The Board hopes to attract candidates who will help to create a more diverse Board, and seeks a variety of skills and experience, details of which can be found below. But in every instance The Laurel Trust is keen to bring in more expertise to the board for the assurance of meeting its charitable objects, and a commitment to supporting its mission. 

The Organisation

The Laurel Trust is a charity founded to support research and innovation for schools and academies in areas of multi-deprivation including opportunity areas, supporting schools serving disadvantaged communities to make a sustainable difference to children’s learning and life chances. 
We have successfully supported over 40 imaginative projects nationally. This year we are funding further projects that will make that make a crucial difference to children’s lives and that excite and interest us.  
Our recent interim strategic review has reconfirmed that our mission is supporting schools to further develop evidence informed practice. 
Our website www.laureltrust.org.uk shows a range of information about some of the projects. 

The Role

The Board of Trustees are responsible for the overall governance and strategic direction of The Laurel Trust, managing its resources and finances and developing the organisation’s aims, objectives, and goals in accordance with their agreed strategy, and legal and regulatory guidelines. 

 The statutory duties of a Trustee are:
• To ensure the organisation complies with its governing document.
• To ensure the organisation applies its resources exclusively for its charitable purpose.
• To contribute actively to the Board of Trustees' role in giving firm strategic direction to the organisation, setting overall policy, defining goals and setting targets and evaluating performance against agreed targets.
• To safeguard the good name and values of the organisation.
• To ensure the effective and efficient administration of the organisation.
• To ensure the financial stability of the organisation
• To make full use of any specific skills, knowledge, or experience to help the Board make good decisions.

Please see the Candidate Information Pack for further details.

Person Specification

• A strong track record of proven and significant achievement in one of the following fields:
• Charity governance with a clear understanding of the legal duties, responsibilities and liabilities of trusteeship and an understanding of the respective roles of the Chair, Trustees and Executive Officers
• Charity finance, ideally although not essentially, with an added understanding of investment management and grant giving
• Senior leadership in a primary education setting with particular expertise in Special Educational Needs, disability and multi-agency support environment
• Educational leadership in any phase of education in areas of multiple deprivation
• Project leadership in a health and wellbeing environment
• Community engagement, particularly in terms of project management
• Educational research and dissemination or education publishing with specific expertise in preparing and assessing publications
• Policy making and/or influencing policy.
• A proven ability to work effectively as a member of a team while contributing an independent perspective
• Awareness of current issue affecting teaching and education.
• A proven track record of being able to process detail and get to the heart of an issue
• A commitment to The Laurel Trust’s values and purpose
• An understanding of, and commitment to, the values of accountability, probity and openness
• A willingness to devote the time and effort required to effectively discharge the duties of this role

How to Apply

If you’re interested in becoming a The Laurel Trust Trustee and have the skills and experience to support and help further develop our organisation please send us: 
• A supporting statement illustrating your fit for this role against the criteria and experience sought, and crucially, your motivation for applying for the role;
• A current comprehensive CV, including details of two referees (who will not of course be contacted without your prior knowledge and consent).
We are committed to safer recruitment. All Trustees require a DBS check and will be required to complete the NSPCC online safeguarding course.

If you would like to have an informal discussion about the role, please get in touch with Melissa Baxter on:
melissa.baxter@russam.co.uk / 07789 985229

Closing date for applications: Friday 20th May 2022
Preliminary Interviews: Week commencing 30th May 2022
Interviews with The Laurel Trust Panel: Week commencing 27th June 2022

We look forward to receiving your application.