TRUSTEES & SOME KEY STAFF (ATB/EXEC)

Cranford Community College is a Single Academy Trust (SAT)

The trustees (who are also known as the Governors or the Directors) of Cranford Community College have a duty to ensure that the academy is efficiently run and that the children are given the best possible education.

The trustees have many and varied duties such as establishing the vision, values and priorities. agreeing the school budget, employing staff, monitoring the performance of staff and pupils, ensuring a high quality of education is provided and ensuring that the school is a safe and happy place to be.

System Leadership

Cranford, as a National Support School, and its Chief Executive, as a National Leader of Education, have provided regular support to other schools and the academy continues to act as a hub for best practice, research and innovation.

Cranford Community College led its Teaching School Alliance (TSA) until 31 August 2021. The academy has always supplemented the TSA grant income from its own resources to support activity that it wishes to pursue regardless of Teaching School Status. The academy has decided to maintain a number of legacy strands following the end of the TSA grant from its resources.

The academy also maintains a number of legacy strands from its former status as a Language College and is committed to internationalism and global curriculum, training, study, mutual CPD, and partnership opportunities.

Constitution

The Academy Trust is a company limited by guarantee and an exempt charity. The charitable company’s memorandum and articles of association are the primary governing documents of the Academy Trust (see links below). The trustees of Cranford Community College are also the directors of the charitable company for the purposes of company law. The charitable company operates as Cranford Community College. It is also traditionally known as ‘Cranford College’, ‘Cranford Community’, ‘Cranford Community School’ and ‘Cranford School’.

Trustee Appointments and Current Terms 2023-24

Jennifer Sandra Lewis (Chair, Appointed), to 14 July 2026
Shafia Haroon (Vice Chair, Elected Parent Governor), to 17 June 2024
Jennifer Elizabeth Lewis (Appointed), to 13 December 2025
Tatinder (Taz) Virdee (Appointed), to 10 October 2026
Barbara Lodge (Appointed), to 15 April 2027
Tammy Jenkins (Elected Staff) from 1 November 2023 to 1 November 2027
Milton Venancio Ferreira (Elected Staff) from 1 November 2023 to 1 November 2027
Ranvir Singh Kanwar (Appointed) from 1 November 2023 to 7 December 2027

NOTE: Mr Kanwar was appointed from 1 November 2023 (after the October 2023 meeting) and resigned on 7 December 2023 (due to a change in his availability) before the December 2023 so did not, in practice, take part in any formal activity as a trustee. Hiis term, nevertheless is recorded on the GIAS website for completeness.

Contemporary Trustee and Member details may always be found through this LINK

The Academy Trust Handbook states trusts must notify DfE of changes to their governance information within 14 calendar days of the change, through the governance section of the Get information about schools (GIAS) register, accessed via DfE Sign-in. This requirement includes providing direct contact details for all governance roles.

New chairs of trustees may also need to complete a suitability check

Summary of Trustees’ Register of Interests 2023-24 (Up to date)

Trustee’s name	Name of business / charity / educational institute	Name of interest / interest began	Appointment (by/when)
Shafia Haroon	Home Office UK Border Force,	Employee 10 December 2015	Elected by Parents 10 December 2015
Jennie Lewis	Berkeley Academy Berkeley Pre-School	Employee 14 December 2017 Committee Member (Chair) / 14 December 2017	Appointed by the ATB 14 December 2017
Jenny Lewis	None (Retired)	N/A	Appointed by Members 1 April 2011
Barbara Lodge	Berkeley Academy	Trustee	Appointed by the MATB 27 July 2023
Daanish Saeed	London Borough of Hounslow West Thames College	Councillor / 4 October 2012 Employee / 1 September 2018	Resigned 9 November 2022
Taz Virdee	Heston West Big Local C-Change West London	Employee / 10 October 2019 - ENDED 31 August 2022 Employee / 1 September 2022	Appointed by the ATB 10 October 2019
Tammy Jenkins	Cranford Community College Employee	1 November 2023	Elected by staff 1 November 2023
Milton Venancio Ferreira	Cranford Community College Employee	1 November 2023	Elected by staff 1 November 2023
Ranvir Singh Kanwar	John Lyon School, Harrow	1 November 2023	Resigned 7 December 2023 without activity / before first meeting.

The Academy Trust is currently considering updating its Funding Agreement and Articles of Association (2010 version) with the ESFA / Secretary of State in 2024/25 and is also considering its options in terms of MAT developments so there may be some resulting structural changes to the ATB (Members and Trustees) and eligibility once either of these new frameworks are agreed and ratified. Key decisions are envisaged during 2024/25.

Further Information about Financial Management, the Annual General Meeting, the Annual Accounts and the Annual Report can be found on another page on this website, CLICK HERE

Governance Professional / Clerk

Bernadette Moir (part-time, ad hoc)

The Chair of the ATB can be contacted using the drop down menu of the 'CONTACT US' tab on this website

Complaints and Compliments should be sent using the drop down menu of the 'CONTACT US' tab on this website

Organisational Structure of the Academy Trust

(Next update: April 2024)

The Academy Trust operate strategically and hold the Chief Executive, who is also the Accounting Officer, to account for the running of the academy and its related functions and the board, at least annually, comprehensively, and formally review the thresholds of responsibility and delegation between the Academy Trust, the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Operating Officer, The Chief Finance Officer, the Headteachers and other key management personnel.

The Headteachers (and their delegates) are responsible for all operational matters and the ‘day to day’ running of the academy, overseen by the Chief Operating Officer and with the Chief Executive/Academy Trust acting as ‘critical friend’ and appraising their performance.

The Chief Executive is responsible for policy and decision making in so far as it has not been made by the trust and is accountable to / reports to the Chair and the trust board.

Normally, there is an annual / biennial cycle of appraisal linked to performance pay for all staff, except the Chief Executive whose performance is rated but whose pay is currently frozen at under £150,000 by mutual agreement and hence not currently subject to either inflationary or performance progression.

The Academy Trust, supported by the Chief Executive, has responsibility for monitoring its own performance and for its own training. It reports through the Annual General Meeting and is subject to scrutiny by the regulators, including external auditors.

The trust is experienced and has well established protocols for the operation of the Academy Trust, a clear structure, written terms of reference and a regular cycle of meetings and activities.

In 2023-24, the Academy Trust is organised as follows (subject to updating):

Full Academy Trust (Chair: Mrs Jenny Sandra Lewis, JLE), includes oversight, school and system leadership, vision and values, priorities, delegation planning, risk monitoring
Chair Meetings with the Chief Executive / Accounting Officer
Audit and Finance Committee, includes HR, Internationalism, Contracts, Site and Premises, Compliance and Risk
Curriculum andSafeguarding Commitee, includes Standards,SEND and Inclusion, Equalities, Environmentalism, Behaviour, Safety, Wellbeing and Health.

Admissions Panel (Chair: Ms Jennie Elizabeth Lewis) (JLS/BLO)
Appeals & Complaints Committee (Any 3 eligible and trained governors, Chair varies)
Pupil Discipline Committee (Any 3 eligible and trained governors, Chair varies, staff governors are eligible)
Staff Dismissal Committee (Any 3 eligible and trained governors, Chair varies, staff governors ineligible)
Pay & Performance Management Committee (Chair: Mrs Jenny Sandra Lewis) (JLE, JLS), TVI = Review Trustee
Collaboration Committee - 2 Trustees (voting) and the Accounting Officer (non-voting). Chair rotates 6 monthly with other organisation(s) (JLE/TVI + KPR) - Not currently in session

Please note that Mrs Jenny Sandra Lewis (JLE) and Ms Jennie Elizabeth Lewis (JLS) are not related or connected other than both being trustees.

IMPROVEMENT & RESILIENCE THROUGH MODERNISATION & TECHNOLOGY

Some alternative arrangements operated in recent years to maximise Covid safety including absorbing the work of most committees into the full ATB where appropriate, minimising face to face meetings, using videoconferencing and incorporating electronic meetings and decisions, using communications technologies where face to face meetings have not been possible.

INTERNAL & EXTERNAL SCRUTINY & ACCOUNTABILITY

The academy is subject to external review, scrutiny, and validation through a variety of inspections and audits by a range of agencies including Responsible Officer visits, Audit, the Education and Skills Funding Agency, the Health and Safety Executive, etc. and reports by these agencies are shared with the Academy Trust and published.

The academy (Chief Executive/Academy Trust) also undertakes a variety of evaluations and satisfaction surveys and monitors key performance indicators. The academy also benchmarks and improves its performance through involvement and leadership of networks of schools and school improvement partnerships.

The trust envisgages hosting a Community Conference for stakeholders to contribute to the vision and direction of the academy in summer 2025.

The Chief Executive and his nominees normally report to the Academy Trust regularly through Full Academy Trust meetings and committees and meets and communicates regularly with the Chair between Academy Trust meetings and meets on average fortnightly in term time for monitoring of academy performance by the Chair.

The Academy Trust is also kept involved through scrutiny of data and benchmarking information, publications, the academy website and its associated social media and invitations to / attendance events, activities and trustee training.

The Academy Trust monitors the performance of the academy through a variety of means including through its committee and meetings structure, through probing and questioning, through involvement with the academy and through activities such as regular Health and Safety inspections and data monitoring.

The academy trust board has authorised the Chair, when she deems it necessary, to use her powers to deal with urgent needs, reporting any significant use to the Academy Trust as appropriate afterwards through the agenda.

The Chief Executive, Chief Operating Officer, Co-Headteachers and Academy Trust and their nominees report to parents, pupils and the community through a variety of means including the academy website, reports, letters and magazines, text messaging, school email, school phones, assemblies, the academy’s Virtual Leaning Environment (MSTeams), SchoolCloud, etc.

The Academy Trust agrees the broad staffing structure at least annually as part of the approval of the budget and delegates to the Chief Executive the flexibility to take opportunities for improvement as they arise or when needs change in the year within the envelope of the agreed annual budget total.

The board also agrees any legal agreements which could be used for any related party transactions and larger contracts such as ground maintenance.

Committees & Panels

Dates of 2023/24 Meetings

ATB Meetings:

Meeting 1 (COMPLETED): Thursday 19 October 2023 (e-meeting)

Meeting 2 (COMPLETED): Thursday 07 December 2023 (Live / e-meeting after AGM)

and to be held at 4:30pm on these dates:

► Meeting 3: Thursday 21 March 2024 (Live / e-meeting)

► Meeting 4: Thursday 04 July 2024 (Live / e-meeting)

MEETING ATTENDANCE

	e- MEETING 1	MEETING 2	MEETING 3	MEETING 4
JENNY LEWIS	PRESENT	PRESENT	ELIGIBLE	ELIGIBLE
SHAFIA HAROON	PRESENT	PRESENT	ELIGIBLE	ELIGIBLE
JENNIE LEWIS	PRESENT	PRESENT	ELIGIBLE	ELIGIBLE
TAZ VIRDIE	PRESENT	PRESENT	ELIGIBLE	ELIGIBLE
BARBARA LODGE	PRESENT	APOLOGIES	ELIGIBLE	ELIGIBLE
TAMMY JENKINS	PRESENT^	PRESENT	ELIGIBLE	ELIGIBLE
MILTON VENANCIO FERREIRA	PRESENT^	PRESENT	ELIGIBLE	ELIGIBLE
RANVIR SINGH KANWAR	ELIGIBLE^	RESIGNED	RESIGNED	RESIGNED

ATH 2023:

COMMITEE STRUCTURE 2023-24 (MEMBERSHIP TO BE DECIDED THROUGH E-MEETING)

The quorum for most committees must be three, two of whom must be trustees, but a committee can involve non-Trustees.

Audit and Finance Committee: to be held at 2:30pm on these dates:

► Wednesday 13 March 2024

► Wednesday 19 June 2024

Curriculum and Safeguarding Committee: to be held at 2:30pm on these dates:

► Wednesday 06 March 2024

► Wednesday 12 June 2024

Pay and Performance Management Committee: to be held at 2:30pm on these dates:

► Wednesday 27 March 2024

► Wednesday 06 June 2024

MAIN COMMITTEES 2022-23 (TO BE UPDATED IN SPRING 2024)

Audit, Compliance & Risk Committee: The Academies Financial Handbook 2014 prohibits employees of the school and Executive Directors (KPR) from being members of this committee, although senior staff are expected to support the workings of this committee. The Chair must be a non-executive director and there must be at least one other non-executive Director. The committee must have at least three members.

Finance & Monitoring Committee: The committee must have at least three members. The majority (i.e. at least 2) must be Trustees. There are no other restrictions on membership. Staff Trustees are eligible to serve on this committee.

Safeguarding & Wellbeing (including Health & Safety): The committee must have at least three members. The majority (i.e., at least 2) must be Trustees. Staff Trustees are eligible to serve on this committee.

AD HOC

Admissions Panel: This ad hoc panel (Any 2 trustees meets to review compliance with the Admissions Policy and Admissions Code of Practice for in-year admissions and the filling of vacancies from the waiting list)
Appeals & Complaints: The committee must normally have at least three members. The majority (i.e., at least 2) must be Trustees. The Headteacher is ineligible.
Staff Dismissal: The committee must normally have at least three members. The majority (i.e., at least 2) must be Trustees. The Headteacher is ineligible.
Pay & Performance Management: This committee needs two non-staff Trustees and, for the Headteacher’s Performance Management, a non-staff review Trustee. Committee members must be objective, independent and transparent. Staff Trustees are not eligible.
Pupil Discipline: The committee must normally have at least three members. The majority (i.e., at least 2) must be Trustees. Staff trustees are eligible, but the Headteacher is ineligible.
Nominated Trustees: The chair is routinely delegated authority to make time sensitive decisions on behalf of the academy where necessary, reporting afterwards to the full ATB. Any trustee may be nominated to a delegated task by the full ATB (e.g. Workload and wellbeing trustee, environment and climate trustee, oversight of a capital project, oversight of a procurement process, Equalities and Sexual Harassment Trustee, etc.)

Collaboration Committee: The organisation of the committee is set out in the legal agreement which can be read HERE when there is a RPT in place (Not currently)

KEY

Governance (Member / Trustee) Oversight is denoted by a 4-letter code

ACCC: Appeals and Complaints / Compliments Committee
ACRC: Audit, Compliance and Risk Committee
CHMM: Chair / EHT Monthly Meetings
CPAP: Cranford Pupil Admissions Panel
FATB: Full Academy Trust Board
FPMC: Finance, Procedures and Monitoring Committee
HTAP: Executive Head Teacher/Deputy Head teacher Appointment Panel
MEMB: Members of the Academy Trust
PPMC: Pay & Performance Management Committee (PPMC)
PBDC: Pupil Behaviour & Discipline Committee
RPCC: RPT / Collaboration Committee
SCDC: Staff Conduct & Dismissal Committee
SHWC: Safeguarding, Health and Safety and Wellbeing Committee

MEMBERS

♦ Roger John Owen (from 1 April 2011)

♦ Jenny Sandra Lewis (from 1 April 2011)

♦ Nicola Marie Taylor (from 1 September 2020)

♦ Daanish Saeed (from 1 February 2023)

Summary of Members’ Register of Business Interests (Up to date)

Member’s name	Name of business / charity / educational institute	Name of interest / interest began	Appointment (By / When)
Roger Owen	None	N/A	Appointed by ATB 1 April 2011
Jenny Lewis	None	N/A	Appointed by ATB 1 April 2011
Nicola Moir	Pay UK (Finance and Banking)	Employee	Appointed by ATB 1 September 2020
Daanish Saeed	London Borough of Hounslow West Thames College	Councillor / 4 October 2012 Employee / 1 September 2018	Appointed by ATB 1 February 2023

Company Name

Cranford Community College

Principal and Registered Office

High St

Cranford

Middlesex

TW5 9PD

Company Registered Number

07559818 (England & Wales)

The certificate of incorporation can be found here by clicking.

The academy trust of Cranford Community College has been established under these articles of association, memorandum of association and funding agreement. These are currently being updated with the ESFA.

The trustees have the freehold of the land and premises.

Cranford Community Trading Company

Commercial activity is run through a separate Trading Company to ensure the proper payment of VAT and has a sole Director, Mr John Lyden. Mr Lyden operates independent of the board and the academy. Kevin Prunty acts as CEO.

All the profits from the trading company are gifted to the academy.