How We Support Our Schools

Governance

Our Trustees have a wide-ranging skill set representing a variety of sectors who steer our vision and direction with thought, business acumen and a commitment to our values.
Each school in The Oak Trust, has its own Local Advisory Committee who work alongside the Trustees to provide challenge and support.

Benefits
• Governance Professional to support all layers of governance
• GovernorHub – a secure portal for secure communication, efficient document sharing and meeting planning
• Membership of the National Governance Association
• Induction programme for Trustees and Local Committee Members
• Clerk for all Trust and Local Advisory Committee meetings

Estates & Facilities Management

Our schools are supported by our Estates Team who have extensive knowledge and skills. They complete regular building inspections and provide support and advice to school leaders and school Site Managers.

Benefits
• Estates Strategy
• Statutory central compliance software
• Asset management including capital funding allocation management
• Contract management advice
• Assistance with repairs, maintenance and building improvements
• Legislative and regulatory inspections

Statutory Compliance

The central team supports all schools within the Trust in ensuring all statutory and legislative compliance requirements are monitored and met.

Benefits
• A Trust named Competent person for Health and Safety
• Statutory Health and Safety training for all staff
• External advice and audits undertaken by Health and Safety specialists
• A named Trust Data Protection Officer to act as single point of contact with the Information Commissioners Office (ICO)
• Experienced Data Protection Officers to support and provide advice to our schools
• Data Protection training
• Policy framework
• Cloud based approach to risk assessment and management

IT Services

We have a central IT Services team who are highly skilled and experienced, providing support and assistance when required. A shared infrastructure ensures our services are built around the needs of each school, allowing collaborative working in each school and throughout the Trust as well as offering resilience when required.

Benefits
• Cyber security and compliance alongside cyber insurance
• Strategic IT plan for the Trust and each establishment
• Proactive update management
• Web Filtering and Monitoring
• Help desk and remote support with access to specialists
• Dedicated onsite support available
• Disaster recovery plan with robust backup strategy
• Telephony and broadband
• Central Microsoft 365 licencing agreement with access to SharePoint and Teams
• Central procurement of equipment and services
• Print Management

HR & Legal Support

We provide a full HR service including casework and strategic HR work which enables us to be an employer of choice.
Our Trust HR team are well qualified and established, working closely with the Trust and Headteachers of all our schools, with the added benefit of external support from our legal partners.

Benefits
• Access to legal advice
• HR advisory services
• Recruitment and advertising
• Contractual documentation
• HR policies and procedures
• HR casework, including capability, disciplinary and grievance
• Attendance management
• Performance management, including appraisal
• Single Central Record Tracker

Finance, Procurement and Payroll

At the Oak Trust we will provide a full and comprehensive financial service to all schools. Our aim is to reduce your financial burdens and support you, not only as an academy school, but also with all the financial requirements prior to conversion.
All our schools retain their ability to make budgetary decisions and are allocated a designated Budget Support Officer to assist them in doing this. Our central procurement services ensure schools achieve value for money whilst supporting their individual priorities.
We also operate a payroll and pension service which removes this responsibility at school level.

Benefits
• Financial Management
• Revenue and Capital Budget Planning
• Budget Monitoring and Control
• Financial Reporting
• Assistance with funding streams
• Debt Collection
• Procurement
• Payroll Services and Pension Administration
• Internal Scrutiny and External Audit
• Statutory Accounts and Financial Returns