Academy trusts: governance guide
Guidance on strategic leadership and the governance of academy trusts.
Applies to England
Documents
Details
This non-statutory guidance is for those involved in trust governance. It provides essential information from a range of sources on the trust board’s roles and legal responsibilities.
The academy trust handbook and your funding agreement have more information on contractual requirements.
Updates to this page
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We have updated section 7.11.1, on directing pupils off-site to improve their behaviour, because the relevant legislation applies to academy schools. We have also clarified detail on when a requirement on new appointments comes into effect. This is in section 5.5, on setting and managing executive pay.
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We have updated the governance guide to reflect new duties which come into force from 1 September 2026, and other recommendations. We have outlined the changes in the ‘What has changed – July 2026 update’ section.
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First published.