Our central service offer

Our central team can handle operations, leaving you free to focus on what you do best.

Our knowledgeable central team provides support and services for schools, allowing staff and leaders to focus on school life. Working together, schools can avoid unnecessary duplication, save money, and access specialist colleagues who would not be affordable for a single school. And we do a great job!

What support and services do we offer?

  • With the help of our experienced Business & Operations team, you can rest assured that your schools are on a secure financial and legal footing, up to date with compliance, and that your buildings and facilities are fit for the future.

    We cover:

    • Health and safety reviews and professional support

    • Facilities development and property management

    • Data management and GDPR compliance

    • Risk management and business continuity

    • Legal support (Partner Schofield Sweeney)

    • Educational visits / trips management

  • Our highly experienced finance team handle or support with:

    • Academies Handbook compliance

    • Financial administration and budget management (cost of curriculum and outcomes analysis)

    • Financial literacy training and support for Headteachers and Governors to help produce sustainable improvement and succession planning

    • Regular management reports to governors and trustees

    • Financial Benchmarking

    • Internal and external statutory audits

    • Production of annual accounts

    • Appropriate insurance cover

    • Procurement and tendering support, helping ensure value for money

    • Advice on Capital expenditure and management of the DfE School Condition Allocation (SCA) across the Trust

  • Schools are unique and special places, but too often their marketing falls short of showing just how special they are.

    Our skilled comms team will help you articulate, celebrate and promote the very best aspects of your school, creating an environment where outstanding achievement permeates everything you do. The quality sets the gold standard of what can be achieved at every level in every school.

    With strategic support, and in-house video, graphic design and web design talent, we’re your one-stop shop for exceptional marketing and communications.

    Our accomplished team can help schools with:

    • Communications strategy - how you articulate what is special about your school, and what marketing and communications goals you can achieve

    • Video & photography to meet strategic goals

    • Website design, training, support and compliance

    • PR, press releases and crisis communications support

    • Training, tools and templates to help you up your game

    • Event planning and support

    • Learning environment design reviews and support

    • Awards application and planning support

    • Help with your strategic aims - eg curriculum, careers

  • What’s behind the magic is great people. We can help recruit, support, manage and develop your team, because thriving people make thriving schools.

    • HR support, advice and guidance

    • Trust HR policies

    • Payroll service and support

    • Recruitment and contracts

    • Single Central Record

    • Absence management

    • Performance management

    • Strategic workforce management including hiring, restructuring, and redundancies

    • Staff wellbeing

    • Mental health support

  • Excellent IT in school is essential for both administrative functions and delivery of the curriculum, and without specialised skills, it can be a nightmare for schools. Our IT support will give you complete peace of mind.

    • Future proof digital strategy

    • Set up and implementation of trust wide programmes and software (Arbor, CPOMs etc).

    • Helpdesk system to report and receive support on any issues

    • Server and backup solutions

    • Wired and wireless solutions

    • Software licensing

    • Cyber security advice and guidance

    • Advice on new installations

    • Procurement and best value through joint venture (eg. purchasing of computers etc)

    • Optional primary IT support package

Every school’s situation and support needs are different. Our central support is tailored to tackle strategic priorities for each school and the trust.

What do our schools say?

  • "I just wanted to say an absolutely massive thank you for everything you’ve done for us this week. We wouldn’t have been able to make our non-open Open Evening work without you.

    You are helping us really lift the quality of our output, it’s so wonderful to work with creative, “can do” people.”

    LIZ LORD, DEPUTY HEADTEACHER, HONLEY HIGH

  • "The support of the trust central team has been invaluable in terms of implementing robust systems in our school which ensure we are compliant with all statutory requirements and that our premises are safe and welcoming."

    HELEN NEED, SENIOR ADMINISTRATOR, NETHERTON I&N SCHOOL

  • “I felt so proud that I belong to our school.”

    NETHERTON PUPIL COMMENT AFTER WATCHING THE SCHOOL’S NEW WELCOME VIDEO

  • “The transition from the previous head to the new head was seamless and we thank the trust central team for all their input and support during the recruitment process. We’ve received lots of positive feedback from all the staff.”

    JANET CLAYTON, GOVERNOR AT BOLTON BROW

Here to help: meet our Central Team