Governance (Our Trust)
Governance (Our Trust)
We are proud to be a part of the Diocese of Sheffield Academies Trust (DSAT) and joined on 1st October 2019. We are a growing group of 17 schools who support and challenge each other to ensure we offer the very best provision we can and we are committed to working in partnership and collaboration with the Trust and other schools.
DSAT was established in October 2013 as an independent charitable company set up by the Sheffield Diocesan Board of Education. The purpose of the Trust is to create a mutually supportive family of Church and non-Church academies, holding within it both schools that choose to become converter academies and those seeking a sponsored solution.
Main contacts at DSAT are:
- Mr Andrew Waldron - CEO
- Mrs Alison Adair - Deputy CEO
- Mr Huw Thomas - Chair of Trustees
The relationship between the trust and the Secretary of State for Education is set out in a legal document known as the funding agreement.The Funding Agreement and the Academies Financial Handbook are two key documents DSAT Trustees work to.
DSAT Trustees are responsible for three core functions. They are 'setting the direction of the trust and its schools, holding the appointed school leaders to account and ensuring financial probity.
As charity trustees, they ensure the DSAT complies with charity law requirements and, as company directors, must comply with company laws requirements.
The details of what has been delegated from the trustees to leaders appointed by DSAT are detailed in a scheme of delegation. This makes it clear what functions the trustees have delegated and to whom.
To see who the Trustees are and to access the scheme of delegation, please visit www.dsat.education
Each DSAT academy also has a Local School Board, which acts in an advisory capacity. Our school board members are listed below. It meets three times yearly to consider and scrutinise how we deliver all aspects of education for our pupils and parents. Members of the school board also support the school in recruitment and other local activities that ensure the school reflects the community's needs and retains its unique identity.
More details can be found here: LOCAL SCHOOL BOARDS in DSAT
Governance and statutory oversight of safeguarding lies with the trustees. The main trustee for safeguarding is James Dugmore. However, local boards are our 'eyes and ears, ' the protection of children is the core of this. We invest in training to provide LSBs with more incredible skills in this area. We cannot think of a more critical task for an LSB than bringing together their local community knowledge and knowledge of school practice to ensure that safeguarding is at the core of what we do. The LSB has access to all relevant information, including the audits that DSAT complete centrally. The LSB always asks 'Do the audits reflect how the local community view safeguarding at the school?'
Monitoring School Performance
DSAT's school improvement protocols mean a school has support visits throughout the year. The Record of Visit will typically focus on the many positive elements we see, but the purpose is to indentify where support is required. These ROVs provide information that can assist the LSB in asking the right questions at meetings. LSBs can have data to be a better 'critical friend' influencing he outcome, not just reviewing it. the LSB is critical to asking the right questions about school progress, understanding the priorities and ensuring he community's needs are met. Feedback from LSBs hs been very positive regarding the training we provide. Good data is only meaningful when it is understood. DSAT aims to ensure through training and coaching that LSBs understand the information to which they have access. LSBs are not required to pass comments on classroom practice, judge teaching methods or assess the perceived quality of teaching. DSAT expert practitioners will provide the LSB with this information where it is relevant to do so. At every LSB meeting, the group ask 'Is the school delivering positive progress for every pupil?' and 'Are relationships with the community and parents supporting progress?
Our Local School Board Members:
Mr Steven Peacock - Chair of the Local School Board.
- Foundation member/parent
- Chair
- Term of office - July 2022 - July 2025
Mrs Julie Armitage - Headteacher
- Member due to position in school
- Responsible for strategic oversight and day to day running of the school
- Term of office - September 2023- ongoing
Mrs Jenny Sharp - Trust member
- Trust member
- Term of office - July 2022 - July 2026
Miss Natasha Newman - Staff/Parent member
- Staff/Parent member
- Term of office - March 2022 - March 2025
Mrs Alison Hallewell - Trust member
- Trust member
- Term of office - December 2023 - December 2027
Vacancy: Church Reverend
To find links to all schools within the Trust, the annual report and accounts returns, as well as other useful information such as executive pay, please visit dsat.education or click here to see DSAT's Statutory Information.
All enquiries related to DSAT can be made by telephone on 01709 718640, email - enquiries@dsat.education - or by post;
Flanderwell Early Excellence Centre, Greenfield Court, Rotherham, S66 2JF