At Help For Schoools, we specialise in providing tailored consultancy services to schools and trusts navigating the complexities of academy conversions, transfers, and strategic integration. With a focus on informed decision-making, risk mitigation, and regulatory compliance, our expert team partners with you to ensure a seamless transition, unlocking long-term benefits for students, staff, and stakeholders.

Whether you’re a school exploring a new trust partnership or a trust evaluating an incoming school, we deliver the insights and support you need to succeed.

Our Consultancy Services

1. Strategic Due Diligence Consultancy

Gain clarity and confidence with a comprehensive review of your potential conversion or transfer.

  • Strategic assessments tailored to your needs.
  • Stakeholder workshops to align on goals and risk mitigation.
  • Integration guidance for legal and operational frameworks.

2. Financial Analysis and Risk Assessment

Make informed decisions with a deep dive into financial health, risks, and long-term sustainability.

  • Detailed financial health analysis and benchmarking.
  • Pension liability evaluations with expert consultation.
  • Comprehensive budget forecasting and sensitivity reviews.

3. Educational Performance Evaluation

Ensure educational excellence by understanding and enhancing performance trends.

  • In-depth analysis of Ofsted reports and outcomes.
  • Curriculum design and staffing efficiency recommendations.
  • Strategies for sustained school improvement.

4. Governance and Leadership Audit

Strengthen leadership and governance to ensure a robust foundation for growth.

  • Governance skills audits and improvement plans.
  • Review of leadership structures and decision-making processes.
  • Tailored recommendations for governance optimization.

5. Legal and Contractual Advisory

Navigate legal complexities with expert guidance on contracts, TUPE compliance, and CTAs.

  • Customized Commercial Transfer Agreements (CTAs).
  • TUPE compliance consultations.
  • Review of contracts, leases, and potential liabilities.

6. Infrastructure and Building Condition Surveying

Understand the state of your school’s infrastructure to plan for a safe and efficient future.

  • Comprehensive building condition surveys and recommendations.
  • Health and safety compliance audits.
  • Energy consumption analysis and cost-saving strategies.

7. HR and Staffing Analysis

Optimize your staffing structure and address key HR challenges with data-driven insights.

  • HR audits covering contracts, absenteeism, and policies.
  • Staffing efficiency analysis and resource deployment strategies.
  • Customised solutions for staffing challenges.

8. Stakeholder Communication and Integration Planning

Ensure a smooth transition with effective communication and integration planning.

  • Stakeholder engagement and cultural alignment workshops.
  • Post-transfer integration frameworks for operational success.
  • Customised plans to support collaboration and unity.

9. Comprehensive Risk Mitigation Consultancy

Identify, evaluate, and address risks with actionable, costed solutions.

  • Detailed risk and mitigation analysis.
  • Scenario planning and contingency strategies.
  • Resource allocation for identified challenges.

10. Regulatory Compliance and Guidance

Stay ahead of compliance requirements with expert support on educational and premises standards.

  • Full compliance audits and tailored action plans.
  • Guidance on health, safety, and school estate management.
  • Support with regulatory frameworks and documentation.

Why Choose Us?

We bring unparalleled expertise, a commitment to excellence, and a collaborative approach to every project. Let us help you build a future-ready school or trust that thrives in today’s educational landscape.

Contact us today to discuss how we can support your academy conversion or transfer journey!

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

Other Services

Onboarding New Schools

Expert consultancy services empowering schools and trusts to navigate academy conversions, transfers, and integration with confidence, compliance, and success.

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Central Services Review

Empowering your Trust to excel with tailored reviews and expert insights that enhance efficiency, compliance, and operational effectiveness.

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Good Estate Management for Schools (GEMS) Support

Empowering Schools with Expert Estate Management support

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