Effective governance is key to the success of our Trust and as a charitable company, limited by guarantee, we rely on the support of our volunteer Governors, Trustees and Members, supported by the Diocese of Bath & North Wells and our Executive Team.

As an exempt charity, we operate like any other charity but are not regulated by the Charity Commission but instead are overseen by the Secretary of State for Education.  

The main documents that set out how we operate are our Articles of Association which set our internal structure and the Master Funding Agreement with the Educational and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA).   We are also governed by the DfE Academy Trust Handbook and various other legislation relating to both schools and charities. 

Our Trust has two layers of governance; our Members who are accountable to the DfE and have ultimate responsibility for the Trust achieving its charitable objectives and our Trustees who have three core functions:-

• Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction;
• Holding the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to account for the educational performance of the Trust's schools and its children, and the performance and management of staff; and
• Overseeing the financial performance of the Trust's schools and making sure that money is well spent.

Copies of agendas, reports and minutes for Board and Committee Meetings, including our Local Governing Bodies (LGBs) are available to the public for public inspection.  If any member of the public would like to request a copy of these documents, please submit a request in writing, specifying which documents are being requested, to enquires@lsp.org.uk