Back to School: Is your strategy right for the new year?

New term, refresh the strategy?

The new academic year brings with it the promise of new opportunity for the trust board to look back and look forward, reflect, learn, and re-focus on what’s important.

It’s an opportunity to look with fresh eyes at the strategic direction of the trust, get the right people around the table and make a plan to support everyone charged with governance to do the right thing, in the best interests of every child in the trust.

This Autumn term comes with the usual administrative routines of course, but are you really thinking about these things or just going through the motions? Your Governance Professional (previously known as clerk) should be able to guide the board in terms of what falls within the usual cycle of work, but some things have changed.

While revisiting your strategic priorities and re-organising your frameworks, remember that the Academy Trust Handbook (ATH) is now in effect from 1 September 2021. The handbook has a wider flavour although in truth there is little additional obligation, more a reminder of the responsibilities of trusts with additional reference to safeguarding, health and safety and estates management.

Broadly, the three key areas of change are around cybercrime, governance and future growth. While revisiting your strategic plans, make sure the new ATH is readily available to ensure compliance and embracing the direction of travel the ESFA are seeking.

Trustees and leaders have a genuine opportunity to really think about the strategic priorities for your trust and to set the wheels in motion, to make a plan, as a board, for genuine change and to get things done.

Robust due diligence remains a key part of any growth plans and should be a hinge pin in the decisions made by the board on change and growth.

You may have been operating on a prioritised basis potentially for some time now, the return to “normal”, whatever that looks like for your trust should again include the wider aspects of governance you may not have had time to address before. To hone the frameworks and systems to make sure they deliver what you need as decision makers. Some suggestions below, but by no means an exhaustive list:

• Environmental sustainability should be included within your strategic development. Schools have a crucial role to play in creating a sustainable future. Have you started to think about the impact of the emerging climate change impact on schools and how you will look at decarbonisation?
   
• Check the capacity and skill within the board to undertake really effective challenge
   
• Have you got the right committee structure to deliver your strategic priorities or have you simply replicated what was in place last year?
   
• Check your frameworks will be able to deliver the appropriate and assured information to make really good decisions
   
• Are you planning a strategic event with all trustees to revisit the medium and longer term goals to ensure they are still relevant?
   
• Check your frameworks are able to support change, with monitoring and review of your strategy and financial controls
   
• Make sure you are ready for the CEO/HT performance management process this year and are prepared to undertake a really effective process

If you would like any guidance or support with your strategic development, please contact Sally Timmins