The Learning without Limits Academy Trust was founded in 2016 to serve the communities of Leicester City and Leicestershire. Originally born out of Babington Academy in the North-West of Leicester, the Trust now supports five schools across both the Primary and Secondary phase. It has an annual operating budget of around £30m and collectively its schools serve over 3,500 pupils.

What is perhaps most distinctive about The Learning without Limits Academy Trust is its powerful social mission. It is actively drawn towards supporting schools which find themselves in the most challenging social contexts. The close geographical location of its schools means that the Trust can easily share opportunities and experiences that greatly improve the life chances of its students. Its collaborative approach to school improvement gives its schools the tools necessary to improve, and to sustain this improvement over time.

The Trust has been on a rapid journey of improvement since 2019 following the appointment of its current CEO, John Henrys. John and his team have built up the Trust's central team so that it has the knowledge, expertise and capacity to provide impactful strategic support to its schools, empowering Headteachers to focus on educational delivery. This investment has been made possible by the Trust's strong, stable financial position. In the years ahead, the Trust expects the significant improvements already being felt by its schools day-to-day to be reflected in much improved Ofsted judgements. This is an exciting time to be joining the Trust as it looks to enter the next phase of its development.

The Learning without Limits Academy Trust is governed by a Board of Trustees which oversees the management and administration of the Trust and the academies it operates. The Trust is both a company limited by guarantee and a charity so those who serve on its Board act both as Non-Executive Directors and as Trustees.

The Chair of the Board provides overall strategic direction to the Trust. In particular, they lead the Trustees in their execution of the following three core strategic functions:

• Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction
• Holding the executive to account for the educational performance of the academies and their pupils
• Along with fellow Trustees and the CEO, ensuring an excellent education and level of safeguarding of students, as well as setting and monitoring performance benchmarks
• Ensuring that the Board focuses on the right areas and is able to respond to opportunities and challenges effectively, both in terms of the way in which it conducts its business and the skills of the Trustees
• Developing productive and supportive professional relationships with others on the Board and in the executive leadership team, particularly with the CEO
• Overseeing the financial performance of the Trust and making sure its money is well spent

A visual overview of the governance structure can be found here. 

Learning without Limits Academy Trust seeks an exceptional new Chair to provide overall strategic leadership to the Board.

The successful candidate will be passionate about making a tangible difference in children’s lives, particularly those facing educational and social disadvantage in the Midlands. Applicants could come from a range of backgrounds provided they have operated at a strategic level and support the ethos and values of the Trust. Fundamentally, applicants must be people-oriented leaders with a gift for fostering engagement and collaboration and getting the best out of diverse groups of people. Candidates are not expected to have direct experience in the education sector, however they should demonstrate a keen interest in it and an awareness of the challenges and opportunities currently facing MATs.

Chair experience is not essential, however candidates should have non-executive experience and demonstrate a clear understanding of the governance role. Candidates should possess outstanding listening, interpersonal and ambassadorial skills, and the ability to form strong, open and constructive working relationships at all levels within the organisation. They will share the Trust's commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.

Information on existing Trustees can be found here. 

This role is unremunerated, however reasonable, pre-agreed travel expenses will be reimbursed. The main Board meets five times per year. The Chair will also be expected to join the Pay, Performance and Personnel Committee and the Chairs Forum, which each meet an additional three times per year. All meetings take place between 5 - 7pm on a weekday evening. Currently all meetings are either fully online or hybrid in format. The Chair is expected to establish a regular cadence of communication with the CEO and CFO, as well as attending various ad hoc events / school visits throughout the year. 

Please note that in accordance with the Trust's governance framework, the successful candidate will initially be appointed as a Trustee on a four year term. They will become Chair subject to a Board vote in September 2024. The appointment of Chair will be renewed every year in September.

This organisation is based in Leicester however many of the meetings take place either fully online or in a hybrid format. While local knowledge would be valuable, applicants can be based anywhere in the UK as long as they are prepared to travel to Leicester for occasional meetings and school visits throughout the year. 

Learning without Limits Academy Trust welcomes applications from everyone regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, belief or disability. As those from ethnic minority and lower socioeconomic backgrounds are currently under-represented on the Board, applications from those individuals would be particularly encouraged. All appointments will be made on merit, following a fair and transparent process. In line with the Equality Act 2010, however, the organisation may employ positive action where candidates from underrepresented groups can demonstrate their ability to perform the role equally well.