Agenda item

Report of the Chief Executive Officer.

Trustees considered a report of the Chief Executive Officer on the City of London Academies Trust Strategic Plan Review and the following points were made:

·         Work was underway to develop the City of London Academies Trust Strategic Plan 2020-2024 which would be presented to the meeting of the Board of Trustees on 9 July 2020.  Trustees would be consulted on key aspects of the draft City of London Academies Trust Strategic Plan 2020-2024 as it was developed, including the timeline and stakeholder engagement proposals.

·         The Trust’s core mission to support all its academies to be rated as outstanding within three years would continue to be articulated within the strategic plan, although it was possible that timescales might be affected following the introduction of the new Ofsted framework.  A Trustee supported the Trust’s aspiration but observed that individual schools required different levels of support to reach outstanding and that there should be some flexibility in timescales.  School improvement could also be affected by external factors, such as staff turnaround.

·         It was anticipated that the Trust would continue to expand during the period of the next strategic plan from the current eight academies up to a possible twelve.  In the longer term, consideration would need to be given to whether there was an argument for any further expansion.  Another area for review could include how the Trust might build links with other Trusts for the joint delivery of services including back-office services and procurement processes.

The Chair underlined the need to engage the Trust Sponsor in developing the City of London Academies Trust Strategic Plan 2020-2024, which should include a review of the Trust’s Sponsorship Agreement to ensure it was able to meet the requirements of what was now an established and growing Trust as well as reflect the evolving educational aims of the Sponsor.  Trustees agreed to request the Education Board consider a report outlining work being undertaken to develop the City of London Academies Trust Strategic Plan 2020-2024 at its meeting on 21 May 2020.  A Trustee emphasised the importance of clarifying the roles and responsibilities of the Board of Trustees and the Education Board, and the Committee agreed to request that this be taken forward as part of the Corporation of London’s wider governance review, as well in the context of the Tomlinson Review. 

RESOLVED, that:

·         Trustee’s comments on the proposed timeline and approach be noted;

·         The Strategic Plan be amended to reflect comments by Trustees;

·         The Education Board be requested to consider a report outlining work being undertaken to develop the City of London Academies Trust Strategic Plan 2020-2024 at its meeting on 21 May 2020; and,

·         A request be made for the roles and responsibilities of the Board of Trustees and the Education Board to be clarified as part of the Corporation of London’s wider governance review, as well in the context of the Tomlinson Review.