The Trustee Board is the governing board for the Trust and is responsible for ensuring compliance with charity and company law and the Academy Trust’s funding agreement. They are accountable to the Members of the Trust and the Secretary of State for Education.

The Trustee Board has three core functions:

• Setting the strategic direction
• Holding the Headteacher to account for educational performance.
• Ensuring financial health, probity and value for money.

Trustees set the aims and objectives for the School, as well as the policies and targets for achieving them. They monitor and evaluate the progress the School is making towards achieving its goals and act as a source of challenge and support to the Head Teacher; a critical friend.

The Head Teacher is responsible for the internal organisation, management and control of the school and the implementation of the strategic framework established by the governing board.

Trustees at Tonbridge Grammar School

Our two Parent Trustees are elected by the parents of registered students at the school. They should be people with parental responsibility for students at the school at the time of their election. They are entitled to serve out their four-year term of office even if their child leaves the school during their term of office.

Up to 9 trustees are appointed by the Members and selection is based on the skills and experience that they can bring to the role. They have a four year term of office.

In addition, the Board can co-opt additional Trustees who have specific skills and experience that complement their work to fulfil their responsibilities.

This mix of elected and appointed trustees helps to ensure a diversity of views and experience but it does not mean that the trustees of a particular category “represent” that group on the governing body.

For example: Parent Trustees do not act as representatives of the parents of the School and do not report back to them. Rather, they bring a broad parental perspective to discussion and debate. It’s important to remember that all members of the governing body are drawn together by their common interest in making a contribution to the strategic management of the School, regardless of their relationship with it or how they came to serve.

The bulk of the work of our governing body is achieved through its committees. That is where, in the small group situation, time can be given to debate fully the complexities of particular policies or issues.  

At TGS in addition to the Academy Trust Board, we have three committees:

• Audit and Risk
• Curriculum and Standards
• Finance and Resources

The Academy Trust Board has a Chair and Vice Chair, as does each committee. All are elected annually by the Trustees who sit on each committee.

Further information about Members and Trustees can be found in the Annual Trustees Report and on the Governance Structure and membership page.