Governance Arrangements
Trustees and Governance
Ashcroft Technology Academy is operated through Prospect Education (Technology) Trust Limited (the Trust) and is therefore governed by a Board of Trustees which holds full responsibility for the educational and strategic direction of the Academy. The Trustees are the directors of the Trust. The Trust is a company limited by guarantee with no share capital and is also an exempt charity.
The Trust's Memorandum and Articles of Association and its Funding Agreement with the Department for Education (DfE) are the primary governing documents of the Trust. Members of the Trust are nominated by either the Secretary of State for Education or by the Principal Sponsor. The articles of association require the members of the Trust to appoint at least three trustees to be responsible for the statutory and constitutional affairs of the Trust and the management of the Academy.
In accordance with the articles of association, the Trust has adopted a “Scheme of Management” approved by the Secretary of State for Education. The Scheme of Management sets out how the management of the Academy should operate and prescribes that the trustees will be responsible for the overall operations and strategic development of the Academy, but that they may delegate responsibilities relating to the operational affairs and development of the Academy to the Executive Board (EB). In ensuring that the Trust’s finances are properly administered and that books of account are maintained and duly audited at least annually, the trustees have also established a separate Finance and Resources Committee (FRC) with appropriate delegated authorities.
The full Board of Trustees meets annually and the EB and FRC each aim to meet at least five times a year. Both report directly to the trustees. At present, two trustees serve as members on the EB and one serves as a member and another as observer on the FRC.
The trustees are fully briefed on the deliberations of both the EB and FRC. Aside from the Annual General Meeting, the trustees input to and approve the annual report and financial statements; played an active role in the original establishment of ADT City Technology College and its subsequent transition to Academy status in September 2007; and have established a Trustee Remuneration Committee comprising trustees at which they meet to sanction annual salary reviews for both the Academy’s Principal and Vice-Principal, whilst setting parameters within which pay decisions are approved by the FRC for all other staff. They also input to and agree an annual Pay and Pensions Policy.
The Principal, who is also the Academy’s designated Accounting Officer, and the Vice-Principal work closely on day-to-day matters of financial control. The Trustees have decided not to appoint an internal auditor; however, in 2019- 2020 they continued to appoint Mr S Harris FCA, a member of the EB, as Responsible Officer (RO). The RO’s role is fully defined and includes giving advice on financial matters and performing a range of checks on the Academy’s financial systems.
Board of Trustees
Lord Ashcroft KCMG PC is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Trust. Lord Ashcroft sponsored the development of Ashcroft Technology Academy and has maintained full involvement, interest and support through his role as Chair of Trustees ever since the founding days of ADT College to help ensure the Academy’s on-going success.
A list of current Trustees and their attendance at the most recent Annual Trustees Meeting is shown below.
| Trustee | Number of meetings attended | Out of a possible |
|---|---|---|
| Lord Ashcroft KCMG PC (Chairman and Principal Sponsor) | 1 | 1 |
| A E Entwistle (Vice Chairman and member of EB & FRC) | 1 | 1 |
| P M R Gaze | 1 | 1 |
| S Harris Member of EB & observer on FRC | 1 | 1 |
Each Trustee submits an annual entry for the Register of Business Interests. Owing to the nature of the Trust’s operations and the composition of the Board of Trustees and that of the EB and FRC being drawn from local public and private sector organisations, it is inevitable that transactions will take place with organisations in which a member of the relevant Board may have an interest. All transactions involving such organisations are conducted at arm’s length and in accordance with the Trust’s financial regulations and normal procurement procedures. There were no related party transactions involving trustees in 2019-2020.
Lord Ashcroft and A E Entwistle are a Members of the Trust. In addition, Dr R D B Whitcutt, Chair of the EB and FRC is also a Member of the Trust, although not a Trustee. Dr R D B Whitcutt received payment of £18,103 from unrestricted funds for services undertaken on behalf of the trustees during 2019-2020 in relation to consultancy and administration services including advice related to the Foundation Pension Plan. He received no payment in respect of his role as Chair of the EB.
Deputy Principals who served on the Board during the year attend where they have a significant contribution to agenda items and typically two per meeting are present. The EB formally met five times during the 2019 - 2020 academic year. Attendance during the year at meetings of the EB was as follows:
Latest Signed Trustee AGM Minutes
Executive Board
The EB has been established by the Trustees to monitor the operational affairs and development of the Academy. Members of the EB other than the Principal, Vice-Principal and Deputy Principals serve up to a three-year term of office subject to re-election. The Executive Board met formally on five occasions during the year. Attendance at meetings in the year was as follows.
| Board Member | Number of meetings attended | Out of a possible |
| Dr R D B Whitcutt (Chair) | 5 | 5 |
| A Entwistle (Vice Chair - Trustee) | 5 | 5 |
| D G Mitchell (Principal) | 5 | 5 |
| R J Perry (Vice Principal) | 5 | 5 |
| K Chamberlain (Community/industry member) | 5 | 5 |
| P Edmondson (Community/industry member) | 3 | 5 |
| M Chiara Sechi (Parent member) | 3 | 5 |
| T Chmielewski (Parent Member) | 5 | 5 |
| M Hughes (Parent member) | 5 | 5 |
| C Peterson (Assistant Principal) | 3 | 3 |
| P Hall* (Deputy Principal) | 1 | 1 |
| Joshua Hetherington (Assistant Principal) | 2 | 2 |
| Matt Gallagher (Deputy Principal) | 1 | 1 |
| M Smith (Deputy Principal) | 1 | 1 |
Each EB member submits an annual entry for the Register of Business Interests. Owing to the nature of the Trust’s operations and the composition of the Board of Trustees and that of the EB and FRC being drawn from local public and private sector organisations, it is inevitable that transactions will take place with organisations in which a member of the relevant Board may have an interest. All transactions involving such organisations are conducted at arm’s length and in accordance with the Trust’s financial regulations and normal procurement procedures.
None of the members of the EB received any remuneration in respect of their services as members of the EB during 2019-2020 nor were any expenses reimbursed to them in the year in respect of their duties as members of the EB. The related party transaction associated with Dr R DB Whitcutt is outlined above and included with the Trust's Annual Report and Financial Statements.
Finance and Resources Committee
The FRC has been established by the trustees to specifically monitor finance and staffing matters within the Academy. The FRC has formally met five times during the year. Attendance at meetings in the year was as follows:
| Committee Member | Number of meetings attended | Out of a possible |
| Dr R D B Whitcutt (Chair) | 5 | 5 |
| A E Entwistle (Vice Chair - Trustee) | 5 | 5 |
| D G Mitchell (Principal) | 5 | 5 |
| K Chamberlain (Community/industry member) | 5 | 5 |
| S Harris (Responsible Officer & Observer) | 5 | 5 |