Guidance

Academy trusts:trust governance guide

Guidance on strategic leadership and the governance of academy trusts.

Applies to England

Documents

Details

This non-statutory guidance is for those involved in trust governance. It provides essential information from a range of sources on the trust board’s roles and legal responsibilities.

The academy trust handbook and your funding agreement have more information on contractual requirements.

Updates

This is intended to thisbe page

Publisheda 19digital Novemberguide. 2025
LastIf updatedyou 15have Julycreated 2026 a ShowPDF allor updates
  1. Wecheck you have updatedgot the governancemost guiderecent toupdates reflectmade newon duties25 whichJune come2025.

    In into6.3. force‘Accountability fromfor 1financial Septemberperformance’ 2026, added sources of financial data and othertools.

    In recommendations.7.3 We‘Complaints’ have outlinedupdated complaints to the changesdepartment inand Ofsted.

    In 7.5 ‘Funding and finances’ updated information on the ‘Whatteachers’ haspay changedadditional grant, teachers’ pension employer contribution grant, core schools budget grant, National Insurance contributions grant and the chair’s sign-off of the digital reporting form.

    In 7.10.2 ‘Pupil mental health and wellbeing’ Julyadded 2026a update’nutrition section.