What an associate member is and why appoint them
An associate member is:
- Anyone appointed to a committee of the governing board for their specific skills and expertise
- Not a governor – so they're not recorded in the instrument of government
This is laid out in the maintained schools governance guide in section 5.3.5.
Non-trustees on trust board committees
If you're an academy trust, the term 'associate member' doesn't appear in the academy trust governance guide or the model articles of association. However, article 101 says committees can include people who aren't trustees (as long as the majority of the committee members are trustees). We use the term 'associate member' here for ease, but unless it's stated otherwise, everything in the article applies to both maintained and trust board committees.
Why appoint associate members?
They can:
You might appoint associate members as part of succession