Admissions

The Trust's Admissions Officer oversees the admissions process across all academies and provides support, including:

• Management of the process to consult, agree, and publish each academy’s Admissions Policy in line with statutory regulations
• Maintenance of the academy’s waiting lists and allocation of places where spaces are available
• Communication with prospective parents
• Provision of the application process for parents to register for admission to the academy
• Organisation of any required admissions appeals

Financial Support

The Trust provides a central finance function to support all schools with strategic and operational financial requirements.The service offers:

• Day to day operational financial processing
• Budget setting and monitoring in collaboration with schools
• Support and guidance on all areas of finance and business management
• High quality and accurate reporting
• Implementation and maintenance of rigorous financial controls in line with the Academy Trust Handbook
• Assistance to schools to achieve efficiency improvements and cost savings
• Fulfilment of all financial statutory reporting responsibilities
• Monitoring of ring-fenced income streams
• Assistance with income generation

Data Protection

Legislative change in data protection (GDPR) has meant significant changes in data protection requirements.  The Trust has its own Data Protection Officeras follows:

Judicium Consultancy Limited (Lead contact Craig Stilwell)

Address: 72 Cannon Street, London EC4N 6AE

Website: www.judiciumeducation.co.uk

The DPO provides support, including:

• Organisation of regular online training for all staff to keep them up to date with data protection requirements
• Regular audits of academies for compliance
• Review of Trust policies to ensure that they are compliant with legislation

Governance

A dedicated Clerk to the Trust ensures compliance and consistency of reporting and Governor training and expectation. The Trust also employs a bank of clerks who minute Local Governing Board and other meetings as necessary.  

The Clerk provides support, including:

• Management of papers for meetings of the local governing board (LGB)
• Management of the record of LGB membership, attendance and terms of office, reporting to LGB as required
• Administration and organisation of specialist panels of governors for appeals, disciplinaries, exclusions, sensitive meetings (SEN case meetings or meetings with parents and admissions
• Recruitment of new Governors

HR

The Trust provides strategic and operational HR advice and guidance. Employing a dedicated person in this role allows that individual to understand fully the Trust and the academy’s vision and needs. The Trust also produces all contracts and offer letters to all employees.

The Trust provides a group-wide recruitment strategy and buys recruitment packages with leading educational recruitment agencies/websites. It places all Trust roles on these and its own website.

The HR manager provides HR advice and support for academies, including:

• Recruitment and performance management of Principals, setting ambitious targets
• Management of appeals, complaints, grievances or serious allegations against staff
• Regular monitoring of the single central record for compliance including spot checks
• Support for critical incidents

Operations support

The Trust Operations Officer (TOO) acts across academies in the Trust, covering many non-academic areas such as premises, contract management and academy co-ordination.

The TOO provides operational support for academies and the Trust, including:

• Management of the Trust’s Estate and its facilities
• Delivery of the strategic Trust-wide Estates plan
• Acting as the Trust’s Health & Safety lead, developing, delivering, and driving forward a tailored Health & Safety management system ensuring the Trust operates in line with current relevant statutory and regularity requirements
• Management of Trust central procurement contracts
• Management of Trust capital works program