Scheme of Delegation Incorporating Roles and Responsibilities for SMART Schools' Trust.

This Scheme of Delegation is the key document defining the lines of responsibility and accountability in the MAT. It aims to be a simple yet systematic way of ensuring that the Members, Trustees, Local Governors and Headteachers are all clear about their roles and responsibilities. This overarching Scheme of Delegation for all decision-making in the Trust should not be confused with the written Scheme of Delegation of Financial Powers referred to in the Academy Trust Handbook which expands finance more specifically and in more detail.

The Multi Academy Trust’s (MAT) Board of Trustees is accountable in law for all major decisions about its schools. However, this does not mean that the Board is required to carry out all the Trust’s governance functions. Many of these processes are delegated in order to make this manageable and scalable, including to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and to Local Governing Committees (LGCs). It is vital that the decision to delegate a function is made by the full Trust Board of Trustees and is recorded. Without such delegation, the individual or committee has no power to act.