Governance at Altus Education Partnership

Altus Education Partnership as a Multi-Academy Trust

Altus Education Partnership is a Multi-Academy Trust (also known as a MAT, or a Trust): it is a single legal entity which oversees and governs several academies. It relies on the input of a number of volunteers who form different tiers of governance, working with experienced staff in the Trust’s Central Team or in our academies to provide our pupils and students with the best possible education. Broadly speaking, Trustees are volunteers who work with the Executive Team in the Trust, and they delegate some of their responsibilities to Governors who are volunteers working with the Headteacher or Principal in each academy. The Members of the Trust are volunteers who oversee the work of the Trustees and the Governors from a distance. 

The Structure and Purpose of Governance 

Our Members, Trustees and Governors form the different tiers of the governance structure of our Trust. Each tier of governance plays a part in ensuring that the Trust has a strategy which is legal, ethical and effective in delivering an excellent education to all our pupils and students. Members have minimal involvement in the running of the Trust, but they play a vital role in holding the Trust Board to account for its governance.

The Trust Board, comprised of a number of Trustees, is the driving force of governance within the Trust. The Board bears ultimate responsibility for the Trust’s performance, acting as a ‘critical friend’ to the Trust’s Executive Team. It meets regularly with the Trust’s Executive Team to assess the performance of the Trust and its academies. The Executive Team relies on the Trust Board to question and test their strategy in running our academies at every step, to ensure the highest standards. Trustees scrutinise central operations such as Finance, HR and IT, as well as the educational performance of our academies as a whole. The Trust Board has separate committees formed of Trustees who scrutinise different areas in detail. 

The governance structure at Altus Education Partnership looks like this:

The Members of Altus Education Partnership

The Members oversee the work of the Trustees and receive an annual report on the Trust Board’s governance of the Trust as well as the annual financial reports. Our Members are Jock Rodgers, Paul Ambrose, Julia Heap and Marcus Towse.

The Trustees of Altus Education Partnership

The Chair of the Trust Board is Jock Rodger and the Vice-Chair is John Smart. Our Trustees work with the Executive Team to set a clear strategy which covers five areas defined by the DfE:

• High-quality and inclusive education
• School improvement
• Workforce
• Finance and Operations
• Governance and Leadership

The Trust Board is accountable in law for all the actions of our Trust. It has strategic and statutory responsibility for safeguarding and SEND. It is the admissions authority, setting and managing the process for admitting pupils and students into our academies. The Trust Board has responsibility for health and safety as the employer of Trust staff. It must ensure that the Trust complies with employment law, equality law, and information management law. Trustees bear collective responsibility for meaningful engagement with stakeholders. They must embed a positive culture reflecting the Seven Principles of Public Life. Oversight of risk management comes within their remit (financial, organisational and reputational risk). The Trust Board approves the annual accounts and monitors the budget throughout the year to ensure that the Trust is spending public money wisely in a way that ensures financial stability for the Trust. 

Jock Rodger - Chair of the Board

Jock retired from Manchester City Council where he was the Strategic Lead Commissioner for Children and for Adult Mental Health Services. He subsequently worked as a consultant supporting local authorities in looking at innovative ways of funding preventative approaches to achieving a social impact for vulnerable citizens. 

He has a background in post-16 funding which has proved very useful in his role on the Trust Board. Jock has lived in Rochdale for almost 40 years and has a deep commitment to ensuring that young people in the borough have the best possible options to support their progress towards higher education and employment.

He uses his spare time to visit his children and grandchildren, to garden with his wife, and to run and ride his bike around the beautiful moorland landscape which sits so close to the town.

John Smart - Vice Chair of the Board and Chair Finance and Resources

John retired from his role as CFO at the HCT Group; an £85m turnover social enterprise in the transport sector delivering services including London red buses, social services transport, school transport, park and ride, community transport and education and training.

John worked for HCT Group for seven years and has led finance and corporate services at a strategic level since the early 1990’s. John now volunteers as a Trustee with Migrant Help UK and Derbyshire Community Transport.

He is FCA qualified with the ICAEW and holds an IoD Certificate in Company Direction.

Umar Khan

Since October 2018, Umar has been Group Finance Director and CFO of Trutex Ltd; a national provider of school uniforms with a turnover of £35m.

Umar is FCA qualified with the ICAEW and qualified in audit with PwC. He is a Trustee of the Golden Mosque in Spotland, Rochdale.

Kitsa Efthymiadis

Having been born, educated, and trained in Manchester, Kitsa moved to Rochdale in the 1980s to join Molesworths as a newly qualified Solicitor. She is still there, and now a Partner, but Kitsa says there is more to life than her property work. 

By the 1990s Kitsa had broadened her horizons by becoming a Non-Executive Director, at Rochdale Healthcare NHS Trust and subsequently at Pennine Care NHS Trust. In 2010, she changed direction and became a Governor at Rochdale Sixth Form College and is now a Trustee of Altus Education Partnership, which she still very much enjoys. 

Nazam Suleman

Nazam is the Mayoral Officer at Rochdale Borough Council.

Naz was a student at Rochdale Sixth Form College and studied LLB Law at the University of Bradford. He was a finalist of National Apprentice of the Year and was the Apprentice of the Year in Rochdale Business Awards.

Whilst working at the local authority Naz has gained experience in democratic services and governance and admissions. His current role as Mayoral Officer involves liaising with internal and external stakeholders ensuring event logistics are in place along with contingency planning and to mitigate any potential risks. Naz oversees financial arrangements which involves a range of subcontracting to external providers.

Jen Gibbons - Chair of Education and Standards

Jen is a former solicitor who has worked in a range of teaching and management positions in both vocational and higher education for the last twenty years. She has undertaken a variety of roles including Deputy Head of Department, International Admissions Tutor, and Programme Leader. She also supported students in providing free legal advice to members of the public at the Baroness Hale Law Clinic in York. She now has a home-based part-time assessment design role at Kaplan, and is enjoying the opportunity this provides to get more involved in voluntary activities.

Mary Blauciak

Mary has held a number of senior positions in further and higher education including Deputy Principal at Buxton and Leek College (University of Derby) and Vice Principal at The Manchester College. In addition to strategic and operational management she was Quality Nominee for Ofsted inspections and Institutional Facilitator for QAA reviews.

Her experience encompasses curriculum and qualification development, external examining and facilitating and managing numerous collaborative partnerships. She has spoken at national conferences on Foundation Degrees, 14-19 education and apprenticeships, and internationally (British Council) on HE in FE. Since retirement she has continued to undertake Designated Body Reviews for the QAA.

Mary’s experience has spanned a wide range of specialist sectors, but she has long term and significant engagement with the creative industries. Prior to entering education Mary worked for fifteen years as a graphic and installation designer in the museums and arts field. Her three children were educated in Rochdale schools.

Mary was the Chair of Rochdale Sixth Form College Governing Body before joining as a Trustee with Altus. 

John Knott

John is a Systems Developer with a background in data visualisations, data analysis and data capture.

Having worked in various parts of the world, John returned to Rochdale in the early 2000s to raise his family. Since returning, he has been a youth football coach and Scout leader, and is currently a Governor at St Michaels CofE Primary School in Heywood, and Trustee of the OddArts Charity in Manchester.

Stephen Brierley

Since graduating, Stephen has spent 34 years as a teacher, senior leader, and Headteacher in seven different schools mainly in the north of England. He led three different schools - a girls’ school, a mixed school, and a boys’ school - for a total of over twenty years before recently spending a year as a Governance Professional in a rapidly-growing, joint-denominational Multi-Academy Trust on Merseyside. He has long been involved with the Association of School and College Leaders, serving on their Executive for over fifteen years. He has a burning passion to see all young people succeed, whatever their background.

As well as being active in his local church, Stephen enjoys cooking, cycling and cricket (though not all at the same time).

Emma Lark

Emma is the Head of Maths at Ambition Institute, an organisation which supports teachers and school leaders with training and professional development based on rigorous research and evidence. She leads on strategy, influencing, research and product development related to maths. Emma trained as a secondary Mathematics teacher and has over 10 years’ experience working as a teacher, middle leader and senior leader. She previously led Ambition Institute's Master’s in Expert Teaching programme. Emma also teaches Maths in adult education and in her spare time enjoys exploring Manchester’s ever-evolving foodie-scene and playing netball for Manchester Flava Netball Club.

Alex Reed

Alex is the Director of Education and Primary Headteacher for the Greater Manchester Academies Trust, and is a specialist in early years, primary and secondary education. Alex has supported schools with school improvement, and is an Ofsted Inspector and a qualified Pupil Premium Reviewer. Alex brings wide-ranging educational expertise to the Board and to the Trust’s Education and Standards Committee.  

Ellie Overland

Dr Eleanor Overland is a Reader in Education, Pedagogy and Citizenship at Manchester Metropolitan University. Her role is varied and includes training teachers who are new to the profession.

Eleanor has held a range of teaching and senior leadership positions in secondary and higher education across Greater Manchester. She has also worked for a Local Authority as part of the school improvement team. Eleanor has served as one of His Majesty’s Inspectors of schools and continues to practice as an Ofsted Inspector. 

Eleanor’s subject specialism is in Computing education. Her research, writing and CPD provision supports teachers and leaders with the development of their curriculum and inclusive use of technology including AI. 

Trust Board Committees

In addition to serving on the Trust Board, our Trustees join committees according to their particular area of expertise or interest. The committees are appointed to scrutinise key areas in greater detail. Each committee has a document which sets out its purpose and remit, called the Terms of Reference. The Board has appointed the following committees:

• Local Governing Bodies

The Trust Board delegates some of its responsibilities to Governors who form the Local Governing Bodies of individual academies. Governors meet regularly with the Headteacher or Principal to assess the educational performance of their particular academy. Our Local Governing Bodies perform a vital role in providing supportive challenge to the Headteachers or Principals of their academies on behalf of the Trust Board. They communicate with the Trust Board to give them first-hand information about their particular academies. Further information about our Governors can be found on the websites of our academies.  

• Finance and Resources Committee  

John Smart is the Chair of the Finance and Resources Committee.

The purpose of the Committee is to take an in-depth look at the Trust’s financial management. The Committee receives and reviews regular budget monitoring reports, evaluates financial decisions and makes sure that systems of internal financial control are effective. It ensures that the annual accounts are properly finalised and reported each year. Further information about the work of the Committee can be found in its Terms of Reference.

• Audit and Risk Committee

Kitsa Efthymiadis is the acting Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee.

The Committee agrees a programme of work to deliver internal scrutiny across the academic year,  and then considers reports from those carrying out the internal audit as well as the Trust’s progress in following recommendations from the internal auditors. The Committee ensures that risks are being addressed appropriately and reviews the ratings and responses in the Risk Register. More details can be found in the Committee’s Terms of Reference.

• Education and Standards Committee

Jen Gibbons is the Chair of the Education and Standards Committee.

The work of this Committee involves scrutiny of pupil and student progress and attainment, including the comparison of different groups of pupils and students. The Committee looks at performance data and considers each academy’s priorities for improvement. Further information on the work of the Education and Standards Committee is set out in its Terms of Reference

• People Committee

Stephen Brierley is the Chair of the People Committee. 

The People Committee oversees the Trust’s HR strategy, looking at the Trust’s practices and policies in relation to the recruitment, retention and wellbeing of staff. The Committee seeks to ensure that the Trust’s culture is underpinned by its values. 

• Governance and Search Committee

Stephen Brierley is the Chair of the Governance and Search Committee.

The role of the Committee is to scrutinise the Trust’s governance structure and the effectiveness of governance practices. The Committee is also responsible for succession planning and retention and recruitment of governance volunteers.

• Executive Pay Committee

Rosemary Barker is the Chair of the Executive Pay Committee.

The Committee reviews Executive Pay and carries out the CEO’s Performance Management Review and sets the CEO’s pay. The Committee ensures that the process for determining the CEO’s pay is fair, compliant and evidence-based. 

 

Governance Professional

The Governance Professional at Altus Education Partnership is Sharon Lewis.

 

Trustees’ Register of Interests

Trustees’ Table of Attendance

Trustee-Meeting-Attendance-2024-2025.pdf

Company and Funding Information

Higher-paid-employees-AEP-1.pdf

Annual-report-and-financial-statements-2023.24.pdf

The Governance Handbook

Altus-Governance-Handbook-24.25.pdf

Terms of Office

Terms-of-Office-Altus-1-1.pdf