As part of our ongoing commitment to innovation and continuous improvement across the trust, we commissioned and worked with the National Governance Association (NGA) for Schools & Trusts to carry out an external review of our governance and progress. The review was designed to support our development as we move from a single academy trust, with partner provisions, towards becoming a growing multi-academy trust.
The Reason for the Review
As part of our ambition to grow the trust, it was important to ensure that our governance was not only effective now, but also had the capacity, expertise, and ambition needed to support this next stage of growth.
Forward2Employment is a partner provision within Fortis, and we maintain strategic oversight to support collaboration across current and future provisions, share best practice, and create the best possible opportunities for young people. It was therefore important that the review also considered how governance can best support Forward2Employment.
“We commissioned the review at a point where our governance was evolving. We had introduced a local governing committee and were starting to embed our scheme of delegation, so it felt the right time to step back and sense-check what we were building.
“We commissioned the review at a point where our governance was evolving. We had introduced a local governing committee and were starting to embed our scheme of delegation, so it felt the right time to step back and sense-check what we were building.
We wanted to be confident it was working in practice, not just on paper, and the review gave us that reassurance while also helping us further sharpen and strengthen our approach across the trust”
Having Solid Foundations
The review confirmed that our governance is built on solid foundations, giving us confidence to strengthen what we already have and prepare for future growth.
Whilst these foundations are strong, we welcomed constructive feedback, recognising that improvement depends on honest reflection. One key area identified was the further development of a clear accountability framework across the Trust. This work is already underway, alongside continued clarification of trustee and governor roles and the development of the Trust Central Team.
Developments Already Made
The review happened over a period of 6 months, providing ample time to review and implement the suggested improvements during the review period.
As we grow from a single academy trust to a multi-academy trust, effective risk management becomes even more important. The review highlighted this as an area for further development, and the continued development of our Audit and Risk Committee was recognised as a strong step in ensuring both ongoing and future projects are overseen effectively.
The Next Steps
With the support of the NGA review, we are building on strong governance foundations as we take the next steps in our journey towards becoming a multi-academy trust. This review has been an important milestone, but our commitment to improvement does not stop here. Our value of ‘Innovation for Improvement’ runs through the trust, and we will continue to strengthen our practice so that we are ready for the opportunities ahead. Striving for Excellence in all that we do.
Read the full review
We would like to thank the National Governance Association for their time and support in ensuring our governance is the best it can be. If you would like to read NGA’s full case study, please click on the link below: