People, Governance and Communications Committee The Trust’s People, Governance and Communications Committee (PGC) met four times in 2024-25. Its membership is composed of directors and chaired by Peter Smith, a former Chief People Officer and qualified lawyer. The committee’s delegated terms of reference enable directors to inform decision making and oversee progress and impact against the Trust’s strategic priority: Our People. Currently, DCET oversees 13 primary schools, 2400 students, 400 employees, and £29m budget but the Trust is set to expand to 20+ primary and secondary schools by 2028 in line with the Bishop’s directives. This means that our people, structures, and policies must be fit for future. The below shows some major areas of focus for PGC, alongside related strategy, growth, risk and policies. Organisation The PGC discusses at all its meetings the health of the organization. It looks at such matters as the development and training of all staff, recruitment, staff wellbeing and remuneration. All of this is needed to ensure delivery of excellent education for our pupils and the PGC sees this as a critical area of accountability. All members of the PGC are highly appreciative of the work undertaken by employees of DCET and their drive to help our pupils be successful. Governance As with any organization, but especially when it is funded by public money, good Governance is essential. In this regard the PGC looks at areas such as how the Trust Board and its sub-Committees are made up and how they operate. How well the "rules" under which the Trust and the Local Governance Committee operate are understood and applied. This is a complex area, but we were delighted to have been able to launch a Governance Handbook at the start of this school year which we will increase awareness of this area. Communications The recent updates on our Websites and this Newsletter are two examples on how the PGC has set out for 2025/26 a challenge for the DCET team to increase awareness of all the great achievements of the Trust - all of which are set against a background of significant growth. Communication covers a whole range of areas, how we engage with parents/carers, how a school demonstrates that it is part of our wonderful Trust from the moment someone comes into reception, how we interact with the Diocese, Government Departments and agencies such as the Department of Education and Schools Inspectors. We want our parents/carers and other third parties to be aware of all the great things that happen within DCET e.g. education performance, extra curricular activities, new schools joining as possible. Peter Smith Director and Chair of the People, Governance & Communications Committee
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