Who We Are

The Sigma Trust was formed in September 2016 and is a charity and company limited by guarantee. At Sigma we understand the critical importance of good governance in creating a thriving and sustainable educational environment.

Effective governance ensures transparency, accountability, and responsible decision-making at all levels. It provides the framework for strategic leadership, financial oversight, and continuous improvement, enabling us to deliver the best possible educational outcomes for every child.

Within The Sigma Trust, governance operates at different levels, each with distinct responsibilities:

The Executive Team consists of all the Headteachers and senior colleagues within The Sigma Trust who report directly to the Chief Executive Officer and who have the delegated responsibility for day to day operations of the Trust. The Executive Committee are responsible for the day to day management of all academies and for providing strategic leadership for the Trust.

Meet the Executive Team

The Board of Trustees, much like the directors of a company, hold the ultimate responsibility for the Trust. They are accountable under the law for every major decision concerning the academies within their care.

This dual role as both company directors and charity trustees reflects the unique legal status of academies. However, the Board wisely delegates many of the day-to-day governance functions. This delegation empowers key individuals and committees, such as the CEO, Board committees, and Local Governance Committees within each academy, to effectively manage operations. By distributing responsibilities, the Board of Trustees can focus on their core governance functions: defining a clear vision and ethos, and setting the strategic direction for the Multi-Academy Trust.

Trustees delegate some governance functions to Board committees, these include a:

  • Finance Committee
  • Audit & Risk Committee
  • People and Culture Committee
  • Standards Committee

Meet Our Trustees

Members play a crucial but limited role in safeguarding academy trust governance. Members sit above the Board of Trustees, similar to a company’s shareholders in relation to its board of directors. They appoint Trustees to ensure the Trust's charitable objects are met and hold them accountable for effective governance.

While not involved in day-to-day operations, members have the power to remove Trustees and approve changes to the Trust's articles of association. To maintain a separation of powers, only the Chair of the Trust Board can also be a member, and no member can be an employee of the academy Trust. 

The Sigma Trust firmly believes in Local Governance Committees (LGCs). Local Governance Committees have an important role to play in providing insight into the community and the opportunities and challenges that the school faces in its own specific area.  The LGCs are directly accountable to the Trustees and have delegated functions as set out in the Trust’s Scheme of Delegation. LGC Committees may be appointed to serve one academy or jointly shared across more than one academy as deemed appropriate by the Board of Trustees.

The committee comprises of a minimum of nine members with at least two elected parents and two staff members, including the Headteacher. The Chairs’ of LGCs meet with the Chair of the Trust and the CEO on a termly basis.

The duties of the LGCs include:
  • Establishing the vision and ethos for the relevant academy ensuring that it fits within and promotes the vision and ethos of the Trust.
  • Safeguarding and promoting the values of the Academy
  • Supporting the Headteacher of the Academy and being a critical friend
  • Monitoring the achievement, quality of teaching and behaviour and safety within the Academy
  • Engagement with the Academy’s key stakeholders e.g. parents/carers, pupils and staff
  • Advising the Trustees about local issues they need to consider that affect the Academy
The Chairs of the LGCs are:
  • Alton Park Junior School and Holland Park Primary School –  TBC
  • Clacton County High School and Colne Community School & College – Kieron Moir
  • Harwich and Dovercourt High School – Nick Pavitt
  • Monkwick Infant and Nursery School and Monkwick Junior School – Carol Carlsson Browne
  • Paxman Academy – Jan Atkinson
  • Philip Morant School & College – Jan Atkinson
  • St Helena School – Denice Halpin
  • The Stanway School and Thomas Lord Audley School – Andrew Weaver
To view further information about each Local Governance Committee, click on the links below:
  • Alton Park Junior School and Holland Park Primary School
  • Clacton County High School and Colne Community School & College
  • Harwich and Dovercourt High School
  • Monkwick Infant and Nursery School and Monkwick Junior School
  • Paxman Academy
  • Philip Morant School and College
  • St Helena School
  • Stanway School and Thomas Lord Audley School

Together, these groups work in partnership, fostering a culture of transparency, accountability, and continuous improvement. We are united in our commitment to creating a vibrant and inclusive learning environment where every child can flourish and reach their full potential.