Frequently asked questions
If your questions isn’t answered below, email us at [email protected]
1. Who are Northern Education Trust and what do they do?
Northern Education Trust is a multi-academy trust, which is a not-for-profit education charity, operating within the North East and North West of England, and works with schools by invitation only. It was formed in 2012 and currently sponsors 30 Academies – 13 primary and 17 secondary – making it one of the largest multi academy trusts in the North of England. All of the Trust’s schools which have been inspected by Ofsted whilst sponsored by NET are rated either Good or Outstanding, with seven academies yet to be inspected.
2. What is a local academy council representative?
Local academy council representatives are volunteers who are committed to making sure their academy provides the best possible education for its students.
3. What is the process to become a local academy council representative?
Applicants need to complete a short application form and a declaration of interests form, meet with the principal of the academy, and complete a DBS check. Two references are sought, and approval is then obtained from the board of trustees.
4. How long is the term of office for a local academy council representative?
Sponsor governors serve for a term of 4 years, and can renew their term of office if they wish to continue. Parent governors serve for a 2 year term.
5. What type of meetings do I have to attend (and how long might they be?)
Six academy council meetings are held each academic year, lasting around two hours. Representatives can also get involved in panels for student behaviour committees, independent review panels and complaint hearings, which also last up to two hours and occur when needed throughout the year.
6. Are the meetings in person or online?
Most meetings can be held online, although there may be occasions when in person attendance is preferred.
7. At what time of day are meetings usually held?
Academy council meetings are held at the end of the school day, usually starting around 3.30 pm or 4 pm. Panel meetings are always held during the school day.
8. How much notice is provided for meeting dates and times?
Academy council meetings are scheduled for the year. Panel meetings are usually planned two weeks in advance.
9. What is the difference between being a local academy council representative of a primary school and a secondary school?
There is no difference in the duties and responsibilities, but the data a representative will receive will be slightly different.
10. What are the differences between a governor/local academy council representative in a multi-academy trust (MAT) and a maintained school?
Governors in a maintained school often have financial and HR responsibilities. Local academy council representatives in a MAT have more specific responsibilities for areas of grant funding and areas designated within the scheme of delegation.
11. Can I choose which school I am a local academy council representative for?
Yes, and we can help you make this choice depending on what your personal preferences may be.
12. Can I do this in my child’s school?
Yes, if your child attends a Northern Education Trust academy, you can either be a parent representative for a 2 year term, or be a sponsor representative for a 4 year term.
13. I don’t have any experience in the education sector, will this matter?
Not at all. We welcome people from all walks of life. The most important thing is a desire to make a difference to the life chances of children and young people.
14. Is there any training to be a local academy council representative?
Yes we have lots of training you can access: the trust delivers online sessions on the key link roles (SEND, Safeguarding, Standards, Health and Safety, and Careers), local academy council representatives are given a free account to the National College which hosts a multitude of useful webinars and courses, and there are recorded sessions on dealing with suspensions and permanent exclusions. Representatives can also attend trust conference, attend 1-2-1 meetings with school leaders and directors, peer meetings, mentoring, reading materials, and a formal skills audit to identify training gaps.
15. I have no strategic management experience so how would I do this as a local academy council representative?
The academy council works as a team, to provide support and challenge to the academy leaders. You will be guided by the chair of the academy council, and the training you can access, to understand the work of the academy, and the elements you need to scrutinise.
16. If there is a disagreement on a particular issue within the academy council, what happens?
The views of all representatives are valuable and everyone is encouraged to contribute to discussions. We hope that any disagreements can be resolved through professional communication, and the chair should set and reinforce ground rules and expectations for meetings.
17. What skills are required to be a local academy council representative?
No experience of education is necessary, but governors should be confident to ask questions and challenge school leaders on matters relating to school performance and educational outcomes, as well as the ability to debate with colleagues in a professional and respectful way. The time to fulfil the role is also necessary.
18. Am I expected to liaise with parents/carers of the school or is that contact limited to teachers?
No, a local academy council representative is not expected to personally interact with parents on a day to day basis, but may sit on panels at which parents are present.
19. What training is given to local academy council representative to help them challenge decisions when they have little educational environment experience?
We provide training in all aspects of the role, and further training for people who wish to take on a link role. We also provide a list of questions that representatives can ask on all the areas they will receive information about. See question 14 for more information about training available.
20. What are the link roles?
If a representative has an interest or expertise in a particular area, they can take on a link role for that area: currently Safeguarding/Prevent, Careers, Health and Safety, Standards including Pupil Premium and SEND. This would involve visiting the academy at least once a year, to focus specifically on what the academy is doing on that link area.
21. What training/induction is provided so that local academy council representatives understand the consequences of their decision making?
The principal and the chair will induct the representative, and new representatives can access various training videos and documentation, at their own convenience – see question 14 for more information.
23. How does a local academy council representative become familiar with processes such as School Improvement Plans and Ofsted for example?
The principal will explain key strategic documents and processes, and representatives can ask questions and challenge information as necessary. We also provide continuous training to ensure representatives stay up to date.
24. How many representatives are there on a typical academy council?
An academy council can have up to 8 sponsor representatives, 2 staff representatives and 2 parent representatives.
25. As a local academy council representative, will I be involved in school activity?
Representatives will be invited to celebratory school events such as graduation, performances, president elections, sports events and PROUD, and representatives can also support primary students with reading sessions if they have the time and an interest in this.
29. Would there be an opportunity to shadow a current representative to get a sense of the role and what is involved before applying to join a local academy council?
Yes this could certainly be arranged.
30. What would the next steps be in a governance “career”?
Representatives can progress to being a chair of an academy council, and if they wish to sit on panels, could gain experience to enable them to chair panels as well. Further development could be to join the board of trustees as a trustee, where opportunities could arise to join and/or chair sub-committees of the board. Final progression could be to chair the board or trustees, or become a “member” of the trust.
31. Do I get paid for being a local academy council representative?
Local academy council representatives are volunteers so are not paid a salary, but they can claim travel expenses.
Click the additional links to find out more. Or if you’re ready to apply, download the application form and the declaration of interest form and return to our public enquiries email address – [email protected]
Local Academy Council Representative Suitability Quiz