Human Resources
The central HR team is established, experienced and accessible. The team is dedicated to the Trust, and works closely with Headteachers, SLT, school HR staff and all staff.
The HR model for the Cranmer
Education Trust is a centralised team providing an experienced, professional
and comprehensive provision across the Trust, with local staff at each school having
some HR responsibilities as well.
When schools are joining the
Trust, the centralised HR team works closely with senior leaders to complete:
- HR due diligence, to understand
the processes and culture currently in place as well as organisation
information.
- The TUPE process including staff
consultation.
- The transfer of staff to the
Trust’s payroll system which is an education specialised system and market
leader, which supports complex and varied terms and conditions of employment
and can be tailored to meet individual school requirements.
For Trust schools, the
centralised team:
- Supports the school’s culture
whilst embedding Trust culture.
- Are ambassadors of the Trust’s
wellbeing strategy, working with Headteachers regarding their individual
schools.
- Provides specialised HR advice,
tailored to specific circumstances, and leads on employee relations cases
including disciplinaries, grievances, sickness absence, ranging from low level
cases to complex cases resulting in dismissal.
- Produces tailored management information
that can help shape and inform decisions such as organisational design, key areas
for improvement and recognising what is going well.
- Provides detailed advice on NJC
and teachers’ terms and conditions, with a robust understanding of job
evaluation. This allows the team to support Headteachers with structure and
staff queries.
- Leads employment changes,
including changes to terms and conditions, restructures and TUPEs.
- Supports headteachers with
organisational design based on school needs and circumstances.
- Contributes to effective performance
management across our family of schools.
- Has a comprehensive suite of HR
policies based on legislation and best practice, which have been subject to
union consultation, and approved by Trustees via a dedicated HR committee.
- Has effective and longstanding
relations with unions. The Trust was the first Trust in Oldham to establish a
JCNC in the local area, and the HR department continues to work effectively
with representatives in North-East Manchester.
- Has effective and efficient
systems and processes in place, such as recruitment, pre-employment check, the
single central record, and payroll changes which will enable school staff to
have ownership of their work and be confident in HR administration. The central
team supports school-based staff with HR administration responsibilities with
training providing at the start of the relationship and on an ongoing basis as
needed.
HR at the Cranmer Trust is
supported by a range of third-party organisations who are specialists in their
areas, which in turn, is beneficial to each school in the Trust as and when
this external support is required.
- An external legal team who are
specialised in employment and academies.
- Occupational Health who undertake
pre-employment checks as well as management referrals