At a governance level, Extol has built an enviable team of experienced practitioners and proven commercial experts that set the strategic direction for the Trust. 

This blend of business acumen and operational expertise, coupled with a wealth of teaching learning knowledge, ensures commercial best-practice and value for the centrally managed services such as Finance, HR and IT across the Trust, plus consistently high standards of educational policy and provision for our family of schools.

The shared vision and values of Extol and all our schools underpins the governance arrangements of the Trust.

Extol fully supports the independence and distinguishing characteristics of each of the schools. Extol has a commitment to supporting the schools within the Extol family for the benefit of the communities served by the school.

The relationship between the Trust and Local Governing Bodies is one of partners sharing a common goal, drawing on each other’s strengths in order to overcome any weaknesses and respond robustly to any challenges.

As a Trust we want to develop partnerships, where each partner school can celebrate and recognise each other’s strengths and learn with and from each other: this is reflected in our name Extol which is derived from the word extollere, meaning to lift up, to praise.

Our Local Governing Bodies are the champions of our values in our individual schools. 

Accountability for decisions

The Trust Board delegate authority to four key groups in order to ensure the effective leadership and governance of Extol Trust.  The four key groups are:

• Board sub-committees
• Executive leadership and management team (the Executive Team)
• Local Governing Bodies
• Individual School Leadership Teams

The relationship between the Trust Board, the Executive Team and the Local Governing Bodies is characterised as a partnership to realise a common vision and a common purpose.  In the case of sub committees and the Local Governing Bodies the relationship between the tiers of governance is also based on the principles of:

1. no duplication of governance.
2. governance should be as close as possible to the point of impact of decision-making. The Terms of Reference and the Scheme of Delegation provides clarity as to who the decision makers are for different levels of decisions.  Effectiveness of both management and governance is supported through clarity over who holds the decision-making responsibility and who supports and advises the decision makers.