The Lighthouse Learning Trust is currently seeking passionate and committed individuals to join our governance community in the following roles: 

• Members – Providing independent oversight and ensuring the Trust remains true to its founding principles. A more hands off role with a smaller time commitment than the other roles. 
• Trustees – Offering strategic leadership and accountability across the Trust, shaping the future of our academies. A hybrid role with meetings in Southampton and Gosport, or online. Your role involves Board meetings, membership of specialist Board Committees, and the required reading and preparation for these meetings 
• Local Committee Members (Local Governors) – Supporting individual academies by providing challenge, assurance, and community insight. This is a role that is mostly in person, requiring meeting attendance to scrutinise the college performance and hold leaders accountable, and preparation for these meetings.  

We encourage applications from individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences who share our commitment to educational excellence, equity, and community engagement. No experience is required, although we are particularly seeking people with experience in Education, Finance, HR, Sustainability, Safeguarding and SEND.

Location: Hybrid role (either in person at Southampton/Gosport or online)  

Time Commitment: Approx. 6–10 meetings per year, plus occasional events and preparation time 

Remuneration: Voluntary (reasonable expenses reimbursed) 

The Lighthouse Learning Trust is a multi-academy trust currently comprising of 2 academies, both Sixth Form Colleges, based on the south coast. The Trust serves diverse communities and strive to deliver inclusive, innovative learning environments.  

As a Trustee, you will play a vital role in the strategic oversight and governance of the Trust. You will ensure that the Trust is well-managed, financially sound, and delivering on its mission to improve educational outcomes for all students. The responsibilities of Trustees include: 

• Strategic Leadership: Contribute to the development and monitoring of the Trust’s strategic direction and educational vision. 
• Governance & Compliance: Ensure the Trust complies with legal and regulatory requirements, including safeguarding, financial oversight, and educational standards. 
• Performance Monitoring: Hold executive leaders to account for the performance of the Trust, including academic outcomes, financial health, and operational effectiveness. 
• Risk Management: Identify and mitigate risks to the Trust’s sustainability and reputation. 
• Advocacy & Ambassadorship: Act as an ambassador for the Trust, promoting its values and engaging with stakeholders and the wider community. 

Person Specification 

It is important to us that our Board that is as diverse as our student population and the communities that we serve. We welcome applications from individuals with a range of backgrounds and experiences although we have a particular need for Trustees with experience in one or more of the following areas: 

• Education or curriculum development 
• Finance, Risk and Strategy 
• Compliance 
• SEND 
• Sustainability 
• HR and People.

There will be opportunities to progress to Vice Chair or Chair roles within the Board and Committees for those who are interested. All new Trustees will be given a comprehensive induction, ongoing training and will be supported with specific training in line with their governance ambitions.   

Meetings are held in a hybrid format, although we encourage attendance in person at our colleges in Southampton and Gosport where possible. Trustees will be invited to join one of our Board Committees (Finance, Resource and Strategy, Succession, Recruitment and Remuneration, and Compliance).  

Member role description  

The Lighthouse Learning Trust is a multi-academy trust currently comprising of 2 academies, both Sixth Form Colleges. 

Multi academy trusts have two levels of governance: Trustees and Members. Members can be regarded as the equivalent to shareholders in a commercial company and Trustees are the equivalent of company directors. The role of a Member is typically a strategic but hands-off role requiring a low time commitment. Members should be comfortable working at a strategic leadership level and will appreciate that the role of the Members is less involved than Trustee level but is crucial to offer an oversight to ensure highly effective governance is taking place 

The duties of a Member in the Trust include:  

• Holding Trustees to account in relation to the Trust’s ethos and values, and governance across the Trust.  
• Ensuring the Trust key charitable objective of advancing education for public benefit is achieved; and ensuring the Trust spends public money wisely.  
• Having an ‘eyes on, hands off’ oversight of the Trust.  
• Remaining objective and acting in the best interests of the Trust as a whole.  
• Monitoring the effectiveness of Trustees and the Trust’s governance arrangements.  
• Amending the Articles of Association when required, subject to the agreement from the Department for Education.  
• Appointing the external auditors and receiving the audited accounts; however, it is the responsibility of the Trustees, not Members, to approve the accounts.  
• Changing the name of the charitable company the Trust operates under.  
• Calling an annual general meeting and other general meetings as required.  
• Winding up the Trust if required to do so.  

Members will be expected to commit approximately 12 hours per academic year to meetings – this time commitment includes the reading and preparation required for such meetings.  

The hours stated could be slightly higher if the member would like to attend the annual Trust away day, which is optional for members and chair of members. 

Purpose of the Role: 

St Vincent Sixth Form College is one of two colleges within the Lighthouse Learning Trust. Local Committee Members support the Trust Board by providing strategic oversight, challenge, and assurance at local College level. They help ensure that the College’s values and founding principles are upheld, and that the college delivers high-quality education and outcomes for all learners. This role has a significant level of oversight of safeguarding arrangements for students and staff. 

Key Responsibilities: 

1. Strategic Oversight and Challenge 

• Monitor and support the implementation of the college’s improvement plan. 
• Hold senior leaders to account for performance, quality of education, and student outcomes. 
• Scrutinise data and trends to ensure continuous improvement. 

2. Governance and Leadership Support 

• Contribute to succession planning and recruitment of Trustees, Local Committe members, and senior leaders. 
• Support performance management processes for governance and executive roles. 
• Oversee pay, reward, and expenses in line with Trust policy and statutory guidance. 

3. Policy and Compliance 

• Ensure adherence to Trust-wide policies and statutory requirements, including safeguarding, equality, and health and safety. 
• Monitor the deployment of resources and ensure effective use of funding. 

4. Championing Trust Values 

• Uphold and promote the Trust’s ethos, values, and founding principles. 
• Act as a local advocate for the academy and the wider Trust.

5. Community Engagement 

• Represent the views of parents, carers, and the local community. 
• Support inclusive governance that reflects the diversity of the school community.

Committee Activities and Expectations: 

• Review results and outcomes against agreed Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and targets. 
• Monitor improvement priorities and evaluate the “enablers” behind performance, such as strategies, management approaches, and policies. 
• Conduct trend analysis and year-on-year comparisons where appropriate. 
• Report Committee outputs, including identified risks linked to the Trust’s risk register, to the Trust Board on a termly basis or more frequently if required. 
• Produce and review a work programme that ensures statutory duties, Scheme of Delegation (SoD), and Terms of Reference (ToR) are fulfilled. 

Skills and Attributes: 

• Commitment to educational excellence and student success. 
• Ability to analyse data and ask constructive, challenging questions. 
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills. 
• Integrity, discretion, and sound judgement. 
• Willingness to engage in ongoing training and development.

It is important to us that our Local Committee is as diverse as our student population and the communities that we serve. We welcome applications from individuals with a range of backgrounds and experiences although we have a particular need for people with experience in one or more of the following areas: 

• Education or curriculum development
• Safeguarding 
• SEND 
• Sustainability
• Health and Safety.

There will be opportunities to progress to Vice Chair or Chair roles within the Local Committee for those who are interested. All new Local Committee members will be given a comprehensive induction, ongoing training and will be supported with specific training in line with their governance ambitions.   

Meetings are mostly held during term-time, typically in the early evening. They are held in a hybrid format but we encourage attendance in person at St Vincent College in Gosport.  

Purpose of the Role: 

Richard Taunton Sixth Form College is one of two colleges within the Lighthouse Learning Trust. Local Committee Members support the Trust Board by providing strategic oversight, challenge, and assurance at local College level. They help ensure that the College’s values and founding principles are upheld, and that the college delivers high-quality education and outcomes for all learners. This role has a significant level of oversight of safeguarding arrangements for students and staff. 

Key Responsibilities: 

1. Strategic Oversight and Challenge 

• Monitor and support the implementation of the college’s improvement plan. 
• Hold senior leaders to account for performance, quality of education, and student outcomes. 
• Scrutinise data and trends to ensure continuous improvement. 

2. Governance and Leadership Support 

• Contribute to succession planning and recruitment of Trustees, Governors, and senior leaders. 
• Support performance management processes for governance and executive roles. 
• Oversee pay, reward, and expenses in line with Trust policy and statutory guidance.

3. Policy and Compliance 

• Ensure adherence to Trust-wide policies and statutory requirements, including safeguarding, equality, and health and safety. 
• Monitor the deployment of resources and ensure effective use of funding.

4. Championing Trust Values 

• Uphold and promote the Trust’s ethos, values, and founding principles. 
• Act as a local advocate for the academy and the wider Trust.

5. Community Engagement 

• Represent the views of parents, carers, and the local community. 
• Support inclusive governance that reflects the diversity of the school community.

Committee Activities and Expectations: 

• Review results and outcomes against agreed Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and targets. 
• Monitor improvement priorities and evaluate the “enablers” behind performance, such as strategies, management approaches, and policies. 
• Conduct trend analysis and year-on-year comparisons where appropriate. 
• Report Committee outputs, including identified risks linked to the Trust’s risk register, to the Trust Board on a termly basis or more frequently if required. 
• Produce and review a work programme that ensures statutory duties, Scheme of Delegation (SoD), and Terms of Reference (ToR) are fulfilled.

Skills and Attributes: 

• Commitment to educational excellence and student success. 
• Ability to analyse data and ask constructive, challenging questions. 
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills. 
• Integrity, discretion, and sound judgement. 
• Willingness to engage in ongoing training and development.

It is important to us that our Local Committee is as diverse as our student population and the communities that we serve. We welcome applications from individuals with a range of backgrounds and experiences although we have a particular need for people with experience in one or more of the following areas: 

• Education or curriculum development
• Safeguarding
• SEND
• Sustainability
• Health and Safety.

There will be opportunities to progress to Vice Chair or Chair roles within the Local Committee for those who are interested. All new Local Committee members will be given a comprehensive induction, ongoing training and will be supported with specific training in line with their governance ambitions.   

Meetings are mostly held during term-time, typically in the early evening. They are held in a hybrid format but we encourage attendance in person at Richard Taunton College in Southampton.