Our Strategic Aims

Corporate Governance

Ensure our structures of Governance are robust and appropriate in the context of public accountability and the growth of UET

Ensure compliance with requirement of Trust leadership and management as set out in the ATH Academy Trust Handbook

  • Maintain policies/procedures development, review and implementation which cover statutory requirement
  • Sustain audit frameworks which interrogate the efficiency and compliance of the Trust with statutory responsibilities
  • Provide appropriate induction and on-going training for MAT Board members

Operate a clear structure and terms of reference for all MAT Board and LGB committees

  • Provide documentation, protocols and operating guidance
  • Support Governance structures to ensure appropriate arrangements for Directors to be involved in priority areas of the Trust’s activities thereby enabling them to form key strategic judgements for the development of the Trust and to hold the executive to account
  • Supporting our Local Governing Boards to ensure better performing academies – ensuring that the Governing Body is able to function & supports and challenges the Principal to deliver outstanding education
  • Support to Local Governing Boards to provide regular reports to the UET Board on the performance of their academy
  • Supporting Member, Director and Governor recruitment and development

Academy Improvement

Support Academy Improvement to ensure that our academies deliver improving outcomes for our students – improving the quality of education, personal development, behaviour & attitudes and leadership and management.

Extend partnership working within the Trust to better meet the needs of students

  • Develop wider partnership plans with other schools and businesses to identify and manage areas of joint working to meet shared development needs
  • Develop and deploy key staff with skill and capacity to offer school improvement within the Trust
  • Develop coaching for leadership improvement between academies

Support and deliver QA systems which provide accurate information on performance

  • Academy performance reviews to assess the current position of Teaching & Learning and performance against student progress and outcomes
  • Supporting our academies to produce robust self-evaluation to ensure that judgements of school performance are accurate

Recruitment, Training and Professional Development

Support our academies with provision for recruitment, training and CPD to ensure the development and maintenance of an expert workforce

Train and deploy Leaders for improvement to offer school improvement support from amongst our best staff

Provide a suite of leadership programmes in conjunction with external strategic partners to build capacity, support succession planning and address system shortfalls

Increase participation rates of academy staff on CPD programmes leading to accreditation

Support programmes for sharing good practice across teaching and support staff to further develop service provision

Financial management, business efficiencies and effectiveness

Ensure our business management structures, systems and ways of working enable trust resources to be primarily directed to supporting the learner

Offer a framework of financial planning, treasury management and systems to enable the proper management of the financial resources within the organisation

  • Increase/maintain student numbers to maximise funding
  • Develop collaborative working to ensure affordability
  • Ensure capital development plans are in place for each academy so the financial requirements for Estates and IT maintenance and development can be met.
  • Ensure staffing structures are affordable, sustainable and fit for purpose.
  • Identify additional funding streams where appropriate and to maximise community letting opportunities
  • Set a realistic service support grant contribution for each academy
  • Consolidate each academy’s accounts and support each academy to ensure they comply with UET & DfE finance regulations

Provide a core services offer for academies of the Trust

  • Finance
  • HR
  • Estates, Premises and Lettings Management
  • H&S Compliance
  • GDPR Compliance
  • Careers Advice and Guidance
  • Catering
  • Cleaning
  • IT
  • Data Administration

Building and estates maintenance and development

Manage our estates and premises and ensure H&S compliance in our academies

Improve and maintain our buildings to ensure that the communities we serve have the best facilities in our region

  • Refurbish and develop as appropriate our Academy Estates on a rolling annual programme funded by the Academy Capital Improvement Fund programme
  • Continue to develop our Academy Estates through other funding streams appropriate to their individual characteristics or local priorities

Complete H&S audits and direct action to ensure compliance with requirements

IT maintenance and development

  • To lead Academies to become Microsoft accredited organisations
  • Manage and develop IT Infrastructures
  • Refresh and develop IT equipment in accordance with Academy IT Asset Management plans
  • Produce and support the roll out of a 3 year digital development plan
  • To secure and manage service level contracts for IT equipment and software
  • Further develop digital communication, digital resource sharing and digital management tools
  • Further develop safety of data storage and cyber security inline with DFE and NCSC requirements
  • Identify and develop / nurture staff within the Academies to become digital champions

Wider Opportunities

Promote a wider educational experience for all our students, in particular those from a socially challenging context

  • Identify collaboration on community based projects with Trust and other partners to meet our strategic objectives of increasing participating in learning, developing well-being and developing active citizenship and mentoring
  • To expand a Trust-wide inter-academy performing arts and sports and well-being programme and to engage with national and regional partnerships, thereby ensuring the involvement of our Academies and their students in external competition
  • To develop an Alumni support provision
  • To develop UET passports to the future and to employability supported by Business-Education activities
  • To expand our provision of support, guidance and advice to pupils to support their transition between key stages and to further education, higher education or employment
  • To collaborate on Pupil Premium activity and review