Scope and Objectives

The review will evaluate the Trust’s central business support services, encompassing roles, responsibilities, policies, procedures, and systems. The objective is to ensure these services operate effectively, efficiently, and cost-effectively while complying with statutory, financial, and academy trust requirements.

Key areas of focus include:

  • Internal vs. External Capabilities: Analysing the balance between internal capacity and externally sourced services.
  • Central and School-Level Alignment: Reviewing the division of responsibilities and resources.
  • Structural Review: Assessing job descriptions, roles, responsibilities, and associated costs.
  • Benchmarking Analysis: Comparing administrative hours and costs with other trusts and schools, where data is available.
  • Leadership Feedback: Conducting a survey of Trust leadership to gauge the perceived effectiveness of current operations.
  • Governance Reporting Review: Evaluating the quality and utility of reports provided to Directors and Local Governors.

The outcome will be a comprehensive report, highlighting strengths, areas for improvement, and actionable recommendations for the CEO and Board of Directors.

Key Deliverables

We will provide:

  1. A draft report and a final report summarizing the findings and recommendations.
  2. A formal presentation to the CEO and Trust Board.

Comprehensive Review Framework

1. Organisational Effectiveness Review

  • Assess the Trust Central Services Team’s readiness to meet current and future demands through an objective, best-practice-driven analysis.
  • Recommend a cost-effective, efficient organisational structure that enhances customer service, adds value, and supports future growth.
  • Evaluate alignment between the current structure and the Trust’s goals, identifying opportunities to improve performance and effectiveness.
  • Develop performance measures based on best practices, considering their cost-effectiveness, data requirements, and implementation strategies.
  • Propose actionable recommendations for performance improvement and outline steps for implementation.

2. Functional Analysis

Each core function (Governance, Finance, Administration, HR/Payroll, Health & Safety, Estates, IT) will be reviewed to assess:

  • Goals, objectives, and performance tracking measures.
  • Staffing levels, including core competencies, management structures, and resource allocation.
  • The balance between:
    • Internal vs. external service provision.
    • Individual school-level vs. central trust functions.
  • Effectiveness in achieving objectives over the past academic year.
  • Reporting structures and performance measures, with recommendations for improvement or new measures aligned with best practices.

3. Programme-Specific Evaluations

Procurement Policies and Procedures

  • Review procurement processes to ensure alignment with the Academy Trust Handbook (AFH) and Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) best practices.
  • Provide recommendations for enhancing procurement efficiency and compliance.

Next Steps

If you are interested in learning more about our MAT Central Services Reviews, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We look forward to assisting the Trust in achieving its goals and enhancing its operational effectiveness.

Testimonials

Hear from schools and trusts like yours that are benefiting from working with Help for Schools.

Help for Schools / Spencer Van der Werf has provided consistent high quality services to our Trust supporting our Capital Projects team deliver changes to our building infrastructure, improving the resources available and facilitating improved quality of teaching. He is able to interpret outline concepts, bring designs to the table, see through the building project management and quality check the final delivery. A great asset to secure your change plans.

Paul Atkinson – Director of Finance, Haberdashers’ Academies Trust South

Help for Schools is a reliable partner for complex projects, delivering solutions that are clear and effective. They excel in continuous improvement and proactive problem prevention in every interaction. I had the pleasure of working with Spencer on a project to convert shower rooms into a classroom, and I was impressed by his detailed project proposal and timely execution. He also identified many benefits, both tangible and intangible, from the project. Help for Schools will always be my first choice for project management.

Rachel Danso – Business Manager, Borough Academy

Help For Schools provided critical support to Day One Trust as we reconfigured our estates and facilities provision. They helped us understand our needs and manage the transition from an ineffective outsourced service to a professional in-house team. Their support included designing our team structure and guiding our recruitment, as well as establishing the systems and processes that team needed to work with. I’ve worked with Spencer and his team for many years on multiple projects and I’ve always found him to be professional, diligent, pragmatic and committed to students by securing high quality and value for money estates and facilities provision.

Fred Sharrock – CEO at Day One Trust

Help For Schools has played an integral role in overseeing and managing a £28 million project – the build of a new secondary school in central London. From the client perspective Spencer has managed effectively the multiple partners engaged in this project, from the comms to the project plan. His strengths lie in his attention to detail, his ability to find solutions to complex problems and his delivery of results.

Declan Jones – Principal at Borough Academy

I have known Simon for several years and he has always been a font of wisdom, advice and an intelligent steer to educational professionals; especially those looking to leadership. What has struck me most about his approach has been his willingness to engage with kindness without the need for reciprocity. Someone with true integrity.

Barry Cooper – Founding Principal at The Global College

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