The Trustees

As the accountable body for the Trust, the role of the Board of Directors (or Trustees) is to:

  • Ensure clarity of vision and ethos
  • Determine the Trust’s strategic priorities
  • Hold the executive to account for the educational performance of the schools (including the staff) and their pupils
  • Oversee the financial performance of the Trust and ensure its money is well spent
  • Allocate the school budgets
  • Agree curriculum statements for the Trust and each school as necessary
  • Agree Trust-wide policies in line with its values and vision
  • Be responsible for child safeguarding across the Trust
  • Appoint the Headteacher and Deputy Headteacher for each of its schools
  • Review the performance and pay of the CEO, Executive Headteacher (EHT), Headteachers and Heads of each school
  • Approve the Trust's pay policy

The full Board of Directors (Trustees) meets four times a year, including twice with the Members. It has two main committees composed of Trustees, which also meet four times a year and report to the main Board:

  • Finance and Audit Committee
  • Curriculum and Resources Committee
  • Additional Committees held less frequently are:
  • Scrutiny Committee
  • Pay Committee

Mary Higgins

Mary Higgins

Trustee and Member

Mary Higgins has been part of Create’s governance as a Member and Trustee since its designation in 2016. She had over twenty years’ professional experience as a school improvement adviser and senior officer for Schools HR in Birmingham Local Authority with a specialism in employee relations, recruitment, workforce reform, appraisal and performance related pay. She worked with West Midlands authorities on succession planning for school leadership.

Mary has been active in school governance over many years and with different types of schools – primary/secondary/special and academies/mainstream including as Chair of Governors. She is the only Trustee who is also a Member and so she plays an important role in bridging the two levels of governance.

As Trustee she is a member of the Curriculum and Resources Committee and the Scrutiny Committee. She leads the appraisal of the CEO with the support of an External Adviser and is the Board’s safeguarding lead.