Please use this handbook as your guide to your employment while you are at The White Horse Federation (TWHF) It has been designed to read in conjunction with your contract of employment and TWHF policies which can be found on SAM People Welcome to The White Horse Federation
Each school will also have its own handbook covering local operating procedures such as school hours, school calendar, and staff contacts
The White Horse Federation | twhforguk Values, culture and character through excellence in standards
A
welcome letter from our CEO
Dear Colleague,
I am delighted to welcome you to The White Horse Federation at this important and exciting time for the Trust The Trust has a family of 30 schools and a Professional Services team that work closely together to support and inspire all children and colleagues with greater opportunity and choice The Trust seeks to be a connected, collaborative and supportive organisation that creates the conditions for colleagues and children to thrive
The Trust has schools in Wiltshire, Swindon, Berkshire and Oxfordshire These include primary, secondary and special schools with c11,000 pupils supported by c1500 colleagues across the Trust The Trust has grown and matured over time and will be 15 years old as an organisation in 2027
We seek to fulfil the organisation’s mission:
“Inspiring every child to flourish through an inclusive, all-through education that nurtures opportunity, equity, and agency for life.”
Whilst seeking to achieve this mission we work to five values. These values should support colleagues to make an excellent start in the organisation and will hold you into your future career with us
Inclusivity: A connected organisation with a strong culture and sense of belonging. Kindness: A culture of kindness for all colleagues and children
Integrity: A moral organisation: open, honest, consistent and fair
Equity: Applying equity to give children and colleagues what they specifically need.
Resilience: Investing in our collective strength and mutual support to tackle challenges
We seek to be a human organisation where colleagues support and work with each other to achieve the mission and to inspire lives of all children (and colleagues) with greater opportunity and choice
There is a strong Professional Services function across the organisation that offers a platform for schools to provide the strongest possible provision for all pupils. The Trust seeks to be well organised, collaborative and to offer clarity for all colleagues so that they feel part of a team, feel a sense of belonging and are able to bring their best selves to work
Thank you for joining our (your) trust and for committing to make a difference Please do reach out if there is anything that you require or if you have a great idea to make our organisation better.
I look forward to being able to meet you in person and to support and invest in you as an important colleague
Best wishes, Dan
About the Trust
The White Horse Federation is a multi-academy trust of primary schools, secondary schools, and special schools Founded in 2012 our federation is now among the largest multi academy trusts in the South of England
At the heart of The White Horse Federation is our united belief in collaborating to provide first-class education for a wide range of young people. Our schools embrace values-based education to ensure young people from all walks of life are supported with the skills and qualities they'll need to succeed in the future
Our trust operates across a number of regions, including, Wiltshire, Swindon, Oxfordshire, and Berkshire Across the Federation, more than 1400 members of staff work to achieve positive outcomes for more than 12,000 pupils
The White Horse Federation in numbers: 12000+ Students
Our Schools
The White Horse Federation has 30 schools at the heart of its trust Including four secondary schools, 24 primary schools and two special provision schools
Our schools are located in the boroughs of Swindon, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire and Berkshire.
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- Proud to be part of The White Horse Federation
Useful Contacts
Central People Team: hr@twhf.org.uk (for any contract, payroll or operational query)
Employee relations team: erteam@twhforguk (for any employee relations query)
Training and or apprenticeships: ksommerville@twhf.org.uk
IT: itsupport@whfitorguk
Finance: centralfinance@twhf.org.uk
Marketing: marketing@twhforguk
If you have any HR related queries, please email the People Team
Teachers pensions:
Call - 0345 6066166
Or Visit - Member enquiries | Contact Us | Teachers' Pensions
Local Government Pension scheme (support staff): Call - 01225 713613
Or Visit - Wiltshire Pension Fund Homepage - Wiltshire Pension Fund
Sites
Here you can read about TWHF’s vision, find out more about the schools within TWHF and view any TWHF vacancies
The White Horse Federation https://thewhitehorsefederation.org.uk
The White Horse Federation Intranet TWHF Intranet
Here you can read the latest news, announcements and find valuable resources from around the Trust
MyProfile
This is where you can find both personal and contract information relating directly to you Can you please check the information that you can see You can directly edit any of the personal details, next of kin information and medical information that we may need for emergencies It would also be really helpful if you could update the equalities information at the same time
If you feel that any of your contractual data is not correct then please contact the People team as this can only be changed by them
MyAttendance
This is where you will see any information around absences, whether this is annual leave (if applicable) or sickness records This is also where you would request an absence
Return-to-Work forms (we will talk about these later) are completed through My Sam Managers will be sent a Return-to-Work form on your return and they will then go through the form and submit to you for confirmation
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Annual leave
For those staff who book annual leave, this is now available to request through the portal Annual leave will be managed in days, unless you work part time hours/weeks in which case you will see your entitlement in hours
The system is set up to automatically carry over three days of annual leave in any year, so please be aware that if you don't use all of your annual leave this year you will only be able to carry three days forward (unless there are exceptional circumstances agreed)
MyTeam (if a manager)
Line managers have access to an additional area on the portal called MyTeam, this not only gives you information around your team but is where you access the claims that have been put through by your team In the resources link above there are specific guides to support you in authorising the various different claims and more information will come out to you with regards to procedures that you will be asked to complete in the system
WeEngage
This is where you can find useful documents such as employment policies and forms that you may need
New documents are sent and available on MySAM, please check the portal regularly for updates
Pay
You will be paid monthly on 23rd of the month (or the last working day before) Your salary payment is for the month it is paid, eg Salary paid on 23rd October is the salary payment for the whole month of October (1st to 31st) This is based on 3 weeks in arrears and one week in advance
We work to a payroll deadline of the end of the month for changes to pay the following month These are available in We Engage
Additional hours, mileage, unpaid leave and sickness are all processed in arrears
Payslips will be sent to you via your MYSAM portal You will receive an email usually the day before payday telling you that your payslip is available You can then log on and read your payslip or download it if you wish
If you have a query regarding your tax or tax code, we recommend that you ring HM Revenue and Customs directly to discuss further HMRC will not speak to us as your employer, about your individual tax account
Their contact number is: 0300 200 3300 and our PAYE Tax Reference number is: 475/KA75576
Additional Hours
Some staff are eligible for payment for additional hours they have worked These need to be agreed in advance with your line manager, any additional hours must be claimed and approved through My Sam Additional hours will be paid to you in arrears along with your monthly salary
Cost
of living
Each year the cost of living is reviewed and there may be an uplift added to your salary This increase is agreed annually with the unions and is due on 1st April each year for support staff and 1st September for teaching staff Often this is paid later in the year but is backdated
MyPay on MYSam portal
This is where you can make claims for overtime, additional/casual hours, mileage and expenses Please remember that any expense claims that you put through the portal must have the relevant receipts attached to the claim otherwise they will not be authorised Once you have uploaded the receipt the original must be passed to your line manager (or the finance officer in your school) to return to the central Finance team
Please note that lettings claims and classroom cover top-up hours will need to be recorded and signed off on a spreadsheet until the system is able to handle these claims The payroll team will then process these manually
Expenses Before any expenditure, all expenses must be approved by the appropriate budget holder Please contact your line manager in the first instance
If you have any queries please contact the Central Finance Team
Mileage
You may need to drive to other sites as part of your role and you can claim a reimbursement at the HMRC rate which is currently 45p per mile If you carry passengers for work purposes, please note this on your claim form and you will receive an additional 5p per mile
Mileage can only be claimed from your usual place of work, and not from your home address If the location you are visiting is closer to home than your usual workplace then you cannot claim for this
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Training
TWHF has a dedicated training platform where you will find any training courses which have been allocated to you For access, all you need is a laptop, phone or tablet and an internet connection
Mandatory Training
All staff are expected to attend any mandatory training relevant for their role, this will include, without exception, Safeguarding and Fire Training on an annual basis
Apprenticeships
TWHF is keen to support staff who wish to start an apprenticeship; apprenticeships are free of charge and staff will continue to be paid their regular wage
More Information can be found on the Intranet or contact the Central People team If you would like to complete an apprenticeship, please complete an apprenticeship and training form and get this signed off by your line manager
Benefits
As a Trust, we know that your role requires you to put in a lot of time and effort, and because of this we believe you should be rewarded!
That’s why we offer a range of staff benefits designed to support your wellbeing and lifestyle
Mental Health and Wellbeing
Your mental health and wellbeing are extremely important To ensure that we are meeting employee needs, TWHF carries out a number of staff surveys throughout the year
Username: whitehorse
Password: employee
They offer confidential guidance on legal, financial, and health matters, as well as telephone and face-to-face counselling
Pay Review
TThe pay review process takes place each year To be eligible for the pay review, staff must have been on their current pay for six months or more at the time the pay review is effective
Teachers on the Main Scale
The annual pay review is completed in term 2 and backdated to 1st September
For teachers wishing to move up to/within the Upper Pay Scale:
The pay review is completed in term 3 and backdated to 1st September You will need to complete a UPS application form if you wish to move up to or within the Upper Pay Scale Please discuss this with your principal in the first instance
Teachers on the Leadership Scale
The pay review is completed in term 2 and backdated to 1st September Teachers will move up the leadership band as detailed in their contract provided
Absence
Sickness scheme And procedure
If you are unwell and unable to attend work, please follow your local reporting procedures These usually involve telephoning a designated number or member of staff as soon as reasonably practicable, and no later than 745am Texting or emailing is not usually permitted, neither is asking someone to call on your behalf
If you are off for eight calendar days or more, this absence must be covered by a medical certificate stating the reason for absence A medical certificate is not required if your absence is less than 8 days
Your manager will request a return to work meeting on your return to work through MySAM This is to ensure that you are ready to come back to work and discuss any support you may need
TWHF adheres to the Green Book and Burgundy Book and so depending on your length of service, if you are off sick you will receive full pay for a period of time before this is reduced Please see your contract for details
You may be asked to attend an Absence Management meeting if your sickness hits any of TWHF’s trigger points For more information please see our Health, Attendance, and Wellbeing Policy
Other Absence
There may be times when you have to take time off work for reasons other than sickness, for example in an emergency or to attend a medical appointment Please see our Leave of Absence Policy for more information about these types of leave as not all of these will be paid
To request these types of leave, please request through MySAM to gain approval
Annual Leave
Everyone is entitled to an annual allowance and this is recorded and taken in a different way depending on your contract
Teachers:
Teachers are paid all year round and the school holidays allow you to take a break from working Annual leave cannot be taken in term time
Support staff on full year contracts:
Your annual leave allowance is detailed in your contract This will vary depending on your service length and whether you are full or part time The annual leave year runs from 1st September to 31st August You may carry over up to three days’ annual leave into the next leave year if you are unable to take all your leave in that current year Anything over 3 days not taken is lost and will not be reimbursed
TWHF gives one concessionary day’s leave per year TWHF reserves the right to determine when this day is taken This is usually over the Christmas period
Annual leave can be taken at any time throughout the year with prior approval from your manager Please request annual leave through MySam You must gain approval for annual leave before booking anything
Support staff on term time only contracts:
Your annual leave allowance is included in your pay Your contract will detail the number of weeks you are required to work per year and the number of weeks you will be paid for to include annual leave Your annual pay will be divided into 12 equal payments so that you will receive the same amount each month Annual leave cannot be taken during school term time
TD days (Teacher Development days)
The school term runs for 38 weeks of the year and there are five TD days
Teachers are expected to attend all TD days Some term only support staff are contracted for 39 weeks of the year as they also need to attend all TD days You can find out how many weeks you have been contracted for by checking your contract If you are contracted for 38 weeks and are asked to attend a TD day, you may be eligible to receive overtime or time off in lieu
Please speak to your line manager in the first instance if you have any queries about TD Days
Staff Appearance and Dress Code
Probation
Flexible working
As your circumstances change, you might want to request a change to your working hours All staff have the right to apply for flexible working from day 1
If you would like to request flexible working, please discuss this with your line manager in the first instance
For more information, please see the Flexible Working Policy
Health and Safety
Code of Conduct
When you join TWHF you will be asked to read and sign the Code of Conduct via MySAM It is important that you are familiar with the contents of this as any breaches of the Code of Conduct may result in disciplinary action
More information about the Disciplinary Procedure and what constitutes misconduct can be found in the TWHF Disciplinary Policy
Safeguarding concerns Disclosure (Whistleblowing)
Leaving TWHF
Disclosure Whistleblowing is strictly confidential and managed in line with the Public Disclosure Act For more information, please see the Disclosure “Whistleblowing” Policy
Unions
Congratulations on your employment with TWHF
We hope this booklet has provided you with a helpful introduction to the organisation, your school, and the wider team.
As you begin to settle into your role and responsibilities, please remember that support is always available. Whether you have questions, need clarification, or simply want to connect, your colleagues and manager are here to help
We’re delighted to have you with us and look forward to seeing your journey unfold
The White Horse Federation
Induction Checklist:
Welcome to The White Horse Federation This checklist will be used by you and your Line Manager to support your induction
Please book onto an induction meeting by sending hr@twhf.org.uk an email. The dates these meetings are held are in front of the induction booklet.
First Day Checklist:
Policies and Training:
Login details for Talent LMS will be sent direct to your WHF email address. Talent LMS is our main training provider platform
First Month Policies Checklist:
Please return your completed checklist to hr@twhf.org.uk
