The last 12 months have shone a spotlight onto how schools are run. An increase in staff absences, brought on by Covid, has brought HR to the forefront as schools struggle to manage staff-pupil ratios, maintain face to face teaching and support staff who are anxious about returning to the classroom after remote learning. If your trust HR team or sc...

As school budgets are stretched tighter by inflation and the cost of living crisis, it's increasingly important to take a second look at areas where you can make efficiencies, rather than cuts. Managing the procurement process to ensure that your school or trust gets the best value for money is a way to economise without sacrificing quality. While ...

Schools consider how budgets will stretch budgets this year In August, schools considered three or four-day weeks as a way to stay within budget in the face of massive pressures in the wake of unfunded staff pay increases and rising energy costs. Schools also considered shortening the school day and reducing the number of clubs and enrichment oppor...

 Managing school and academy finance isn't a small feat; it's a constant juggle between limiting budgets and meeting deadlines and stringent compliance needs. It's hard to stay on track when dealing with the day-to-day pressures of running an organisation that puts children and their futures first. That's why a growing number of schools, acade...

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Introduction: Selecting the appropriate internal scrutiny partner is the crucial first step in ensuring that your school or trust maximizes the benefits of internal scrutiny. In accordance with the guidelines set out in the Academy Trust Handbook, your internal scrutiny process should encompass a wide range of financial and non-financial controls, ...

A reliable HR department is instrumental to the success of any organisation, no matter the size. From hiring staff to absence management and grievances, the human resource department is key to maintaining employee relations within any organisation. Likewise, the department of human resources for schools and Multi Academy Trusts plays an integral ro...

Like any corporate organisation, an academy needs to be in the pink of its financial health. However, in an era of rising costs, staff salary demands, and an evolving economic climate, the pressure to sustain and maintain finances in the education sector has become more intense than ever. Like every year, academies and multi-academy trusts (MATs) h...

Keystone Knowledge was set up by CEO Stephen Mitchell in January 2020, bringing together his passion for education, knowledge of the sector and desire to see improvement in operational practices. The Keystone journey began with helping schools and trusts in financial difficulty and has expanded to support education providers across the country. The...

As an academy trust, the safety and wellbeing of students, staff, and visitors are paramount. But navigating the world of health and safety compliance can feel like a daunting task, especially with all the regulations and rules to follow. The good news? Getting it right doesn't have to be complicated! In this blog, we'll walk through the basics of ...

Recruitment in the education sector can be a challenge, particularly in the current economic climate. Retaining talent and attracting quality candidates to your setting shouldn't just start when you have vacancies; it's part of a long-term strategy. Your strategic thinking around recruitment should include: What will your team look like in a year's...

Keeping up to date with legal and regulatory compliance can feel like a full-time job as the changes to the ATH can be never-ending. While it's a relief to be able to say, "we're compliant", is that really enough? Why being compliant matters Compliance takes many forms. It covers aspects from regulations around; providing parents with information o...

At the 2022 Bett show, the education secretary Nadhim Zahawi announced that all schools would have access to high-speed internet by 2025. He also promised an additional £150 million to help schools upgrade their Wi-Fi connections in 55 EIA (Education Investment Areas). Similarly, the schools white paper laid out the DfE's plan to create a "strong e...

Since 2016, the Academies Trust Handbook has detailed exactly what schools and trusts have to do in order to remain compliant. There are also requirements detailed in the Equality Act 2010 and Children and Families Act 2014. Websites are often fall to the bottom of the "to do" lists and it's easy for them to become out of date. To help you keep on ...

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Keystone has recently taken on a new marketing executive who has come from outside of education. The first thing she said was, "It's amazing how many acronyms there are. It's like you're talking another language made entirely out of letters!" Schools strive to be as approachable as possible. We aim to use clear and simple language in letters and le...

The Academy Trust Handbook requires all trusts to have a programme of internal scrutiny to provide independent assurance to the board that its financial and non-financial controls and risk management procedures are operating effectively. It's easy to fall into the trap of thinking that internal assurance in a trust needs to focus mainly on expendit...

As employment law continues to evolve, employers in the education sector need to stay updated on legislative changes to ensure compliance and maintain a safe working environment. A key area undergoing significant reform is harassment legislation, which introduces new preventative responsibilities for employers. The Employment Rights Bill was introd...

Safer recruitment online checks

Checking social media and online presence as part of safer recruitment practices was introduced as a 'should' in Keeping Children Safe in Education 2022, and as we all know, with KCSIE, a 'should' is really an instruction to 'go and do'. The process itself is quite simple, but it can be difficult to know where to start when 'online' is such a broad...

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The Procurement Act 2023 represents a significant shift in how public sector organisations, including schools and trusts, manage their procurement processes. Designed to improve transparency, efficiency, and value for money, the Act introduces new requirements and opportunities that all educational institutions should understand. This guide provide...

 In paragraph 215 of the new KCSIE guidelines, which came into effect on 1st September, schools and trusts carry out an "online search (including social media) as part of their due diligence on the shortlisted candidates." Conducting in conjunction with adequate DBS checks, a search should only be used to find any "incidents or issues" involvi...

The Social Mobility Commission has just released their State of the Nation 2021 report which details how social mobility has been impacted by the pandemic. Social mobility is the link between your income and your parents' income. There is a strong relationship between high inequality and low social mobility. If there are high levels of inequality i...