This is a vitally important question to ask when considering joining a trust. The key is the Scheme of Delegation. This outlines which powers are delegated to school Local Governing Bodies and which sit with the Trustees.

Each school within the Trust has its own Local Governing Body. Their powers depend on the Scheme of Delegation agreed with the Trust, which details the decision making powers they have. You can view the details of our Scheme of Delegation on our governance page.

At Chorus Trust, we operate a ‘tight but loose’ model of leadership. Our improvement plans have shared objectives and targets, and the quality assurance, reporting and governance cycles are ‘tight’ and consistent across all trust schools. However, the actions that leaders take to meet those objectives are ‘loose’ and are based on the needs of the school. The tight planning and quality assurance processes allow colleagues to work in close collaboration across the trust. The freedom to develop local solutions creates opportunities for problem solving and creativity.  

There are certain powers that can't be delegated because the Trustees are ultimately responsible for the schools. For example, the Trust has to report as one financial entity, so Trustees are ultimately responsible for its finances.

As much as is possible, we want our schools to be able to run their own affairs. We believe that we can add value to a school and support their leadership to focus on 'the main thing' (the children and young people) by bringing in consistent policies and procedures across our schools, providing them with a set of well-run, central services - and, most importantly, by allowing all of us to share best practice and skills.