Pontefract Academies Trust is an exempt charity, this means we operate like any other charity but are not regulated by the Charity Commission but instead overseen by an alternative regulator, in this case 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, which is the legal contract with the Secretary of State under which we run our schools. In addition, there are separate Supplemental Funding Agreements for each individual school.
We are also governed by the Department for Education’s Academy Trust Handbook and various pieces of legislation relating to both schools and charities.
Our governance structure.
Our formal structures are designed to give robust oversight and management of our schools, without unnecessarily restricting innovation.
Trustees provide strategic oversight and ensure that the Trust meets it legal obligations, both directly and through the Audit and Risk Committee.
Formulation of strategy and day to day operations are delegated to the Chief Executive Officer, Julian Appleyard OBE. He is supported by an Executive Leadership Team, our Headteachers and professional experts within our central services team.
Our Headteachers are challenged and supported by School Performance Review Boards (SPRBs). These are individual to each school. Our SPRB members are appointed by the Trust Board, ensuring we have the balance of skills required to oversee a modern school.
Members
Linda Maxwell-Smart (Chair) – appointed 13th July 2022
John Gough – appointed 14th March 2013
Martin Brooke – appointed 2nd November 2021
Kevin Cullinane – appointed 20th January 2025
Duties
- To appoint / remove trustees
- To sign off financial statements and annual report
- To change the Articles
Governed by
Articles of Association
Meetings
One per year
Board of Trustees
Phil Jones OBE (Chair), Andy Clarke (Vice Chair), Julian Appleyard OBE, David Wilkin, John Gough and Reuben Moore
Duties
- To ensure quality of education provision
- To challenge and monitor performance
- To oversee management of finances and property
- To ensure compliance with charity and company law
- To ensure operation in accordance with Funding Agreement
- To receive and approve finance procedures and regulations
- To determine and approve corporate policy
- To receive reports from committees
Reporting
Reports to Members at the Annual General Meeting on progress for the year.
Produces financial statements and Annual Report.
Governed By
Terms of Reference
Meetings
Four meetings per year
Trust Board Membership & Attendance Summary 2023/24
| From | To | Appointed by | Meetings attended | Out of a possible | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phil Jones OBE (Chair) | 14/08/15 | 31/08/26 | Members | 4 | 4 |
| David Wilkin | 09/04/14 | 31/08/26 | Members | 4 | 4 |
| John Gough | 14/03/13 | 13/03/25 | Original (signatory) member | 4 | 4 |
| Julian Appleyard OBE (CEO) | 05/03/18 | N/A | Members | 4 | 4 |
| Andy Clarke | 17/05/17 | 16/05/25 | Members | 4 | 4 |
| Elaine Shepherd | 02/05/18 | 01/05/26 | Members | 4 | 4 |
| Reuben Moore | 11/02/21 | 10/02/25 | Members | 4 | 4 |
Audit & Risk Committee
Duties
- To provide oversight on internal controls
- To receive annual internal audit reports
- To receive and monitor strategic risk registers
- To manage responsible office function
- To appoint external auditors
Reporting
Reports to the board of Trustees through approved minutes.
Governed by
Terms of Reference
Meetings
Four per year
Audit & Risk Committee Membership & Attendance Summary 2023/24
| From | To | Appointed by | Meetings attended | Out of a possible | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andy Clarke (Chair) | 04/05/18 | 16/05/26 | Trust Board | 4 | 4 |
| John Gough | 02/07/14 | 13/03/25 | Trust Board | 4 | 4 |
| Martin K Brooke (Independent from 10/04/18) | 02/07/14 | 01/07/25 | Trust Board | 4 | 4 |
Education & Standards Committee
Duties
- To support the Trust’s Chief Executive Officer and the Trust Board in their responsibilities for academic standards, school improvement and teaching and learning.
- To monitor, challenge, support and, where appropriate and advise on all aspects of school improvement and outcomes.
- To maintain oversight of Trust-wide educational standards through monitoring, evaluating, advising, and reporting.
- To provide scrutiny, challenge and approve any appropriate policies in line with the Trust scheme of delegation.
- To identify any risks, such as those relating to reputation, Ofsted, educational performance, and refer these to the Audit & Risk Committee.
- To receive feedback from Ofsted following inspections.
Reporting
Reports to the board of Trustees through approved minutes.
Governed by
Terms of Reference
Meetings
Four per year
Education & Standards Committee Membership & Attendance Summary 2023/24
| From | To | Appointed by | Meetings attended | Out of a possible | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reuben Moore (Chair) | 28/01/22 | 10/02/25 | Trust Board | 4 | 4 |
| Elaine Shepherd (Vice-Chair) | 28/01/22 | 01/05/26 | Trust Board | 3 | 4 |
| Julian Appleyard OBE | 28/01/22 | N/A | Trust Board | 4 | 4 |
Finance & Resources Committee
Duties
- To consider policies and procedures to ensure that the Trust maintains proper accounts and related records
- To consider and monitor the Trust’s financial plans to ensure they reflect the strategic plan of the Trust.
Reporting
Reports to the board of Trustees through approved minutes.
Governed by
Terms of Reference
Meetings
Four per year
Finance & Resources Committee Membership & Attendance Summary 2023/24
| From | To | Appointed by | Meetings attended | Out of a possible | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Martin K Brooke (Vice Chair) | 02/07/14 | 01/07/25 | Trust Board | 5 | 5 |
| David Wilkin (Chair) | 04/02/15 | 08/04/25 | Trust Board | 5 | 5 |
| Julian Appleyard OBE (CEO) | 05/03/18 | N/A | Trust Board | 5 | 5 |
School Performance Review Boards
- Provide independent challenge to the school leadership, primarily in respect of pupil performance, the quality of the school experience and execution of the school improvement plan.
- Work in partnership with the Trust and school leadership to ensure an active, high quality effective programme of stakeholders and community engagement is delivered.
Current Register of Business Interests – Members
| Role | Term start date | Term end date | Appointed by | Name of company or business of interest | Nature of interest | Date interest started | Date interest ceased | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Martin Kingsley Brooke | Member | 02/11/2021 | N/A | Members | Holmes Beaumont & Holroyd Ltd | Employee | 01/01/2018 | – | |
| Pontefract Academies Trust | Trustee | ||||||||
| Linda Maxwell-Smart | Member | 13/07/2022 | N/A | Members | None declared | ||||
| John Gough | Original Signatory Member | 04/03/2013 | N/A | Members | Pontefract Kings School Foundation | Trustee | 29/08/1992 | – | |
| Kevin Cullinane | Member | 20/01/2025 | N/A | Members | None declared | ||||
Current Register of Business Interests – Trust Board
| Role | Term start date | Term end date | Appointed by | Name of company or business interest | Nature of interest | Date interest started | Date interest ceased | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phil Jones OBE | Chair of Trustees | 01/09/2022 | 31/08/2026 | Members | None declared | |||
| Andy Clarke | Vice Chair | 17/05/2021 | 16/05/2025 | Members | None declared | |||
| David Wilkin | Trustee | 01/09/2022 | 31/08/2026 | Members | Northern Powergrid Foundation | Trustee | 05/06/2023 | – |
| Real Life Options | Trustee | 03/03/2003 | – | |||||
| National Coal Mining Museum for England Trust Ltd | Trustee | 23/11/2018 | – | |||||
| National Coal Mining Trading Ltd | Director | 22/07/2021 | – | |||||
| Julian Appleyard | Trustee, CEO | 03/03/2018 | N/A | Members | None declared | |||
| John Gough | Member, Trustee | 14/03/2021 | 13/03/2025 | Members | Pontefract Kings School Foundation | Trustee | 29/08/1992 | – |
| Reuben Moore | Trustee | 11/02/2021 | 10/02/2025 | Members | None declared | |||
| Elaine Shepherd | Trustee | 02/05/2018 | 11/10/2024 | Members | None declared | |||