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Members of the academy trust: role and responsibilities

Understand the role of members in an academy trust, and get advice on resolving difficulties between members and trustees. Download and share our explainer to help everyone in your trust understand members' key responsibilities.

Last reviewed on 28 August 2025See updates
School types: Academy•School phases: All•Ref: 5406
Contents
  1. Members have a largely hands-off role
  2. Key responsibilities
  3. Members must meet at least once a year
  4. Communicate the role across the trust
  5. How to resolve differences between members and trustees

Members have a largely hands-off role

Trusts must have at least 3 members, but should have 5 or more (see paragraph 1.3 of the Academy Trust Handbook (ATH)).

Members sit above the board of trustees, and are there to make sure the trust's governance is effective.

Members' main function is to:

  • Further the trust's charitable objects
  • Appoint some trustees
  • Hold trustees to account for the successful governance of the trust

Members can also be trustees but the majority of members must not also serve as trustees. Employees of the trust cannot be members.

See article 12B of the model articles of association and section 4.2.1 of the academy trust governance guide for more details. 

Check your own articles of association for your trust's rules on members.

Find out how members are appointed in our other article. 

Members have a limited liability 

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