Governance

The Goldfinch Trust is committed to transparent and effective governance. Our governance structure ensures clear accountability, strong oversight and alignment with our charitable purpose of supporting children and young people with special educational needs and complex health needs.

Governance Structure

The Trust operates a three tier governance model:

• Members
• Board of Trustees
• Local Governing Bodies

Members hold the Trust Board to account for the effective governance of the Trust and safeguard its constitution and purpose.

The Board of Trustees is responsible for the strategic leadership, financial oversight and overall performance of the Trust. Trustees provide challenge and support to executive leaders and ensure that statutory responsibilities are met.

Local Governing Bodies provide local oversight for individual schools, ensuring that Trust strategy is effectively implemented within each setting.

Delegation and Committees

The Trust operates a clear framework of delegated responsibilities to ensure effective governance across all levels. This includes the roles and remit of Members, the Board of Trustees, committees and Local Governing Bodies. Committees support the Board in discharging its responsibilities by providing focused oversight in key areas and enabling detailed scrutiny where required.

Further detail on the structure of governance, including delegated responsibilities and committee arrangements, is set out in the Trust’s Scheme of Delegation.

Governance Diversity

The Goldfinch Trust recognises the importance of diversity within governance and the value that a broad range of perspectives, backgrounds and experiences brings to effective decision making. We are committed to promoting equality, diversity and inclusion across all aspects of governance, including in the recruitment, development and ongoing support of Members, Trustees and Local Governors. 

To ensure confidentiality and to avoid the identification of individuals within a small governance structure, the Trust does not publish detailed diversity data relating to Members, Trustees or Local Governors.

Changes to Governance

There have been no Trustees or Members who have stepped down within the past 12 months.

Where changes to governance occur, the Trust will publish this information in line with statutory requirements.

Local Governing Bodies (LGBs)

Each school within The Goldfinch Trust has a Local Governing Body (LGB). LGBs play a vital role in ensuring that our schools are well supported, well challenged and firmly rooted in their local context, while operating as part of a wider Trust family.

Local Governing Bodies act on behalf of the Trust Board, with clearly defined responsibilities delegated to them through the Trust’s Scheme of Delegation. This ensures strong, consistent governance across the Trust, alongside appropriate local oversight for each school.

Find Out More

Up to date governance information for The Goldfinch Trust, including details of Members and Trustees, is available via the Department for Education’s Get Information About Schools service: View The Goldfinch Trust on Get Information About Schools

More detailed information about the Local Governing Body for Maudsley and Bethlem Hospital School, including membership, meeting information and school-specific governance arrangements, can be found on the Maudsley and Bethlem School website: Welcome to The Maudsley and Bethlem Hospital School