Board Director (Governor)

Fairfax Multi-Academy Trust is offering an opportunity for the right people to make a real difference to the outcomes and life chances of young people in Birmingham and Solihull.

Schools

• Fairfax Academy

• Erdington Academy

• Bournville School

• Smith’s Wood Academy

The Role

This is an opportunity to give something back to the local community and use and develop your own skills in a board-level environment. We need individuals willing to commit some of their time and apply their skills and experience to be a Director within Fairfax Multi-Academy Trust.

FMAT has four schools; three are secondary schools, and one is an all-through school (4 to 16) with over 4,000 students. We serve students from a wide range of backgrounds, including some in challenging circumstances. We have much higher-than-average proportions of students from disadvantaged homes and with special educational needs. We firmly believe that every student has the right to realise their full potential, and to do that, they need to experience a high-quality education in a supportive environment to help them achieve their career aspirations and live their lives to the full.

We are seeking to appoint a number of Directors with a range of skills, including education, finance, human resources, risk management, health and safety, estates and marketing.

Key elements of being a Director include:

• Providing strategic guidance and drive to FMAT and its schools

• Holding leaders to account for the school’s performance

• Overseeing the financial and operational propriety of our organisation

The role of Director is challenging but hugely rewarding.

Commitment

• Up to five Trust Board meetings per annum

• Up to 5 committee meetings per annum (per sub-committee) x2

• Training, school visits (ideally three half-days a year) and ad hoc panels

• Circa 100 hours per annum, including meeting preparation, ad hoc meetings and school visits

Responsibilities

• Strategic oversight, setting the vision and policies for the Trust

• Ensure appropriate governance and decision-making

• Ensure compliance with all regulatory requirements

• Hold the executive to account for all academic standards and outcomes

• Oversee finances and the effective use of funds

• Set appropriate targets and hold the CEO to account

• Agree and monitor budgets

• Review performance across the Trust

• Deal with contractual relationships with third parties

• Maintain a risk register which actively informs Trust agendas and decision-making

Closing date: 4.00pm on 1 September 2026.

Fairfax Multi-Academy Trust is committed to the safeguarding and welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful candidate will therefore be required to undertake an Enhanced Disclosure via the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), as well as providing evidence of qualifications.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (2013 and 2020). This means that certain convictions and cautions are considered ‘protected’ and do not need to be disclosed to employers, and if they are disclosed, employers cannot take them into account. Guidance about whether a conviction or caution should be disclosed can be found on the Ministry of Justice website: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/new-guidance-on-the-rehabilitation-of[1]offenders-act-1974.