Our Code of Conduct
Code of Conduct for Trustees and
Local Academy Committees (LACs)
Arboretum Primary School
Effective Date:
1st September 2024
Approved by the Trust Board on: 18th July 2024
Approved by the LAC on: 19th September 2024
Contents
4) Fulfil our role & responsibilities
5) Demonstrate our commitment to the role
6) Build and maintain relationships
8) Declare conflicts of interest and be transparent
1) Introduction
This code of conduct is anchored in the Seven Nolan Principles of Public Life. It aligns with the Framework for Ethical Leadership in Education which outlines principles that support ethical decision-making and challenge unethical behaviour. Once this code has been adopted, all Trust Board Members and LAC Members agree to faithfully abide by it.
Trustees: We agree to follow the Academy Trust Governance Code
Those governing at local level: We recognise and support the principles set out in the Academy Trust Governance Code
We will abide by the Seven Nolan Principles of Public Life:
Selflessness
We will act solely in terms of the public interest.
Integrity
We will avoid placing ourselves under any obligation to people or organisations that might try inappropriately to influence us in our work.
We will not act or take decisions in order to gain financial or other material benefits for ourselves, our family, or our friends. We will declare and resolve any interests and relationships.
Objectivity
We will act and take decisions impartially, fairly and on merit, using the best evidence and without discrimination or bias.
Accountability
We are accountable to the public for our decisions and actions and will submit ourselves to the scrutiny necessary to ensure this.
Openness
We will act and take decisions in an open and transparent manner. Information will not be withheld from the public unless there are clear and lawful reasons for so doing.
Honesty
We will be truthful.
Leadership
We will exhibit these principles in our own behaviour. We will actively promote and robustly support the principles and be willing to challenge poor behaviour wherever it
We will apply the highest standards and will: act within our powers
- Promote the success of the Trust
- Exercise independent judgement
- Exercise reasonable care, skill and diligence
- Avoid conflicts of interest
- Not accept benefits from third parties
- Declare interest in proposed transactions or arrangements occurs.
We will focus on our core purpose:
- Strategic leadership: defining a vision, fostering a culture and championing the strategy
- Accountability and assurance: providing robust and effective oversight of operations and performance
- Engagement: strategic oversight of relationships with stakeholders
2) Church Schools
In our Church Schools we agree to seek to uphold the Christian foundation of the school.
The Local Academy Committee (LAC) will ensure that Christian values underpin the relationships between LAC Members and others. These core values based on the Beatitudes may be summarised as follows:
- Faithfulness and integrity
- Dignity and compassion
- Humility and gentleness
- Truth and justice
- Forgiveness and mercy
- Purity and holiness
- Tolerance and peace
- Service and sacrifice
LAC Members of a Church of England School are committed to upholding and modelling the school’s Christian values along with the requirement to ensure the promotion of British Values.
3) Scope
The Code of Conduct is for Trustees and LAC Members who both have key strategic responsibilities for DDAT and its schools.
The Code of Conduct should be read in conjunction with:
- DDAT Articles of Association
- DDAT Scheme of Delegation
- Keeping Children Safe in Education
- Terms of references for the Local Academy Committees.
The code does not override the content of any of those documents. New members to the Trust Board and Local Academy Committees should agree to the Code of Conduct on being appointed as part of their induction programme
As individuals, we agree to:
4) Fulfil our role & responsibilities
- We accept that our role is strategic and so will focus on our core purpose rather than involve ourselves in day-to-day management.
- We will fulfil our role and responsibilities as set out in the Scheme of Delegation (LAC Members) or the Trust’s Articles of Association (Trustees) and statutory guidance.
- We will develop, share and live the ethos and values of our Trust.
- We agree to adhere to Trust policies and procedures.
- We shall fully cooperate with individual requests that are necessary to ensure organisational compliance, such as disclosure and barring or right to work checks.
- We will work collectively for the benefit of the Trust.
- We will be candid but constructive and respectful when holding senior leaders to account.
5) We will consider how our decisions may affect the Trust and local community.
a) We will stand by the decisions that we make as a collective.
- Where decisions and actions conflict with the Seven Principles of Public Life or may place pupils at risk, we will speak up and bring this to the attention of the relevant authorities.
- We will only speak or act on behalf of the Trust Board if we have the authority to do so.
- Trustees: We will fulfil our responsibilities as a good employer, acting fairly and without prejudice.
- When making or responding to complaints, we will follow the established procedures.
- We will strive to uphold the Trust’s reputation in our private communications (including on social media).
- We will have regard to our responsibilities under The Equality Act and will work to advance equality of opportunity for all.
- Those governing at local level: We will act as local ambassadors for our Trust.
- We will ensure the promotion of British Values.
6) Demonstrate our commitment to the role
- We will involve ourselves actively in the work of the Trust Board or LAC and accept our fair share of responsibilities, serving on panels, working groups or committees (Trustees), where required.
- We will make every effort to attend all meetings and where we cannot attend explain in advance why we are unable to.
- We will arrive at meetings prepared, having read all papers in advance, ready to make a positive contribution and observe protocol.
- We will get to know the school(s) well and welcome opportunities to be involved in school activities.
- We will visit the school(s) and when doing so will make arrangements with relevant staff in advance and observe school and board protocol.
- When visiting a school in a personal capacity (for example, as a parent or carer), we will continue to honour the commitments made in this code.
- We will participate in induction training, prioritise training in required areas (such as safeguarding) and commit to developing our individual and collective skills and knowledge on an ongoing basis.
7) Build and maintain relationships
- We will develop effective working relationships with leaders, staff, parents and other relevant stakeholders from our local communities.
- Those governing at local level: We will champion the voices of our school community and stakeholders.
- Those governing at local level: We will establish effective working relationships with Trustees.
- Trustees: We will engage with and be accountable to those governing at local level.
- Trustees: We will respect the remit of, and engage constructively with, relevant authorities, sector bodies and other trusts.
- We will express views openly, courteously and respectfully in all our communications with board members and staff both inside and outside of meetings.
- We will work to create an inclusive environment where each board member’s contributions are valued equally.
- We will support the chair in their role of leading the Trust Board or LAC and ensuring appropriate conduct.
8) Respect confidentiality
- We will observe complete confidentiality both inside and outside of the Trust when matters are deemed confidential or where they concern individual staff, pupils or families.
- We will not reveal the details of any governing body vote.
- We will ensure all confidential papers are held and disposed of appropriately.
- We will maintain confidentiality even after we leave office.
9) Declare conflicts of interest and be transparent
- We will declare any business, personal or other interest that we have in connection with the Board or LAC’s business, and these will be recorded in the register of business interests.
- We will also declare any conflict of loyalty at the start of any meeting should the need arise.
- If a conflicted matter arises in a meeting, we will offer to leave the meeting for the duration of the discussion and any subsequent vote.
- We accept that the Register of Business Interests will be published on the Trust’s and/or school’s website.
- We will act as a Trustee or LAC Member, not as a representative of any group.
- We accept that in the interests of open governance, our full names, date of appointment, terms of office, roles on the Trust Board or LAC, attendance records, relevant business and pecuniary interests, category of LAC Member or Trustee and the body responsible for appointing us will be published on the Trust and/or school website.
- We accept that information relating to Trust Board and LAC Members will be collected and recorded on the DfE’s national database (Get Information About Schools), some of which will be publicly available.
10) Adopted and Signed
We understand that potential or perceived breaches of this code will be taken seriously and that a breach could lead to formal sanctions.
Adopted by: DDAT Board on 18th July 2024
Signed: [Sarah Charles, Chair of Trustees]
Adopted by Arboretum Primary school on 19th September 2024
Signed: (Suzanne Forster Chair of LAC)
We agree that this code of conduct will be reviewed annually, upon significant changes to the law and policy or as needed and it will be endorsed by the full LAC or Trust Board. All LAC Members agree to sign the Code of Conduct on GovernorHub. DDAT Trustee confirmation to be coordinated by the Trust Governance Professional.