The Priory Learning Trust
Governance
The Priory Learning Trust is a charitable company limited by guarantee, and is registered as such with Companies House. TPLT has charitable status and is classified as an “exempt charity”. Therefore, TPLT is required to comply with three different sets of legislative requirements – company law, charity law, and educational law.
There are three layers of governance in TPLT Members, Trustees and Community Councillors, with each tier having a distinctive role.
TPLT Trustees
| TPLT Trustees | Committee Membership | Appointed | Term End |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ms Stephanie Cartmel |
Education Ethos (Foundation Trustee) |
19 June 2025 | 18 June 2029 |
| Mrs Katie Dominy | People | 1 December 2023 | 30 November 2027 |
| Mrs Sally Harvey (Chair) |
Ethos (Foundation Trustee) | 31 August 2022 | 30 August 2026 |
| Mr Dave MacCormick | Education | 30 April 2025 | 29 April 2029 |
| Mr Chris McFall |
Finance and Risk & Audit Environment |
18 June 2025 | 17 June 2029 |
| Mr Ron Richards (Vice Chair) |
People Ethos (Foundation Trustee) |
31 August 2022 | 30 August 2026 |
| Mr Rod Sibley |
Finance and Risk & Audit Environment |
1 August 2024 | 31 July 2028 |
| Diocese of Bath and Wells nominated- name to be confirmed |
Ethos (Foundation Trustee) | TBC | TBC |
Governance Overview for Inspectors
The Articles of Association are the legal documents that set out the governance composition and procedures for the Trust.
TPLT has a Master Funding Agreement with the Secretary of State for Education. This is the legal mechanism by which the government controls the activities of trust schools. A central clause of the Funding Agreement is the requirement to be compliant with the Academy Trust Handbook.
The Priory Learning Trust Master Funding Agreement
Priory Community School Funding Agreement
Worle Community School Funding Agreement
St Anne's Church Academy Funding Agreement
Castle Batch Primary School Funding Agreement
The King Alfred School Funding Agreement
Pawlett Primary Academy Funding Agreement
East Huntspill Primary School Funding Agreement
West Huntspill Primary School Funding Agreement
Berrow Primary Church Academy Funding Agreement
Burnham Infants School Funding Agreement
St Andrew's Church Junior School Funding Agreement
All authority in TPLT is ultimately derived from the Board of Trustees. The TPLT Scheme of Delegation sets out which authority the trustees choose to delegate and which are reserved to the Board itself. The Scheme of Delegation has been carefully constructed to ensure that the trust’s ultimate accountability for schools is balanced with each school’s strong understanding of its own local context. The ultimate test for where decisions are made is what is in the best interests of students, in line with our Shared Ambition to Provide a Great Education for Every Child.