Staff Benefits

We recognise a healthy and happy workplace is an integral part of having a high performing workforce and we want all our staff to step into their greatness by promoting a healthy, engaged and inclusive workplace culture. Health and wellbeing is at the centre of our employee engagement practices and is underpinned by physical and mental wellbeing initiatives that include:

• Trained mental health first aiders in all schools who can confidently guide and support staff access mental health and wellbeing serices.
• Providing staff with access to an employee assistance scheme offering complimentary counselling, physiotherapy, healthy eating advice, online exercise, yoga and mindfulness classes, menopause support, private GP appointments and financial advice.
• All of our schools buy in to the Local Authority Trade Union Central Facility Fund and we have also established a joint facility consultative group framework with Trade Union groups to maximise Trade Union consultation and employee representation in the workplace.
• Pledging our commitment to the education staff wellbeing charter; a declaration to protect, promote and enhance the wellbeing and mental health of all education professionals, and establishing an agenda to actively promote mental health and wellbeing through our policies and practices.
• Recognising our statutory duty with respect to staff who regularly use Display Screen Equipment and offering all staff eye care vouchers for eye tests and discounted glasses to use at any Specsavers store.
• We offer structured teacher non-contact time for planning and preparation in line with statutory requirements (between 10-16%).

We recognise employee incentives have a positive impact on employee performance and job satisfaction and we offer a range of initiatives to boost employee morale and to enhance employee retention. This includes:

• A Greensand My Staff Shop benefits platform offering a range of retail, hospitality, fitness and leisure discounts, alongside a cycle to work scheme and a free will writing service.
• Support staff enrolment in the Local Government Pension Scheme and teaching staff enrolment in the Teachers’ Pension Scheme, with a minimum employer’s contribution rate of 18%.
• An occupational sick pay scheme based on national terms and conditions; the Green Book for support staff and the Burgundy Book for our teaching workforce.
• We offer paid and unpaid special leae and a combination of flexible working arrangements to support our staff maintain a healthy work-life balance.
• Our schools offer a range of bespoke reward and recognition initiatives, such as peer to peer recognition and appreciation, birthday celebrations and celebrating individual successes.
• We offer employees the opportunity to apply for a career break, or sabbatical, for up to 12 months for a number of reasons, for example undertaking a period of volunteering, pursuing further education or for family reasons.
• Our teaching and leadership remuneration is in line with joint union recommended pay scales and our support staff remuneration is aligned with the Surrey County Council's pay framework. 

Professional growth and development is an integral part of our people management practices and we have defined career pathways for teaching, curriculum support and our business and estates management professionals. We offer staff a package of support and training to be the best that they can be in their role and a range of ongoing professional growth pathways for those who wish to expand their professional knowledge and expertise.

This includes:

• Partnering with other Multi Academy Trusts, Associate member schools and teaching school alliances to offer a range of professional development opportunities.
• Working proactively with our teaching school alliances to provide the best possible support to our trainee teachers, supported by a team of outstanding mentors and leaders who offer bespoke coaching and mentoring to support our early career teacher development.
• Offering our student teachers a retention incentive at the end of their placement/upon qualification as part of a permanent appointment package in recognition of services rendered during their unpaid trainee placement.
• Offering a comprehensive apprenticeship framework for business and curriculum support staff to maximise their ongoing development and professional growth.
• Our appraisal process is underpinned by our professional growth framework which provides all staff with a bespoke structured programme and action plan for their personal professional development.
• Facilitating networking groups across the Trust to bring together leaders, specialisms and professionals to share knowledge and expertise to enhance performance and school improvement.

Appraisal Policy

We oppose all forms of discrimination; promoting equality, inclusion and equal opportunities is an integral part of our ethos. It extends beyond our policies and procedures and is defined by how we interact and treat each other in all aspects of the working environment, irrespective of: age, disability, race, nationality, ethnic or national origin, gender, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, religion or belief, pregnancy or maternity, Trade Union affiliation, marital status (including civil partnerships), carer responsibilities or domestic circumstances.

We aim to develop a culture of diversity and inclusion across all our schools and with our wider stakeholders, and to actively promote equality of opportunity for all staff and champion equality and diversity in all that we do.

Equal Opportunities Policy

The Public Sector Equality Duty places additional duties on public sector organisations such as Multi Academy Trusts, to have due regard to the need to achieve the objectives set out under s149 of the Equality Act 2010. This includes:

Eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation and other conduct prohibited by the Act.

Advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not, including the need to:

• Remove or minimise disadvantages suffered by people due to their protected characteristics;
• Take steps to meet the needs of people with certain protected characteristics where these are different from the needs of other people; and
• Encourage people with certain protected characteristics to participate in public life or in other activities where their participation is disproportionately low.

Foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not.

A copy of our Public Equality report, objectives and action plan can be found here:

Public Equality Report, Objectives & Action Plan