and primary schools Wrekin View in Wellington, Hadley Learning Community, Crudgington, Lantern, and the newly-opened primary school Allscott Meads.

Newport’s Burton Borough School is to become the fourth secondary school in Telford and Wrekin to join The Learning Community Trust next year. Governors at the school unanimously recommended the move, which was recently officially approved by the Department for Education.

To find out more about the Trust, visit https://learningcommunitytrust.co.uk/ or to express an interest or arrange an informal discussion contact steph.morley@lct.education.