The information in this article is based on the Department for Education's (DfE's) model articles of association and funding agreements – for single academies and multi-academy trusts (MATs). If you're an academy, check your own articles of association and funding agreement as they may differ from the models.
Legal status of an academy trust
An academy trust:
- Is a charitable company limited by guarantee
- Must comply with company and charity law
- Is an independent legal entity
- Is the admission authority, meaning it sets and manages its own admissions process
- Is the 'employer' of staff, meaning it's legally responsible for things like health and safety
See pages 55, 56, 73 and paragraph 268 of the Governance Handbook.
How governance is structured
All academy trusts are made up of at least 2 layers of governance:
- Members
- Trustees (also known as directors)
MATs often have a third layer:
Academy