Enhancing and Advancing Every Child’s Life through the highest standards of education
Induction Handbook
Welcome I am delighted to welcome you to the Sir John Brunner Foundation. You join a high performing Multi-Academy Trust employing over 450 staff and educating over 4000 students across four Academies. You will find that all our colleagues share the ambition that every child’s life is enhanced and advanced by high educational standards; all staff are committed to ensuring every child fulfils their academic potential at whatever stage they are at. We are driven by our values of Excellence, Belonging and Partnership. Our dedicated and enthusiastic leadership teams in each Academy are driven by core values and a keen focus on ensuring that students and colleagues alike are valued as individuals and enjoy a rich, joyful and rewarding time with us. I am incredibly proud of all our colleagues, the contribution they make and their strong sense of duty and commitment in serving the interests of all our children within the local community. Student and business support professionals, leaders and teachers thrive and are well supported throughout their careers in the Foundation. Whatever your profession, I am confident you will enjoy a rewarding time with us. Matthew Snelson
Who we are The Sir John Brunner Foundation is a multi-academy trust, which is a not-for-profit organisation that operates more than one academy, independent of local authority control. The group of academies collaborate and work together to advance education for public benefit. The Sir John Brunner Foundation is made up of four Academies, one Sixth Form College and three High Schools.
11-16 Academy 1,045 students 125 staff
Sixth Form College 1,840 students 150 staff
11-16 Academy 710 students 100 staff
Proposed from Autumn 2023 11-16 Academy 590 students 80 staff
Our Values Throughout the Foundation, our students and professionals alike are encouraged and supported to ‘live’ these values. Our values should be front and centre when making any decisions.
Excellence Excellence in: • • •
Student care, experience and progress Impactful innovation, including leadership development and progression Consistently and persistently focusing on helping students meet expectations
Belonging A strong sense of belonging, with: • • •
Happy, safe and successful students and professionals at the heart of what we do Students and professionals cared for, known and valued Academies maintaining a strong sense of inclusivity, identity, place and purpose
Partnership A partnership of: • • •
Professionals contributing to our vision, through innovation and impactful collaboration Students and Professionals contributing to their community and to the world around them Professionals embracing learning from and support of each other
Strategic Priorities The Foundation has four strategic priorities. Each Academy develops it’s own strategy that is rooted in, and supports, the Foundations priorities. Colleagues are encouraged to consider how they individually contribute to these priorities.
Quality Continual Improvement and Enhancement of Quality • • •
Students embracing high quality educational provision Professionals supported and challenged to provide the best student experience possible Students making exceptional progress
Sustainable Maximise use of Resources Ensuring a Sustainable Learning Organisation • • •
Recruiting, developing and retaining exceptional professionals Utilising and managing Resources effectively and efficiently including finance and digital Managing Estates & environment with sustainability at its heart
Growth Considered, Targeted and Carefully Managed Growth • • •
Support even more students to make exceptional progress Provide even more professionals with the opportunity to work in a forward-thinking trust Discover fresh thinking and ideas and have an influence on local and national decision making
Inovation Professional Curiosity and Innovation • • •
Research informed, utilising great intellect and judgement to embrace the freshest and innovative ideas Innovative curriculum design and teaching and learning Continually improving business support practices and effective and efficient systems
The Foundation’s History
1557
1906
1908
Sir John Deane gifted land for Witton Free Grammar School for Boys, in Northwich
Middlewich High School ‘new build’ opened by Sir John Brunner
Sir John Brunner and Ludwig Mond gift land for Sir John Deane’s Boys Grammar School
April 2018
April 2018
1957
Sir John Deane’s Sixth Form College becomes the first Academy within the Foundation
The Sir John Brunner Foundation Multi Academy Trust is created
Girls Grammar School created in what would become The County High School, Leftwich
September 2019
December 2021
The County High School, Leftwich joins the Foundation
Middlewich High School joins the Foundation
Proposed from Autumn 2023 The Macclesfield Academy joins the Foundation
Meet the Executive Team
Matt Snelson, BSc, PGCE, MSc Chief Executive Officer
Kathryn McBurnie, ACA Chief Financial Officer
Sarah du Plessis Director of School Improvement
Responsible for leading the Sir John Brunner Foundation’s overall operations and setting the organisational strategy. Headteachers and Principals report to this role.
Responsible for directing the financial affairs of the Foundation, ensuring proper financial conduct and promoting the Foundation’s long-term stability and financial sustainability.
Responsible for the future growth and success of our Academies’ educational delivery. As a highly experienced educator, Sarah is determined and committed to driving school improvement, and puts student success and wellbeing at the heart of decisionmaking.
Jennie Kieran, CIPD Director of People & Culture
Sian Armstrong Head of Governance & Compliance
Elizabeth Davies Director of Estates
Responsible for delivering the Foundation’s strategic and operational objectives through our most valuable asset, our people. Ensuring our colleagues have all they need to be able to deliver excellence for our students.
A key link between the Governing Bodies, Trust Board and the leadership teams, responsible for the framework and mechanisms in place to ensure effective control and operations of the Foundation.
Responsible for directing the Foundations Estates functions, promoting the Foundation’s longterm Estates strategy and vision. Ensuring statutory compliance and the enhancement of the Estate.
Organisational Structure Our structure enables our Academies to focus on educational delivery, supporting and nurturing our students, whilst also facilitating direct access to experienced, professionally qualified professionals. Our professional services currently include School Improvement, Finance, HR, Estates, Governance and IT.
Matt Snelson CEO
Principals / Heads
Sarah du Plessis Director of School Improvement
Kathryn McBurnie CFO
Jennie Kieran Director of People & Culture
Elizabeth Davies Director of Estates
Sian Armstrong Head of Governance Anne Young Governance Officer
Governance Structure The role of Governance is to ensure the Foundation is compliant with the regulatory, contractual and statutory requirements. The Foundation is incredibly fortunate to benefit from the input of our dedicated volunteers. All of whom bring their integrity, judgement, focus and the experiences of their own careers/voluntary work. Members hold the Trust Board to account for the effective governance of the Foundation. The Foundation Board oversee the running of the Sir John Brunner Foundation, through a series of committees. The Trust Board hold the Chief Executive Officer and the Executive Team to account. School’s Governing Bodies have a number of delegated authorities from the Foundation Board, along with the CEO, they hold the Headteacher or Principal of their respective Academy to account providing support and challenge over key strategic decisions. Each governing body includes at least 2 parent governors. The scheme of delegation sets out where responsibility and accountability lie for key areas of leadership and management.
Members Foundation Board Quality & Culture Committee and Audit & Compliance Committee
Governing Body
SJD
Governing Body
CHSL
Governing Body
MHS
Governing Body
TMA
Proposed from Autumn 2023
Working for the Foundation Staff Representation We know that working in partnership, contributing to our vision, collaborating in impactful ways and learning and supporting each other underpins our culture and successes as an organisation. Our staff representation is a crucial communication mechanism to facilitate the continual enhancement and innovation of our work environment. Each Academy has a staff forum or association, whose purpose is to discuss matters relevant to staff within the Academy. Your personnel representative will be able to identify/introduce you to the representatives. You are encouraged to make any suggestions or representations via your representative for discussion. In addition, The Foundation has a Staff Consultative Association (SCA) made up of representatives from each Academies staff forum. With colleagues representing teachers, support staff and leaders from across the Foundation, the SCA is a well-established, and respected, mechanism of effective dialogue between the Foundation and staff representatives. The SCA discusses a range of matters impacting upon work-life across the Foundation and is an effective means of communication, consultation and discussion regarding Foundation Policies, current issues and future developments. Meetings take place normally every half term. The meeting schedule, agenda and minutes are made available.
Foundation SCA
Two-way communication
Academy Staff Forum / Association
Policies and Procedures The Foundation has a suite of policies to enable Academies to operate in a consistent manner that is compliant with statutory requirements. These policies are developed in consultation with representatives from each academy via the SCA and approved at Trust board. There are instances where the unique identity of each school means that an Academy specific policy is more appropriate and this will be developed by the Academy Leadership team and approved by the School’s Governing Body. Policies are generally available on the academy’s website, or held centrally for all colleagues to access. Your personnel representative will show you how to access these.
Benefits Terms & Conditions Your terms and conditions are outlined within your contract of employment. Any queries can be directed to the Academy personnel representative. The Foundation is committed to following the national terms and conditions. This means both Support Staff and Teacher’s in schools, and the Sixth Form College will benefit from nationally recognised pay scales and other terms and conditions. Any pay awards that are nationally agreed are automatically applied.
Benefits as an employee As an employee of the Foundation, you will be able to access a range of benefits. More information is available on the Working For Us page on the Foundation’s website.
Benefits of a Multi Academy Trust The DfE have recognised the significant benefits to educational standards where schools are part of a strong Multi-Academy Trust (MAT). MAT’s enable effective sharing of resources, knowledge and skills, and direct these resources where they are most needed and supporting departments in suitable ways. The Sir John Brunner Foundation is proud of the benefits that have been realised for all of our Academies to date. Colleagues will also benefit from increased opportunities for career development, sharing of knowledge and skills, and sustainable secure employment.
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Supporting career development, by providing and enhancing available opportunities across the Foundation
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Improving the financial position, without detriment to educational delivery, to ensure all financial affairs are managed in a strong and stable manner to ensure future sustainability.
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Using expertise to secure additional funding via highly competitive processes to enhance and improve facilities at our Academies.
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An impactful school improvement offer, led by the Director of School Improvement, with access to specialists in education from across the Foundation.
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Establishing mechanisms and frameworks to share knowledge and coordinate best practice approaches.
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Embracing and celebrating difference where colleague’s individuality is welcomed and championed
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Improving and enhancing terms and conditions of colleagues.
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Promoting an inclusive, high performing culture with colleagues displaying a strong sense of duty and contribution.
The Sir John Brunner Foundation, Monarch Drive, Northwich, Cheshire, CW9 8AF Tel: 01606 810035