Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that trustees of academy trusts receive the (a) training and (b) support they need to provide effective oversight.

The Academy Trust Handbook states that trust boards should identify the skills and experience required to hold the executive to account. This includes financial knowledge. Trust boards are responsible for encouraging trustees’ professional development and should allocate funds for this purpose. This includes providing an induction and development programme for new trustees and ensuring specific safeguarding and Prevent duty training is completed. If trustees persistently fail to attend training, breaching their board’s code of conduct, it may be necessary to consider their position.

The Academy Trust Governance Guide provides practical support for trustees, including signposting to external sources of training and support organisations, such as National Governance Association and Confederation of School Trusts.

The department collaborated with governance sector stakeholders to produce the Effective Governance Resource, available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/effective-governance-resources. Published last month, it aims to support strong and effective governance in schools and academy trusts, and recruitment of governors and trustees.