The GDST is both a company and a charity. Our governing documents are the Memorandum and Articles of Association, and these lay down that the “business of the trust shall be managed by the Council”. The Council serves as both the board of directors (for company law purposes) and the charity trustees (for charity purposes). In these dual roles, members of Council are legally responsible for the running of the GDST. The formal role of Council includes:
- Setting the strategic direction of the Trust;
- Agreeing and monitoring the Trust’s business plan;
- Setting and monitoring GDST performance against key performance indicators;
- Policy development and monitoring the implementation of existing GDST policies;
- Ensuring financial viability, including the setting of school fees;
- Ensuring that the assets of the Trust are properly deployed;
- Appointing the Chief Executive Officer.
As at January 2012, we have eleven Trustees. They are collectively known as the Council of the Trust.
Council meets between seven and ten times a year depending on the level of business to be considered. Meetings take place more or less every six weeks. Council members are expected to focus on the strategic direction, rather than the day-to-day operational activities. Trustees have a key role in providing strategic leadership and positioning the GDST for a successful future. In addition to a commitment to girls’ education, qualities we look for in our Trustees include a collaborative approach to decision making, being reflective and rigorous in the evaluation of information, and an understanding of risk.
Yes – we have four committees of Council: Audit, Governance and Nominations, Investments, and Senior Appointments and Remuneration. Each Committee has its own terms of reference, which set out what they can and can’t do. Having these committees allows smaller groups of trustees to examine particular issues in greater detail than is practicable for the whole Council, and the committees will bring to the attention of Council issues that are of particular concern, or matters that they do not have the authority to consider. Each Committee meets at least termly. They are made up of Trustees and may also have external members.
The legal responsibility for the schools rests with Council. All the schools belong to, and are run by the GDST, which is a registered charity incorporated as a limited company. The GDST’s Council members are the charity trustees and company directors and have ultimate responsibility for the activities and performance of the GDST and all the schools. The Council delegates operational responsibility to the Chief Executive and the Heads of each school.
The School Governing Boards are established by the GDST Council. The School Governing Boards (known as SGBs) provide a local strategic and non-executive presence in each school. The SGBs act as a valuable sounding board for the Heads of the schools. They are vital to the success of our schools, as they provide an ongoing source of support, inspiration and positive challenge to the Heads, and act as ambassadors for their schools in the local community.
If you are interested in becoming a Trustee please email governance@wes.gdst.net and we will be able to tell you if we have any vacancies. We advertise vacancies for Trustees (Council members) on our website from time to time and may also advertise in the press, but we are pleased to hear from potential candidates at any time. If there are no vacancies when you contact us, we can keep your details on record and contact you as and when vacancies occur. You can also use this email address if you are interested in becoming a school governor.