Number and eligibility
Members sit above the board of trustees in an academy trust, which is similar to a company's shareholders.
They have a largely hands-off role apart from some key responsibilities around signing and amending the articles of association.
Read our article about the role and responsibilities of academy trust members to understand what key members do.
The minimum requirement is 3 members
Ideally, trusts should have 5 members or more as this:
- Provides a more diverse range of perspectives to enable robust decision-making
- Reduces the risks of concentrating power
- Ensures members can take decisions through special resolution without requiring unanimity
This is explained in section 4.2.1 of the Academy Trust Governance Guide.
Eligibility
The people who signed the memorandum of association when the trust was created Usually at least 3 people The foundation or sponsor body – often a corporate body, or the diocese in a church academy There will usually be an