The Board is made up of Catholic volunteers, appointed by the Bishop of Portsmouth. We are ultimately responsible for the performance of the Trust as a whole, as well as for the nurturing of its Catholic Life evident within Trist Schools. The day-to-day strategic work of the schools remains the priority of the Local Governing bodies (LGBS). The Board focuses on the strategic direction of the Trust; finances; policies and procedures where these need to be held in common across ESCAT; We are supported in our work by the Catholic Academies and Schools Office, and our meetings are regularly attended by the Chief Education Officer (CEO), Chief Finance Officer (CFO) and Headteachers from our schools.
Whilst all Catholic schools hold to the values of the Gospel’s of Jesus Christ, we believe that every school is unique serving a distinct community. Therefore each school in ESCAT is encouraged to maintain and develop its own identity, ethos, and mission. The Trust is in the process of developing its own mission statement rooted in the Gospels.
LGBs and their subcommittees have powers delegated by the Board. LGBs are made up of volunteers, including parents, and Foundation Governors appointed by the Bishop. The LGBs’ role is to monitor, support and challenge ‘their’ school, especially in the areas of: Catholic Life; performance; behaviour and well-being; budget monitoring; and safeguarding. LGBs governors work ‘on the ground’, knowing ‘their’ school well and visiting regularly.
As Chair of ESCAT’s first Board of Directors, I am grateful to all the volunteers who commit themselves to our schools, and I am proud of the strength of our board, in numbers and commitment, and of the breadth of knowledge, skills, and experience these directors bring. We are excited to be playing our part in bringing to life the Portsmouth Diocesan vision for education.
Marc Evans
Chair Of ESCAT Board
Governance Structure of Members and Directors
The governance structure for Edith Stein Catholic Academy trust
