Join Our Trust

Exploring opportunities to join the Thinking Schools Academy Trust? Find out more about how we work here.


Thinking Personnel

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.

Thinking Facilities

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. 

Thinking Technology

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.

Thinking Creative

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.

Thinking Financial

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.

Data Protection and Compliance

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.