Members of the Trust are the signatories to the Memorandum of Association and have agreed the Trust’s Articles of Association (the document which outlines the governance structure and how the Trust will operate).

The Articles of Association describe how Members are recruited and replaced and how many Trustees the Members can appoint to the Trust Board. The Members appoint Trustees to ensure that the Trust’s Charitable Objects are carried out and so must be able to remove Trustees if they fail to fulfil this responsibility. Accordingly, the Trust Board submits an annual report on the performance of the Trust to the Members. 

The Members have an overview of the governance arrangements of the Trust but are not involved in the day-to-day management. Members are also responsible for approving any amendments to the Trust’s Articles of Association.

Members are permitted to be appointed as Trustees. However, in order to retain a degree of separation of powers between Members and the Trust Board, and in line with DfE expectations, not all Members are Trustees.

Members are also not permitted to be employees of the drb Ignite Trust.

The drb Ignite Trust ordinarily has five members.

The Board is ambitious for all children and infused with a passion for education and a commitment to continuous school improvement that enables the best possible outcomes. It is driven by inquisitive, independent minds and thorough conversations focused on the key strategic issues which are conducted with humility, good judgement, resilience, and determination.

The drb Ignite Trust is a multi-academy trust operating as a single legal entity. Therefore, it entrusts ultimate responsibility for everything that goes on within the Trust to the drb Ignite Trust Board of Trustees. The Trust Board is majority comprised of voluntary, non-executive Trustees selected specifically to bring a range of knowledge, skills, and expertise. Together, this group is responsible for the strategic oversight and performance of the Trust and its schools. Trustees play a central role in the governance and strategic management of the Trust and its schools. Their responsibilities include:

• Strategic Leadership and Vision:  Setting the strategic direction of the Trust and the overarching vision that guides the Trust and its schools.
• Safeguarding Ethos and Values: Upholding the Trust’s ethos and values, ensuring they permeate every school community.
• Compliance and Accountability:  Ensuring the Trust operates in compliance with all relevant laws, regulations and statutory requirements and is accountable for the Trust’s overall performance and outcomes.
• Policy Development: Developing and approving policies and procedures that govern the Trust and its schools. This includes all educational, financial and governance policies, including the Scheme of Delegation.
• Financial Oversight: Overseeing the financial management of the Trust, monitoring budgets, financial reports and audits to ensure responsible use of resources and maintaining oversight of financial risks and ensuring sustainability.
• School Improvement: Ensuring each school is making progress, setting performance targets and monitoring progress.
• Appointment of Executive Leaders and Headteachers: Appointing Executive Leaders and Headteachers within the Trust.
• Holding Executive Leaders to account: Holding Executive Leaders accountable for the performance and management of the Trust and its schools, including the performance management of the Chief Executive Officer.
• Risk Management: Assessing and mitigating risks that could impact the Trust or its schools, taking measures to mitigate potential issues, ensuring robust systems of internal control are in place.
• Accountability to Stakeholders:
• Engaging with pupils, parents, staff and the wider community, gathering regular feedback to inform strategic decisions.
• Ethical Conduct: Promoting high standards of integrity and ethical conduct in line with the Nolan Principles – ‘Seven Principles of Public Life’.

Parent and Community Forums represent the voice of each school’s local community. The forums facilitate two-way communication between parents, carers, community, stakeholders and each school. They work to provide feedback, offer constructive challenge and input into decision making and planning for future educational provision and school improvement. The Forums play a critically important influencing role to the Trust Board but have no formal statutory responsibilities or accountability. Each Forum is supported by a small Planning Group led by the school headteacher. This group provides clerking, support and oversight of the Forum business.