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School leadership and governance

Good governance is fundamental for any effective organisation. In addition to being at the heart of the accountability arrangements, governing bodies are also the key vision setters and strategic decision makers.

Our team has extensive experience of supporting a wide range of not-for-profit organisations develop their governance arrangements and capability and is nationally recognised for this work. Whether you are looking for support in relation to multi-academy trust arrangements, collaborative and joint venture projects, trading companies or with governance generally, our team has a wealth of practical experience and knowledge to offer.

And for academy trusts, we have developed a governance checklist package.All academies are required to publish a ‘Governance Statement’ in their annual accounts and this must include a review of their governance arrangements.

The governance checklist helps governors to:

  • see at a glance their principal duties and obligations;
  • undertake the necessary annual review;
  • improve the effectiveness of their board meetings; and
  • put a clear audit trail in place in anticipation of the next Ofsted inspection.

The checklist is based on the contents of ‘The Governors’ Handbook’ published by the Department for Education and draws on our extensive experience of helping academies sharpen the quality of their governance.

We provide:

  • Governance reviews providing strategic and operational support;
  • Governance training to support the development of effective boards and leadership teams, understanding legal duties and effective decision making;
  • Regulatory support to ensure compliance with OFSTED, EFA and DfE requirements; and
  • Constitutional matters including day-to-day operational support and advice on conflicts of interest.

We have been recognised for the work we do

Winner: Business Team of the Year 2018

Latest news

Anthony Collins announces nine promotions with one new legal director appointed

Social purpose law firm Anthony Collins (AC) has announced the appointment of four senior associates, four associates and one legal director across its specialist sectors of local government, housing, health and social care, charities and social business.

Tuesday 2 May 2023

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Anthony Collins launches 50th anniversary Social Impact Report

Anthony Collins (AC) reveals the scale and impact of its social purpose-driven legal work with the publication of its annual Social Impact Report.

Tuesday 14 February 2023

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Latest webinars and podcasts

PODCAST: ‘Without prejudice’ unpacked

In this podcast, Katherine Sinclair and Libby Hubbard provide practical advice on how to ensure you protect certain conversations.

Tuesday 31 January 2023

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WEBINAR: Holiday entitlement for part-year employees – Harpur Trust v Brazel

In this webinar, Anna Dabek and Libby Hubbard provide key information that can enable you to review your holiday pay arrangements.

Monday 7 November 2022

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SECTOR LEAD

Phil Watts

Senior associate

Senior associate in the governance, funding and corporate team