We aim to transform the life chances of all our students by providing excellent education in a supportive environment. Our staff uphold high standards, helping students become independent learners through a unique blend of the national curriculum and cognitive strategies. From STEM to cultural and creative subjects, we offer diverse opportunities that may not otherwise be available.
As a Trust, we foster collaboration among our schools, enriching both staff and students through shared expertise. Our inclusive culture encourages students of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds to grow together. We also partner with local organisations to provide real-world insights and work experience.
We are proud of our staff across both the central teams and schools. To support their growth and excellence, we offer regular training and CPD opportunities, including one-on-one support and Trust-wide conferences. Our collaborative approach fosters a community of professionals who share knowledge and best practices.
Staff benefits include:
We help our staff stay up to date with the latest skills, ensuring they feel confident in achieving their best while positively impacting students.
Our staff invest so much of their time to positively impact our pupils' lives, so we believe it is important to invest in the growth and wellbeing for those who work for us.
We offer:
At TSAT, we offer careers with real opportunities for growth, collaboration and personal success. You can explore our career opportunities here.
As part of our family of schools, you will benefit from the support of our experienced Education Drive Team (EDT) and learning experts across the Trust. Our team works closely with schools through quality assurance, practice sharing, and data analysis to enhance curriculum, assessments, and student behavior.
We offer tailored support from our Director of Culture and Development, Executive Headteachers, and Headteachers. Collaboration is key—our schools regularly connect for meetings and training, enabling staff to share resources and improve student experiences.
Our central services, under the 'Thinking Solutions for Education' brand, provide expert support across Kent, Medway, Portsmouth, Devon, and Essex. These services empower schools to focus on student wellbeing and success while ensuring efficient operations.
Our people are at the heart of our Trust, making it a great place to work. We partner with all our schools to inspire and develop staff, providing the tools, environment, and leadership needed to thrive.
Our HR team, including recruitment experts, offers dedicated support to each school. Every school is paired with an HR Partner and Advisor to guide them through all HR matters, from everyday tasks to complex challenges.
We provide regular communication, one-on-one support, and leadership guidance, while also working closely with unions to reduce workload and ensure our Trust is a fantastic place to work.
Our experienced estates team supports schools by ensuring buildings are compliant and meet quality standards. We provide regular building surveys, health & safety audits, and help with record keeping, building projects, and utility contracts.
We save schools time by advising on building management, land disputes, leases, and securing additional funding. Schools also benefit from our central capital maintenance fund and support in submitting bids for improvement projects, ensuring the best learning environments.
We ensure students and staff have access to the latest technology, fostering innovative and modern learning environments. Our IT experts help schools implement new tech, including successful device loan schemes where students can own laptops for school and home, building essential digital skills.
As technology evolves, we prioritise providing safer internet access, upgrading networks, and collaborating with external developers to keep our schools ahead of the curve.
Maintaining student intake and community engagement is a balancing act, and we support schools with effective marketing and communication. Our team, with more than 20 collective years of experience in PR, journalism, and brand strategy, assists schools throughout the onboarding process, ensuring smooth communication with parents, staff, and the press.
We don’t require branding changes unless necessary, and our team works closely with school leaders to meet branding goals. Our School Communications Leads regularly meet with schools to address their unique communication needs and ensure effective marketing strategies are in place.
Our central team manages the financial activities of each academy in our Trust, standardising processes to promote efficiency while allowing schools to maintain control over their finances.
To ease the burden on schools, we handle services like auditing, insurance, payroll, and accounting management. This approach helps us achieve economies of scale and save money on goods and services.
Our financial experts assist academies in effective budget management and generating surpluses, instilling confidence in their viability. Schools receive ongoing support from the Head of Business and Operations for financial planning, policies, staff restructuring, auditing, record-keeping, and compliance with funding agreements. This hands-on support ensures school leaders and financial staff are well-informed and effectively supported.
Our schools benefit from the expertise of our central Data Protection Officer (DPO), who supports all academies in our network.
The DPO conducts annual audits of school procedures and practices, offering recommendations and implementation plans to ensure compliance with relevant legislation. This helps enhance security, minimise risk, and avoid potential fines.
When a school joins our Trust, the DPO meets with its leadership team to clarify data protection arrangements and provide support. We establish a network of Data Protection Leads at each school, serving as the main contacts for data protection issues and facilitating communication with the DPO. This structure offers professional development opportunities through regular training sessions and practice-sharing exercises led by the DPO.
The majority of schools who have joined us have kept their name, however some have chosen to change their name due a variety of reasons. Any decisions would be made by your Headteacher.
Governors will be given the opportunity to join the new Academy Advisory Board (AAB). We will ask school governors to carry out a skills audit. The Chair of the school’s original board will usually join the hub governing board (AGB)
Nothing! Some Heads bring their school into our Trust ahead of their retirement with plans to retire shortly after. However most stay exactly the same and get to utilise the network of 20+ strong Heads in our family of schools. Headteachers will have line management with the Regional Director for the hub that their school will join.
Yes, we would encourage schools to maintain their connections within the local area alongside the new connections within our organisation.
At TSAT we use Microsoft Office 365 across the organisation and within the classroom. All schools will need to be Microsoft users to access the collaborative elements of being a member. If your school is not a Microsoft school, we will put a detailed project plan in place complete with training to work towards migrating the school to Microsoft over time.
The school’s Headteacher and Business Manager will be the key members of staff involved in the conversion process. We are conscious of the workload for these members of staff and always create the project plan for the process according to their needs.