Our associate governance experts, Fred Birkett, Ian Preston and Fee Stagg helped us with this article.
What makes it different
The task of monitoring specific areas has traditionally been assigned to committees. In the 'circle model', it's delegated to individuals or pairs instead. These are sometimes called 'link' or 'nominated' trustees or governors.
Some boards choose to have committees alongside link governor/trustees (known as a 'hybrid model'). Academies will always need an audit and risk committee, but whether you choose to keep any other committees is up to you.
Like all things, this model has its pros and cons.
If you're making this change
It should be about keeping your board effective. For example, if you have a small number of governors or trustees, it might be more effective not to have committees. This could be for a short period of time if you plan to build board