Governance Lead

The Academies For Character And Excellence, Totnes, TQ9 5TZ

22 days remaining to apply

• Job start date

  1 September 2026

• Closing date

  15 July 2026 at 9am

• Date listed

  23 June 2026

Job details

• Job role:
  • Administration, HR, data and finance
• Visa sponsorship: Visas cannot be sponsored
• Working pattern: Full time: 37 hours per week for 42 weeks a year
• Contract type: Permanent
• Pay scale: Devon Grade T - actual salary £46,089 to £49,878

What skills and experience we're looking for

Main purpose of this role:

As a growing Trust we recognise the critical importance of effective governance and how integral it is to the strategic growth of our Trust. This role exists to ensure governance is strategic and compliant, delivering robust accountability and oversight of both financial and educational outcomes.

The Trust Governance Lead will uphold high standards of governance, ensuring the efficient operation of the Trust Board and its committees. The postholder will advise the Chair and CEO on governance strategy, compliance and best practice.

The Trust Governance Lead will ensure that all Board decisions are implemented in accordance with the Trust’s Memorandum and Articles of Association, the Academy Trust Handbook, and Department for Education (DfE) governance and accountability frameworks (including those previously issued by the Education and Skills Funding Agency – ESFA).

They will work collaboratively with all key stakeholders including the Board of Trustees, Trust portfolio leads, the Diocese, local chairs, local advocate clerks, Headteachers and other governance experts, the Governance Lead will act as the Trust’s expert on governance and policy.

Within this role the Trust Governance Lead will be part of a team focused on providing the best quality provision for pupils in Trust schools. The Trust’s reputation is strong and astrategy for growth forms part of the Trust vision, this provides opportunities for creative and innovative thinking in order to help shape the future educational landscape.

The role combines strategic leadership with operational delivery, driving continuous improvement, supporting Trust growth, and strengthening governance across all levels. This will involve leading on advocate training and supporting Headteachers and Clerks on advocate recruitment and retention along with supporting local advocate clerks through a period of change is an integral part of this role.

This exciting role provides opportunities for personal learning and growth through working with forward looking and thinking individuals at different levels. As a key member of the central team the Trust talent management procedures and protocols will support you to flourish in this role and deliver exceptional results.

What the school offers its staff

The Academies for Character and Excellence has twenty primary schools across Devon & Somerset, making up a dynamic and innovative learning organisation.

We live our mission and return to this constantly to help guide every action. At the heart of all we do is the pursuit of excellence; we want to grow an exceptional Trust comprised of excellent schools. We are achieving this through our shared core values of collaboration, community, equity, and of course uncompromising excellence.

Community

ACE is a community of learners dedicated to achieving our common mission. You are our most valued asset.

We will give you dedicated time to have your own talents developed through working with a wider team of professionals and experts.

Collaboration

ACE works in collaborative partnerships to achieve the extraordinary. You are a vital part of our amazing team.

We will provide a strong supportive network of teams to help you progress and inspire you to go beyond whatever you could do on your own.

Equity

ACE recognises that each individual has the right to be appreciated for the added value they bring to the Trust.

We will give you the right opportunities to grow and flourish in all aspects of your wellbeing, no matter what role you have in the organisation.

Uncompromising Excellence

ACE is about excellence in all that we do. We can’t do it for you but we can help you do it for yourself.

You will have access to membership of Trust-wide groups who ask the same question:

What if…? Research and development is part of our core offer to you.

Integrity

We do what we say we will do. If the gloves don’t fit then we don’t wear them. Our mission and values are both the light that guides us and the standards against which we measure our successes.

We are truly collaborative, and we work together within and across our schools to ensure that all our children and staff members achieve their potential. Together we work to create a full and rich curriculum offer allowing everyone to flourish - we translate our vision of excellence into our everyday practice. We are proud of our outcomes, but we aspire to achieve more than just academic excellence for our children. We also want our children to become healthy thinkers, curious explorers, caring citizens, knowledgeable participants and confident individuals.

We aim to serve our communities, and our schools make every effort to connect with families, local community groups and organisations to ensure that our children and families are nurtured, supported and provided with opportunities through our schools.

Our value of equity leads us to want the very best of every child and every staff member. The Academies for Character and Excellence believes in ‘Personal Growth for All’, and we are committed to tackle inequalities and overcome disadvantage and to provide bespoke opportunities for professional learning for all.

Further information about the job

The candidate will be required to undergo a full enhanced DBS check and must be eligible to work in the UK.

Visas cannot be sponsored.

If you're interested in teaching or training to teach in England as an international citizen, we can help you understand your next steps.

LOCATION

Devon, Torbay & Somerset with central offices inTotnes (Devon) and Ilminster (Somerset)

(hybrid working available)

Commitment to safeguarding

Our organisation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all staff, volunteers and trustees to share this commitment.

Our recruitment process follows the keeping children safe in education guidance.

Offers of employment may be subject to the following checks (where relevant):
childcare disqualification
Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)
medical
online and social media
prohibition from teaching
right to work
satisfactory references
suitability to work with children

You must tell us about any unspent conviction, cautions, reprimands or warnings under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975.

Applying for the job

This job requires you to download an application form, you will be able to upload the application once complete.

CVs will not be accepted for this application.

Additional documents

If you need these documents in an accessible format, please contact the school.

ACE Governance Professional Recruitment Pack fv.pdf - 2.59 MB (opens in new tab)

About The Academies For Character And Excellence

• Type: Multi-academy trust
• Website: The Academies For Character And Excellence website
• Email address: recruitment@acexcellence.co.uk
• See more jobs: teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/the-academies-for-character-and-excellence

Head office location

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