Trust Board
The Trust Board is made up of 15 trustees. The terms trustee/governor/director are commonly used although at KWS we try to stick to ‘Trustee’ and ‘Trust Board’ to reflect the fact that we are a single academy trust school and as such, we are a Trust Board as opposed to a maintained school’s Governing Body.
The legal name of the Trust that KWS belongs to is Harpenden Secondary Education Trust (HSET).
The board is made up of trustees appointed in different ways; member appointed, parent elected, staff elected and one position is appointed by the remaining trustees. Once in post, all trustees are considered equal and the type of trustee they were appointed as is irrelevant.
Key Responsibilities
The trustees of the Trust Board meet at least six times per year to carry out their governance responsibilities and hold the school to account. These core functions can be summarised into three main areas:
- Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent
- Holding the headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils
- Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction
Trustees’ Duties
Trustees are allocated to the Resources Committee or the Education Committee depending on their skillset and the board’s requirements at the time of appointment/election. Each committee meets at least twice per term apart from the Remuneration committee which meets at least once per year. Trustees also each have at least one area of additional responsibility such as safeguarding, diversity and inclusion, wellbeing, teaching & learning, etc. that they meet with school staff once per term to discuss current progress and future strategies.
Members of the Board
The 5 Member Organisations that originally collaborated to establish HSET are:
- Rothamsted Research
- Roundwood Park School
- Sir John Lawes School
- St George’s School
- The University of Hertfordshire
Each organisation elects a representative to be a Member of the Trust and the Chair of Trustees is a Member of the Trust. Members are expected to attend the AGM annually, appoint the majority of trustees and oversee the running of the Trust.
The Members are:
Rothamsted Research Limited represented by Rose Davies
Sir John Lawes School represented by Phil Newbery
St George’s (Harpenden) Academy Trust represented by Andy Ford
The University of Hertfordshire represented by Penny Carey
Roundwood Park School Academy Trust represented by Katie Barter
Jenny Howarth
Committees:
For the academic year 2025/2026, KWS has three committees; Resources (HR, finance, H&S, premises), Education (teaching & learning), and Remuneration. The terms of reference for each committee can be found:
NGA Outstanding Governance Award 2025
The NGA were thrilled to announce that the Katherine Warington School Trust Board won the Highly Commended Award in the Outstanding Governance in a Single School category at the NGA Awards 2025!
The KWS Trustees celebrated this incredible achievement at the awards ceremony on 17th Septem
ber at the Houses of Parliament. This national recognition reflects their unwavering commitment to continuous improvement, strong leadership, and a relentless focus on staff and student wellbeing. Since opening just six years ago, with the guidance and support of the Trust Board, Katherine Warington School has gone from strength to strength, delivering excellent academic and pastoral outcomes for its students.
“Winning this prestigious award is a wonderful acknowledgement of the passion and dedication of our trustees and the amazing students and supportive staff who make our roles such a pleasure. We are committed to high standards of governance to drive improvement and success for all. We had a truly special afternoon at the Houses of Parliament and are delighted with our success. It is a privilege to lead a team of volunteers who are all so engaged and committed to making KWS a success” Jenny Howarth Chair of Trustees
“We are still such a young school, yet this recognition proves what can be achieved when staff, students, families and trustees work together with a shared vision. I want to extend my deepest, heartfelt gratitude to our entire Trust Board at Katherine Warington School. The sheer dedication, strategic vision, and tireless commitment they demonstrate is the bedrock of our school’s success. This award, by the NGA, is a powerful testament to the impact of their governance.” David Martin Headteacher
