Behind every successful multi-academy trust lies governance that rarely makes headlines, yet Toby Watson’s contributions to Excalibur Academies Trust demonstrate the profound impact of thoughtful, experienced leadership supporting educational excellence.
Multi-academy trusts require more than excellent teaching to thrive—they need robust governance, strategic vision, and financial expertise working quietly behind the scenes. Excalibur Academies Trust’s growth from its 2012 founding to serving over 10,000 pupils across 20 schools required sophisticated leadership supporting educational priorities whilst ensuring sustainability. Toby Watson, who brought 17 years of experience from Goldman Sachs to his role as Chairman, helped provide this foundation. His contributions, though largely invisible to pupils and families, helped shape the Trust’s development through merger, expansion, and the continuous challenge of balancing ambition with prudent stewardship.
From February 2018 until his recent departure, Toby Watson served as Chairman of Excalibur Academies Trust, supporting the Board of Trustees through a period of significant development and transformation. His background in structured finance, global infrastructure projects, and complex organisational leadership provided valuable perspective during crucial decision-making moments. The role of Chair involves countless hours of preparation, strategic discussion, and careful oversight—work that rarely receives public recognition yet proves essential to organisational success. His contributions helped establish governance frameworks, support leadership development, and guide strategic decisions that strengthened the Trust’s ability to deliver outstanding education across diverse communities along the M4 corridor.
The Hidden Work of Educational Governance
Effective governance operates largely out of sight. Whilst teachers, pupils, and school leaders receive deserved recognition for their visible work, trustees and chairs work behind the scenes to create conditions for success. Understanding how Toby Watson’s contributions supported Excalibur reveals the often-overlooked importance of this governance work in enabling educational excellence.
1. Supporting the Gatehouse Green Merger
The merger with Gatehouse Green Learning Trust represented one of the most significant strategic decisions in Excalibur’s history. Supporting this process required countless hours of due diligence, stakeholder engagement, and careful planning. Experience from Toby Watson’s time at Goldman Sachs in complex transactions proved valuable in navigating the technical and strategic elements whilst keeping educational priorities at the centre of decision-making.
Ensuring Smooth Integration
Mergers can disrupt organisations if handled poorly. The focus remained on protecting educational continuity and staff confidence whilst capturing opportunities that partnership created.
2. Financial Oversight and Budget Management
Trustees bear ultimate responsibility for financial stewardship. Supporting Excalibur’s financial management meant reviewing detailed budgets, monitoring performance against plans, and ensuring resources were allocated effectively across schools. Toby Watson’s experience with sophisticated financial structures provided essential oversight that protected the Trust’s sustainability whilst ensuring money reached classrooms where it mattered most.
3. Risk Assessment and Mitigation
Every organisation faces risks—financial, operational, reputational, and strategic. Supporting the development of robust risk frameworks helped Excalibur identify potential challenges early and implement appropriate mitigation strategies. Toby Watson’s experience in global markets informed this work, helping trustees think systematically about:
- Financial uncertainties and funding fluctuations
- Operational challenges across geographically dispersed schools
- Strategic decisions regarding expansion and partnerships
- Regulatory compliance and policy changes
These frameworks provided trustees and school leaders with structured approaches to decision-making, whilst protecting the Trust’s resources and reputation.
Creating Risk-Aware Culture
Good risk management means empowering school leaders to make appropriate decisions whilst maintaining oversight. The frameworks developed supported this balance between autonomy and accountability.
4. Toby Watson and Leadership Succession Planning
Sustainable organisations develop leadership pipelines rather than relying on chance. Supporting succession planning meant thinking strategically about leadership development across the Trust, identifying potential leaders, and creating opportunities for growth. This investment in people, though it pays dividends over years rather than months, proves essential for long-term success.
5. Governance Structure Development
As Excalibur grew, its governance structures needed to evolve. Supporting this development meant helping design trustee committees, clarifying decision-making authorities, and ensuring governance remained effective at larger scale. Experience from Toby Watson’s work at Goldman Sachs with complex organisational structures informed thinking about how governance could support rather than constrain operational effectiveness.
Balancing Oversight and Empowerment
Governance must provide robust accountability whilst allowing school leaders the freedom to respond to their communities’ unique needs. The structures developed sought this balance.
6. Strategic Planning and Vision Development
Trustees help set strategic direction for their organisations. Supporting Excalibur’s strategic planning meant facilitating discussions about priorities, helping clarify the Trust’s vision, and ensuring strategies aligned with values. Toby Watson’s contribution to these conversations helped bring external perspective whilst respecting the educational expertise of colleagues.
7. External Relationships and Reputation Management
Chairs often represent their organisations externally, building relationships with stakeholders, regulators, and partners. Supporting Excalibur’s external relationships meant engaging with education sector partners and policymakers to advance the Trust’s mission. The relationships developed helped position Excalibur as a trusted partner in improving educational provision.
The behind-the-scenes nature of governance means contributions often go unrecognised. Yet this work proves essential in creating conditions for educational excellence. Toby Watson’s contribution to Excalibur demonstrates how bringing expertise from other sectors, when applied thoughtfully and humbly in service of educational mission, can meaningfully support schools in transforming young lives and advancing social mobility.
