008 - Beyond Compliance: The Role of Trustees with Maggie Farrar CBE

In this episode I’m joined by Maggie Farrar to explore what really sits underneath effective governance in Multi-Academy Trusts. Rather than focusing on policies, structures or compliance frameworks, we step back and look at the human side of boards – how trustees think, listen and work together when the decisions are complex and the stakes are high.We talk about curiosity, judgement and relationships, and why the tone set by chairs and trustees can shape the quality of governance more than any document ever could. Drawing on Maggie’s experience as a trustee, former national education leader and leadership development specialist, this conversation offers a thoughtful look at how boards function in practice and what makes governance genuinely effective. ▶️ This episode at a glance:[1:56] – Maggie shares what she believes sits at the heart of the trustee role [4:07] – The risk of slipping into a compliance mindset and why curiosity matters more [7:55] – Why Maggie believes one of the most important trustee skills is “hoovering” [9:26] – Building strong relationships between trustees and executive leaders [13:33] – The critical role of the chair and what good chairing looks like in practice [16:36] – How effective chairs build individual relationships and address concerns early [20:10] – Why the mechanics of meetings matter – from papers and minutes to structure and timing [26:17] – How committees can work most effectively within a trust board [28:52] – Avoiding operational drift and where trustees add the most value [33:06] – What Maggie believes the next evolution of the system will require from trustees [35:08] – What system leadership needs in order to grow and become embedded [37:17] – The challenge of recruiting trustees and thinking ahead about succession [41:29] – Maggie’s top three priorities for MAT boards right now📚 Related Content:Contact Maggie via LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maggie-farrar-83071978/🎙️Be a part of MAT Chat:Want to be a guest? Click here! https://ljbusinessofeducation.co.uk/podcast-guest-application/Enjoyed the episode? Follow, share with a colleague or leave a quick rating so more leaders can find it.🎧 Subscribe:If you haven’t already, make sure you hit subscribe in your podcast player so you don’t miss out on future episodes!📩 Get in touch:This podcast is hosted by me, Laura Williams, and sponsored by the amazing team at Schools Advisory Service who are the UK’s largest provider of staff absence insurance and comprehensive whole school wellbeing services.⭐️ Laura’s website: https://www.ljbusinessofeducation.co.uk⭐️ Schools Advisory Service website: https://schooladvice.co.uk/