Partnership Options
Partnership Options
We offer a range of partnership working from legal partnerships to formal partnerships. Our level of support and co-ordination will be agreed with you and tightly matched to your needs.
Forming/Joining a Multi Academy Trust.
Our core purpose is to support your School(s) through the conversion process to ensure that the full range of processes and procedures are compliant and to help all stakeholders feel involved and informed throughout the stages of conversion. Key Tasks include:
- Support for Academy and Sponsor Application
- Development of Governance structures – LGB, Trust Board and committees
- Clarity of role and responsibilities of Executive Head, Trustees, Members and Governors
- Development of MAT vision and values
- Support for consultations (staff, community, unions)
- Writing of Terms of Reference, Schemes of Delegation
- Support for tendering – accountants, financial packages, insurance schemes
- Development of MAT policies, practices and business systems
- Processes for Due Diligence, Articles of Association, MoU
- Liaison with various agencies ie Legal, DfE, RSC
- Ensuring Companies House compliance
- Facilitation of meetings ie potential partners
- Project planning
- On-going advice, guidance and problem solving
- On-going review and monitoring
Forming a Co-operative Trust/Foundation Trust
We have worked with many groups of schools forming a new Trust or joining an existing group. Our support has included:
- Developing a vision for the Trust
- Writing the consultation documentation
- Undertaking presentations at consultation meetings
- Writing of Reports and feeding back to governing bodies with the outcomes of the consultation/Statutory period
- Writing of statutory proposals and notices
- Ensuring compliance with legal requirements
- Liaison with Legal Services, HR and Property Services.
- Follow up press releases and communication to stakeholders
- On-going advice and guidance
Formal Partnerships
Some schools whilst not able to form a legal partnership do want to formalise their arrangements with a more strategic purpose to give a longer-term commitment to their developments. Support includes:
- A values-led visioning session
- Compilation of a Memorandum of Understanding for ways of working
- Development of structures to support the partnership
- ‘job descriptions’ for various roles and task groups
- Development of action plans
- Support for influencing stakeholders, staff, governors, parents, children
CASE STUDY
A group of 9 schools (8 primary and one secondary, church schools and community schools) decided they wanted to further develop their existing partnership. We were employed for two days a week to develop options for the governing body to discuss and agree which option would be the best for their schools. Options included: MAT (church-led, joining an existing MAT, shared MAT), Trusts, Co-operative Trust and formal partnerships. Presentations were made to each governing body as well as information sessions on latest political situation. Governors decided on the Co-operative Trust model and subsequent consultations and statutory processes were followed. The group were incorporated in October 2017. Since then we have continued to work with the Heads of the Trust to develop actions plans. Four working parties were formed looking at the key priorities established through the vision and aims that were set by the schools for the partnership work. Key areas have included: setting up a Peer Review System with an external consultant, financial savings through contract negotiation and new services, training and development related to priorities determined through data-sharing, extra-curricular activities such as choir, brass band, sports, moderation from Early Years to KS2, curriculum planning between primary schools and the secondary school, Pupil led Reviews. The key focus continues to be on school improvement. The Trust Board meets regularly and we have recently had the first AGM. We are now focusing on developing the community aspects of the Trust to become advocates for the partnership.
IMPACTS: 8 of the schools have recently had Ofsted inspections and all have been at least good. Heads talk about how the Peer Review has enabled them and the staff to be more confident in their approach. There is a focus on the particular areas that will make a difference to outcomes due to data sharing and sharing of expertise amongst the schools. Schools have made significant savings from new payroll and supply services and other areas will now be explored. The schools feel they are able to plan more and now can look at pooling resources to have bespoke services for their schools to meet the needs of their pupils.
What people say about us
"Feel we now have a real focus on how to move forward."
"Felt that all voices were valued. People were honest and engaged in what we now need to do in order to progress our partnership"
"Thank you very thought provoking! Leaving feeling positve about our future vision."