Our Trust offer

This gives a flavour of the support that schools benefit from when they join Excel Learning Trust.

It is not an exhaustive list and the support we offer is constantly evolving and developing. 

SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT

• Dedicated leadership and support from the CEO, an experienced National Leader of Education
• Comprehensive school improvement support from our Executive Directors of Education, Assistant Director of School Improvement (Inclusion), Associate Directors of Personal Development and School Improvement Partner
• Strategic and operational support for all aspects of school improvement, including:
  – teaching and learning
  – SEND provision and EHCP
  – personal development
  – attendance
  – safeguarding
  – curriculum offer; both academic and wider curriculum
  – behaviour and attitudes
• ‘Excel Development’ – our holistic staff development programme for colleagues at all levels including an annual trust conference, a leadership conference and senior and middle leadership development
• Comprehensive CPD offer, including training on Emotion Coaching and Adaptive Teaching
• Principal/Heads of School leadership support
• Weekly Principal/Heads of School meetings and sharing practice
• Trust development plan and support with school development plans
• School improvement and self-review/quality assurance
• Leadership coaching
• Development of Senior and Middle leaders
• Establishing vision and values alongside culture and ethos.
• Reading strategy to create and enhance a culture of reading across the curriculum
• Specific and specialist support for schools judged to be RI/inadequate
• Inspection preparation and support during the inspection process
• Regular trust-wide curriculum development and planning days to develop the curriculum and share best practice
• Trust teaching model
• Regular School Business Team meetings and sharing practice

FINANCE

• Dedicated finance support from an experienced Chief Finance Officer
• Compliance with financial academies handbook and master funding agreement
• Strategic Curriculum Led Financial Planning
• Budget setting and approval
• Provision of management accounts
• Cashflow management
• KPI and budget analysis
• Finance transaction processing
• Contract management
• Payroll management
• Pay statements
• Pension reporting
• Internal and external audit
• Completion of 3 year financial forecast
• Year-end accounts
• DfE communication and compliance
• Service level agreements management and delivery
• Procurement and value for money support
• Fraud management
• Debtor management
• CPD for all staff involved with finance
• Strategic benchmarking
• Monthly cash flow forecasting
• Attendance and presentation of finance reports at local governance and board meetings
• VAT reports and reclaiming of VAT
• Liaison with HMRC
• Assistance with income streams e.g. Nursery funds, LAC, SEND etc.
• Regular budget review meetings with Principals/Heads of Schools
• All finance policies produced for adoption
• Updates and advice on local and national funding issues
• Advice on best practice in procurement and obtaining and evidencing value for money
• Regular contract reviews

ESTATES

• Dedicated support with all aspects of estates and health and safety from an experienced Director of Estates
• Strategic estates planning
• Risk assessments
• Premises management
• Contract management
• Assistance with risk register
• Business continuity planning
• Accessibility plan
• Land and building collection return
• Planned preventative maintenance
• Project Management
• Energy efficiency
• Compliance with health and safety law and other relevant laws and regulations​
• Emergency Planning
• Asset management planning
• Access to estates and compliance tool

IT

• Dedicated IT support from an experienced IT Manager
• Strategic IT planning
• Data management system 
• Cybersecurity – network security & audit
• Capital project applications management ICT
• Hardware managed service
• Network development and support hardware maintenance
• Software licences
• Trust and school website provision and maintenance
• Website compliance
• Graphic design
• ICT helpdesk
• Telephone systems
• Broadband
• ICT development
• GDPR support
• Hardware purchasing
• Google for Education support and development
• Microsoft Office support
• MIS and FMS support
• Managed print/printer hardware support
• Internet safeguarding and filtering,
• Audio/visual maintenance and support

HUMAN RESOURCES

• Dedicated HR support from an experienced HR Leader
• Management of recruitment processes, from advertising to appointment and all pre-employment checks
• Advice and support with single central records, including termly audits
• Support with the full range of employee relations matters, including staff absence management, disciplinary, conduct and capability processes and meetings
• Trade union consultation and negotiation, and attendance at meetings with trade union representatives
• Support with contracts of employment and variations
• Advice and support on terms and conditions of employment, in particular STPCD, the ‘Burgundy Book’ and the ‘Green Book’
• Provision of job descriptions and person specifications
• Support with performance management
• Support with workforce planning and staffing reorganisations
• All HR policies provided for adoption
• Advice and support with employment guidance and changes in legislation
• Storage and maintenance of employee records
• Occupational health service

GOVERNANCE

• Dedicated governance support from an experienced governance advisor
• Clerking of academy committee and trust board meetings, including the provision of governance advice and support
• Support with governance policies and processes including Terms of Reference and Scheme of Delegation
• Support with recruitment of governance volunteers
• Access to an extensive training and induction programme for all governance volunteers

DESIGN, MARKETING AND PR

• Dedicated design and marketing support from an in-house Design and Marketing Officer
• Full range of design services, including brochures, prospectuses, social media graphics, leaflets and other display and promotional materials
• Support with writing copy for websites, press releases and responses to press requests
• Creation and maintenance of design templates for a range of collateral, including presentations and letterheads
• Support with the procurement of print marketing collateral
• Photography service

TIME TO JOIN US?

If you are interested in finding out more or would like to discuss joining our family of schools, please contact Zoë French, Director of Trust Services & Executive Assistant to the CEO, and we will arrange to meet with you to discuss this further.

We are also able to offer aspects of this high-quality support to schools who are not part of Excel Learning Trust. If this is something you feel you may be interested in, please contact Zoë French, Director of Trust Services & Executive Assistant to the CEO.