Governance
Governance at The Bridge Academy, Hackney:
There are essentially five categories of Trustee at The Bridge Academy:
1) Sponsor Trustee – these are Trustees appointed by the Sponsor.
2) Community Trustee – Community Trustees are appointed (and re-appointed) by the Board of Trustees and are likely to be people living or working in the community served by the Academy.
3) Parent Trustee must be the parent of a registered student at the Academy and is elected by the parent body. When a vacancy occurs an election must be held and nominations invited - if only one candidate applies, they are considered elected. When a Parent Trustee’s term of office comes to an end, the Board of Trustees cannot just reappoint them. The vacancy must be advertised, and an election held. Parent Trustees do not represent parents, but instead, are representative of parents.
4) The Local Authority Governor is appointed by the Board of Trustees and is usually employed by the Local Authority. The Local Authority Trustee does not represent the Local Authority.
5) The Staff Trustee is elected by the staff working at the school.
The Board of Trustees Appointments Committee regularly reviews the range of skills and experience of Trustees in order to identify any potential gaps.
Trustees usually serve on the Board of Trustees for a period of four years. It is not unusual for Trustees to be reappointed when their period of office matures and in exceptional circumstances, where their skill set is considered imperative to the effective functioning of the Board of Trustees, reappointed for a third term of four years. When an elected Trustee’s term of office comes to an end, the vacancy must be advertised, and an election held.
All vacancies are considered by the Appointments Committee which will recommend potential candidates to the Board of Trustees.