Our Board of Trustees use their skills and expertise to make a difference by fully supporting, as well as challenging, the values-led decision-making of TDET’s Executive Group and staff throughout our Trust.
Our Trust Board has three core functions; strategic leadership of the Trust, accountability and assurance, and engagement. These functions ensure TDET operates to the very best of its capacity and our young people receive the highest quality educational provision.
An important aspect of our Trustees’ work involves ensuring that the children and young people in our academies are safe by scrutinising TDET’s safeguarding processes and procedures, as well as receiving annual safeguarding training.
Another aspect of the Board’s remit is to ensure that the culture and ethos of TDET, and its values of; Trust, Diversity, Excellence and Transformation, is at the heart of its work with its strategic direction receiving appropriate levels of support throughout the Trust.
Preserving the financial health of TDET by ensuring its income is used appropriately, and in a timely manner ensuring value for money and quality of provision, is another key aspect of the Trustees work, as well as undertaking meaningful engagement with our children and young people, their parents and families, our academies and the communities we serve within TDET.
Alongside their regular duties as trustees, which includes a programme of meetings centred on the welfare of children, young people and staff, and the educational and financial performance of the Trust, our Trustees have undertaken other activities, which have included; visiting our academies, attending parents evenings, the TDET Leadership Conference and academy development days, completing professional learning with the National Governance Association, and undertaking Leadership Impact Reviews and reviews into Trust-wide processes.
Ultimately, our trustees ensure that all stakeholders in Thomas Deacon Education Trust feel valued, listened to, and continue to take pride in being an integral part of the TDET community.
As well as giving back to the community, as a Trustee volunteer you will receive ongoing support as well as opportunities for development. We also offer benefits, such as:
Are you interested in becoming a Trustee? If so, please click to submit your details and a member of our Governance team will contact you.
Alternatively, you can email TDET Governance and Compliance Manager, Andrea Richards, at Andrea.Richards@TDET.education for more information.
My experience as an Academy Committee Member and Trustee
"I first became involved with TDET by becoming a Trustee of Thomas Deacon Foundation. When Gladstone Primary Academy joined the Trust, they were looking for Academy Committee Members, so I put my name forward. The Foundation also appoints two members to Thomas Deacon Academy's committee, so I am also one of those appointments.
I joined Gladstone Primary Academy Committee in February 2017, when it joined TDET. I then joined Thomas Deacon Academy Committee in July 2017. However, I was a pupil at Gladstone Primary School and Deacon's School, so have had a long connection.
I have always been involved in charity and community work, in a variety of roles. This enables me to bring a different perspective to discussions, supporting staff and, when necessary, to challenge.
I have personally learned so much from being part of an Academy Committee. Every time I have a discussion, visit the academies, or read the meeting papers, I learn something new about education and how academies operate. It is important to keep an open mind.
With my Thomas Deacon Foundation link, it is important to acknowledge Thomas Deacon's contribution to young people’s education over the last 300 years. I like to give back to the community that has helped me grow and develop. The Trust is rooted in the community getting involved with local projects and initiatives."
John Turner, Chair of TDA and GPA Academy Committees, and Chair of Thomas Deacon Foundation
