The Academy Trust is a company limited by guarantee and an exempt charity. The Charitable Company’s memorandum and articles of association are the primary governing documents of the Academy Trus

The company was incorporated on 7 January 2011.  On 1 April 2011 Alcester Grammar School converted from a foundation school to academy trust status under the Academies Act 2010 and all the operations, and assets and liabilities were transferred to Alcester Grammar School from the Governors of Alcester Grammar School.

The governors act as trustees for charitable activities of Alcester Grammar School and are also the directors of the Charitable Company for the purposes of company law.  The Charitable Company is known as Alcester Grammar School. 

Each member of the Charitable Company undertakes to contribute to the assets of the Charitable Company in the event of it being wound up while they are a member, or within one year after they cease to be a member, such amount as may be required, not exceeding £10, for the debts and liabilities contracted before they ceased to be a member.

In accordance with normal commercial practice the Academy Trust has purchased insurance to protect governors and officers from claims arising from negligent acts, errors or omissions occurring whilst on Academy Trust business. 

The Academy Trust's object is specifically restricted to the following: to advance for the public benefit education in the United Kingdom, in particular but without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing by establishing, maintaining, carrying on, managing and developing a school offering a broad and balanced curriculum. The Academy Trust operates under a funding agreement issued by the Department for Education on 12 October 2022 and commenced operations on 1 April 2011.

The members of the academy trust may appoint up to 12 trustees (governors). There is no limit to the number of governors who may be co-opted by trustees, provided that the total number of governors who are employees of the school (including the principal) does not exceed one-third of the total number of governors. The principal shall be treated for all purposes as an ex-officio governor, if the members have chosen to appoint them as a governor. There will be a minimum of two parent governors who shall be elected by parents of registered students at the school.

New governors are asked to sign the governor code of conduct, have an enhanced DBS check and to complete safeguarding training. They attend all board meetings and may be asked to act as a link governor for a particular area, depending on their personal or business expertise. Governors have access to all policies and procedures and will be offered governance training opportunities, as appropriate. They will also be encouraged to visit the school and to meet with staff and students.

A unified leadership structure operates to help improve the way the school is run.  The structure consists of the governing board and the senior leadership team.  The aim of the management structure is to devolve responsibility and encourage decision-making at all levels.

The governing board is responsible for the vision, ethos and strategic development of the school, adopting an annual school development plan and budget, monitoring the school by the use of budgets, management accounts and educational performance data and making major decisions about the direction of the school, capital expenditure and senior staff appointments.

To ensure effective and efficient governance, with the school development plan at its core, regular board meetings for all governors are held throughout the year. Individual governors take the lead on separate areas, including quality of education, student personal development, behaviour and attitudes, safeguarding, careers, special educational needs and disabilities, finance (incorporating the duties of a finance committee) and admissions. There is a separate risk and audit committee and a separate pay and performance committee. The members of the academy trust meet at least once a year at their annual general meeting.  

The senior leadership team contains the principal (chief executive), the finance & operations director, two vice principals and two assistant principals. These senior leaders direct the school at an executive level implementing the policies laid down by the governing board and reporting back to it.  The senior leaders are responsible for the authorisation of spending within agreed budgets and the appointment of staff, though appointment boards for posts in the senior leadership team always contain a governor.  Some spending control is devolved to members of the senior leadership team, with financial limits above which the principal must countersign.

Heads of department are responsible for the day-to-day operation of curriculum subject areas and accordingly organise their teaching staff, capitation resources, facilities and students. 

The governing board has the responsibility to assess the strategic risks to which the school is exposed. The risk and audit committee will carry out an annual systematic analysis of all risks to produce a risk management register. The governing board has introduced systems, including operational procedures and internal financial controls in order to minimise risk.  The school has an effective system of internal financial controls, this is detailed in the school’s Financial Policies & Procedures document.

As part of its operation, the Academy liaises with organisations such as the Local Authority and The South Warwickshire Education Partnership as well as with other education providers and trainers such as local schools, further education institutions, the local Teaching School Hub and universities. These links are maintained in the interests of supporting good practice and information sharing and consolidate well established mutually supportive associations.