Employee Handbook
Creating outstanding schools which transform learning, lives and communities
Creating outstanding schools which transform learning, lives and communities
I am delighted to welcome you as an employee of the EPT. Together, we can achieve our vision of creating outstanding schools which transform learning, lives and communities.
The EPT was established in 2012 as a not for profit multi-academy trust and an academy sponsor. We currently have 8 schools as part of the EPT.
• The Heights, Blackburn opened in September 2013 as an alternative provision school
• Eden School opened in September 2014 as a special school for pupils with social and emotional mental health issues
• Coal Clough Academy joined the EPT in September 2015 as a pupil referral unit and alternative provision school
• Pleckgate High School converted to academy status and joined EPT in February 2016.
• The Heights, Burnley opened in September 2019 as an alternative provision school.
• Burnley High School and Atherton High School transferred to EPT in April 2020.
• Carr Hill High School transferred to EPT in September 2024.
The Board of Directors is determined to see a high performing multiacademy trust that delivers the very best educational experience for our pupils with an ethos of collaboration and excellence.
The entire team at EPT look forward to working with you.
Sharon Roscoe Chief Executive
Creating outstanding schools which transform learning, lives and communities
High Expectations of ourselves, our pupils and our school community
Commitment
we are dedicated to raising standards and improving opportunities
Ambition
we constantly strive to improve by setting ourselves challenging goals.
The Heights Blackburn is an alternative provision school which provides personalised programmes and support, to develop academic, vocational, personal and social skills.
theheightsfreeschool.org
Eden is a SEMH Special School which engages pupils and develops positive attitudes to learning by providing life transforming education.
edenschool.org.uk
The Heights, Burnley is an alternative provision school: helping students to grow, develop and create their own future through providing an alternative curriculum, working in partnership and instilling our PRIDE values in each student.
theheightsburnley.com
Atherton High School opened in September 2012 and caters for pupils from Year 7 to 11, Atherton joined the Trust on the 1st April 2020.
athertonhigh.com
Coal Clough works in partnership with its local school communities to provide a stimulating learning environment, tailored to individual needs.
Pleckgate High School is a multi cultural community of pupils, staff, parents and carers. The purpose of the school is learning, and all members are entitled to experience success.
Burnley High School is a secondary school based in the Padiham area of Burnley, the school caters for pupils from Year 7 to 11, Burnley High School joined the Trust on the 1st April 2020.
coalclough.org burnleyhigh.com
Carr Hill High School is a secondary school based in Kirkham, the school caters for pupils from Year 7 to 11. Carr Hill High School joined the Trust on the 1st September 2024.
pleckgate.com carrhillschool.com
The EPT’s range of support services are managed and delivered by our highly qualified and approachable central team. Together they provide access to information and guidance on all aspects of school support, including school improvement, Ofsted compliance and preparation, health & safety, HR, wellbeing, finance and governance.
Finance or pensions: contact@ept-uk.com
HR queries: hr@ept-uk.com
Central team: ept-uk.com/central-team
Governance: governance@ept-uk.com Our central team are dedicated to securing the long term success of our schools
Sharon Roscoe, Chief Executive, EPT
Teachers terms and conditions are governed by the nationally negotiated Conditions of Service for School Teachers in England and Wales (the “Burgundy Book”) that covers conditions such as notice periods, sick pay entitlement and maternity leave. The School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document, which is updated annually, governs teacher remuneration.
The terms and conditions of support staff in schools and central staff for the trust, are governed by the annually negotiated National Agreement on Pay and Conditions of Service (the “Green Book”) which determines conditions such as pay, notice periods, sick pay, and maternity leave. Job grading is in line with Blackburn with Darwen Job Evaluation scheme and pay grades.
The Trust recognises that a supportive and developmental probation process is vital in providing the appropriate level of support and training for new members of staff on commencement of their employment.
The Trust’s approach to probation for new members of staff, aims to ensure the Trust meets its commitment to the fair, equal and consistent treatment of staff with regard to the probation period.
The Trust’s Probationary Policy relates to all newly appointed permanent staff receiving a new contract, whose terms and conditions of employment state that their appointment is subject to a probationary period.
The length of the probation period will be 6 months. For full details, please refer to the Probationary Policy.
The Trust values good attendance at work and is committed to improving the general wellbeing of its employees to achieve this.
If you are unable to attend work due to sickness or injury, your Line Manager must be notified by telephone before your normal start time or as soon thereafter as possible on the first day of absence, providing the reason for absence and if possible indicating a date of return.
Notification should be made by you personally unless this is not possible due to the nature of the illness where you should arrange for someone else to call on your behalf. During prolonged periods of absence, your Line Manager should be kept informed of progress with an expected date of return.
The Trust are committed to providing equality of opportunity in employment and to developing work practices and policies that support work-life balance. A Flexible Working Policy which gives eligible employees an opportunity to formally request a change to their working pattern in accordance with the statutory procedure for doing so and all employees an opportunity to do so informally. For full details, please refer to the Flexible Working Policy.
Qualified Teachers may be directed to work up to 1265 hours per annum. ECT staff are allowed additional noncontact time. Teaching staff on Leadership pay scales can be directed in excess of 1265 hours. Directed time also includes supervision time, parents’ evenings etc. All teaching staff are expected to carry out a reasonable number of additional hours for duties such as marking, preparation and reporting.
Support staff hours of work are as detailed in their individual contract of employment. Contracts will confirm if there is any entitlement to break or lunch and if these entitlements are paid or unpaid. All staff must ensure they fulfil their contractual hours.
The Trust have high standards and expect all employees to turn up to work in sufficient time to begin work at their contracted start time. Employees who know that they will be unavoidably late must notify their line manager prior to the start of their working day. Persistant periods of lateness that have not been pre authorsied will be dealt with under the Trust’s Disciplinary Policy.
Details of your pay frequency and date are included in your contract of employment. Pay slips are produced electronically and emailed to your chosen email address. A unique and individual password is provided to you at the start of your employment with the Trust.
Teachers automatically contribute to the Teachers’ Pension Scheme unless they opt out. For queries about pension contributions or benefits, please contact www.teacherspensions.co.uk.
Support staff are eligible to join the Local Government Pension Scheme and are automatically entered into the Pension Scheme. Application forms and opt out forms are available from the EPT Finance Department. Further details can be obtained from the www.yourpensionservice.org.uk.
The Trust has a number of policies to which all employees are expected to adhere.
Recognised Trade Unions for Teaching and Support Staff are regularly consulted/negotiated upon the introduction and amendment of any Policies, which may have an impact on your employment.
The Trust may adopt model policies and procedures from various sources including Blackburn with Darwen, LCC or we may develop policies which the Trust feel better suits the culture within the Trust. Please note that some policies are whole Trust and others, which are based on terms and conditions, may be separated into a Teachers’ Policy and a Support Staff Policy.
Certain policies and procedures differ for colleagues that have recently transferred into the Trust under TUPE, please speak to your individual school to clarify any queries relating to your own individual circumstances and contract of employment.
Holidays are taken during School closures. The dates for holidays are agreed by the Governing Body each year. All closure dates are subject to change.
Notwithstanding statutory entitlements, there is no entitlement to take leave during term-time. Any exceptional request for leave during the School term should be submitted for authorisation in accordance with Trust procedures for requesting leave.
Full-time, all-year-round support staff (those who work 52.143 weeks a year) are entitled to 31-days’ holiday per year. In addition, they are entitled to statutory Bank Holidays (normally 8 per year). All annual leave, including Bank Holidays, is pro rata for part-time employees. All Full Year staff are required to take their holidays during the School holidays.
Support Staff working term-time are employed to work during term time only and their pay includes an element for their holiday entitlement, which is pro rata that of a full-time full year employee. There is no entitlement to take holidays during term-time.
Any request for leave during term time should be submitted via the MySam Portal to the Headteacher for approval and must be in line with the Special Leave Policy. You should also inform your line manager about the leave request.
All requests for special leave will be considered on an individual basis.
This Special Leave Policy does not apply to sickness absence, maternity/adoption leave or time off for Trade Union activities for which there are separate provisions but does take into account the following areas:
• Contractual Leave
• Public Service Leave
• Personal and Dependency Leave
• Professional Leave
• Discretionary Leave
For full details, please refer to the Special Leave Policy for Support Staff and Special Leave Policy for Teachers.
Development activities can take the form of formal learning interventions, coaching, on-the-job learning and mentoring. Training is an essential aspect of performance management and is discussed during the Probationary review, at appraisal and one-to-one meetings.
All staff are eligible for support in their professional development and are entitled to request training or coaching from their manager. Training requirements will be prioritised dependant on the Trust’s needs, availability of training and costs.
The Trust provides all staff with access to Me Learning, an online training platform. Staff can access a course library to develop their knowledge, skill set and wellbeing.
There are a number of mandatory courses which are required to be completed initially during the induction process and renewed on a regular basis. Please see your School Business Manager for further information.
Having a happy and healthy workforce is important to us which is why we have teamed up with various partners to provide you with the right information, advice, offers and initiatives to look after yourself.
Simply Health is a cashback plan available to all employees to claim for treatment received by a dentist, doctor, optician, or specialist. They also offer discounted rates on gym memberships, health products and additional scans, x-rays and physio support beyond the cashback plan.
Help is available when you need it! Simply Health provides:
• 24/7 access to an GP online
• Online physiotherapy assessments
• A bank of health resources including wellbeing resources, travel advice and a Women’s Hub and Health Living Hub
In addition to the above, you can also complete a mini health check and there is a wide selection of 4 Week programmes to support topics such as quitting smoking, losing weight, sleep and exercise. Access your personal account by logging on to Simply Health’s website or by downloading their app. Simply Health have 3 apps available:
• Simply Plan – easy access to your online account
• Simply Me – captures information inputted by users to help you track and make recommendations based on your lifestyle. It also has a function to sync with a Fitbit, Apple or Garmin watch
• Simply Consult – Quick and easy access to 24/7 GP appointments and online physio assessments
We are keen for all staff to be able to access support whenever they need it. We offer all employees access to an employee assistance programme through Simply Health which includes a confidential advice & counselling helpline. Whether it’s help managing your mental health, financial concerns associated with the cost of living crisis, legal advice or support with grief, qualified counsellors are available 24/7 to give advice and support when you need it. Please refer to the Simply Health section and your Simply Health account for further information.
For all staff who work with display screen equipment (DSE) continuously and intensively for more than an hour on most days, we encourage you to use your Simply Health account to claim for your eye test and glasses.
The Trust recognises the importance of responding to mental health fast. Each school has staff trained in mental health first aid to provide the appropriate care and support when required to both pupils and staff.
Our intranet is used to bring the latest information to our workforce. Here you will find a selection of mini guides to support your digital, financial, mental, physical, social wellbeing along with guidance on bereavement, cancer, cost of living, menopause and sleep.
The Central Team works with the Wellbeing Champions in each school to promote awareness campaigns and initiatives each month.
Please check the news section regularly to see what is happening across the Trust.
As an EPT employee, you can access a range of discounts and benefits which include:
Simply Rewards
Discounted health products accessible your Simply Health account
Discounts for Teachers
Visit www.discountforteachers.co.uk and create an account to start saving with retail, travel, finance, insurance, mobiles, motoring and household utilities providers. This website is available to all staff across the Trust regardless of your role.
Film Club Save up to 40% on cinema tickets any movie, any day, any time. Access to film trailers, previews, monthly magazines and quizzes
JD Gyms
No joining fee, no contract and the 1st month for £10
My Gym Discounts
Access to discounted gym memberships and digital fitness platforms via your Simply Health account
You can also try Move GB for 30 days for £1
Additional ad-hoc discounts are promoted through the EPT intranet.
A salary sacrifice scheme enables you to save make savings on National Insurance contributions and Income Tax through one our current schemes:
Save between 25–39% via savings on National Insurance and Income Tax
Enter into an agreement to provide you with a new bike and accessories
Electric Car Scheme
We work with Octopus Energy to bring you everything you need to join the electric revolution including a brand new electric vehicle with no upfront costs, insurance (T&C’s apply and subject to eligibility), maintenance, road tax and MOT, tyres, AA breakdown, a free home charger with standard installation and 5 star service
Save up to 40% via savings on National Insurance and Income Tax
Please see the EPT intranet for further information.
All employees are automatically enrolled into either the Teachers’ Pension Scheme or, for Support Staff, the Local Government Pension Scheme.
The Teachers’ Pension Scheme
Ensures that teachers are able to save for their futures. Your employer contributes towards the cost and the government helps through tax relief as you don’t pay tax on pension contributions.
Benefits of the Teachers’ Pension Scheme:
• In service death grant
• Family protection
• Employer contribution
• Security
• Flexible retirement
• Saving options
• My pension online
Local Government Pension Scheme
Benefits of the LGPS:
• A secure pension
• Flexibility to pay more or less contribution
• Tax relief on contributions
• Peace of mind
• Freedom to choose when to take your pension
• Redundancy and efficiency retirement
• Flexible retirement
Further information on either scheme is available on their websites.
Each year we carry out an employee engagement survey to collect feedback from our workforce. We use the data provided to assess the culture; identify what is working well and where improvements are required across each school and the Trust.
We actively encourage staff to complete the survey so we can hear your voice and act on the information shared.
Safeguarding of children and young people in our care is of paramount importance to the Trust and is the responsibility of all employees. Some key reminders and points to follow, in addition to the safeguarding and child protection training you will be undertaking.
• No media details to be given to pupils, this includes mobile and landline numbers unless those of mobiles/landlines within the Trust. No exchange of information/contact on media sites including Facebook/twitter etc. Ensuring you keep to the terms and conditions of the networking site and if allowed i.e. on twitter, make sure you select a username tag that is not too obvious if pupils search for you. If you are contacted, please do not reply and inform the Headteacher.
• No photographs to be taken on mobile telephones or for personal use. Staff and pupils should be taking photographs for Trust purposes/curriculum only. Mobiles should not be used in the classroom by staff or pupils.
• Be aware of the boundary of ‘being friendly’ and ‘being a friend’. Pupils have pupil friends; staff have staff friends.
• All personal, pupil information gained in Trust is of a confidential nature and should not be discussed outside of Trust unless requested for a formal meeting for the child in question. Other pupils should not be discussed with pupils or their parents.
• If you have to work one-to-one with a pupil or keep a child back at break/lunchtime/after School, alert someone else to this fact, ensure you are in a room with the door open, in clear view, and, if possible, have another member or staff passing/checking on you regularly. Whilst rare however, we do have allegations made and you are responsible for acting according to guidelines given.
• If you are concerned about the welfare of a pupil, discuss this with the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL).
• If a child starts to disclose some information to you, you must inform them that you cannot keep information confidential and may have to share what they tell you. Pupils will approach someone they Trust but if they wish, the selected member of staff can accompany them to see the DSL. Information disclosed to you should initially be passed on verbally then, be written down and given to the DSL, as soon as possible. Write in ink, give facts not opinions and sign and date this information. Try not to react negatively, i.e., shocked/disgusted if a child divulges, just assure them that you will get them help and write all information clearly. If the DSL is not available, pass to another member of SLT.
Personal mobile phones and other technological devices should only be used during break times or at the end of the school day and never whilst children are present. Zero-tolerance is in place with regards to the use of personal mobile phones by any individual in changing areas and toilets, on corridors or in classrooms.
Staff are not permitted to use their personal mobile phone to exchange information with parents.
Only cameras and technological devices supplied by the school may be used to take appropriate and relevant images of children, i.e. observations, photographs of setting events.
A school mobile phone must only be used for work related matters and all personal data shared or stored should be protected, held lawfully, used fairly, and honestly, the data should have a purpose, be accurate and only gathered if required and retained for a specific period.
All staff working in Trust must have clearance to work with children.
A full DBS clearance will be obtained prior to commencement at the Trust. The level of clearance obtained will be in accordance with the DfE Regulations: Keeping Children Safe in Education 2023 and will be renewed every three years.
Should, during the course of your employment, you receive any criminal record, including driving offence and cautions, you must immediately inform the Headteacher/Line Manager immediately. The information will remain confidential. The nature of your offence will be reviewed prior to determining if the Trust needs to take any action. Minor offences such as a speeding fine would not normally have an impact on your employment, unless driving is a key element of your role.
Any DBS’s which are returned with offences not already known to the Trust, could result in the employee facing disciplinary action for failure to disclose information.
The Trust recognises and accepts its responsibility as an employer to maintain, so far as is reasonably practicable, the safety and health of its employees, and of other persons who may affected by its activities.
It is your duty as an employee not to put either yourself or others at risk by your acts or omissions. You should also ensure that you are familiar with the Trust and its Schools health and safety arrangements. Should you feel concern over any health and safety aspects of your work, this should be immediately brought to the attention of your Line Manager.
The Trust’s Health, Safety & Wellbeing Manager – Nicola Platt is responsible for overseeing all Health & Safety matters within each school.
Staff are expected to read the Health and Safety Policy; follow the steps and, their responsibilities outlined within the Policy.
It is the responsibility of each individual employee to report and record any accident involving personal injury. Any accident or near miss occurrence (i.e. no one was injured but the incident had the potential to injure) at work should be reported immediately to your Line Manager.
You may be required to support investigations into any accidents, incidents and near misses you have been involved with or witnessed.
All employees who are absent from work following an accident must clearly advise their Line Manager and / or HR of the nature and cause of the injury.
It is important that any employee who suffers an injury at work which results in them being away from work, or unable to do their normal work, for seven days or more (including weekends, rest days or holidays) informs their line manager to allow RIDDOR reporting as required by the HSE.
The Trust believes that best practice is to ensure staff have access to trained First Aiders or Emergency First Aiders (someone who can take charge in the event of an accident). Details of these trained staff will be displayed around your area of work. Alternatively, your Line Manager can advise you of first aider names and locations.
Employees should follow these steps to help prevent fires:
• Before you use any electrical appliances carry out a quick check to make sure that the cables, plugs etc are not damaged.
• Do not use any electrical equipment that shows signs of damage, even if you think it is only minor. Report any faults you find to your Line Manager and find an alternative appliance.
• Ensure that you place your rubbish in the proper waste bins. Do not overfill the bins.
Action to take when the fire alarm sounds:
• Immediately stop what you are doing and walk (do not run) to the nearest available safe fire exit. If your nearest exit/ route is obstructed, choose another route. Make sure that you are aware of the fire exits and routes in your area.
• Follow the instructions of your designated Fire Warden.
• Do not use a lift to leave the building - always use designated stairs.
• Make your way to the appropriate assembly point, you will be informed of where this is at your departmental induction.
• Once you are at the assembly point you should report to the Fire Warden, so that they can account for the people in their designated area.
• Do not leave the designated assembly point, or attempt to re-enter the building, until you have been instructed to do so by the Fire Warden.
Risks at work do not exist just at your desk or workspace. Risks may also arise when travelling to and from work or in connection with work, particularly where members of staff both live and work in the same area.
Whilst the Trust has a duty to assess the risks which you face at work, you also have a duty to take reasonable care of yourself and others including pupils, colleagues, contractors, visitors and members of the public. You should therefore aim to conduct your own assessment of the risks to your personal safety that you face in connection with your work.
Some of the factors you might consider will include the time of day, where you are going, numbers of people around you and then you will need to consider the precautions you are going to take to reduce the risks which you face. Probably the most important factor to be considered is how well you know yourself and your reactions to particular situations.
Prior to making an appointment with someone you do not know or do not know well, obtain as much information as possible about the person you are meeting and arrange to meet the person on School premises. If visiting, let your colleagues know where you are going, with whom and what time you are expecting to return. If you think that you are going to run over your original timescales, let your colleagues know.
If you are at all concerned that you are being placed in a dangerous situation through your employment, you must discuss this with your Line Manager.
If an illness begins to impact on attendance and or performance, as a supportive measure and as part of the Absence Management Process, a referral to the Occupational Health Unit (OHU) may be considered, to provide advice on a course of action which could result in an improvement in attendance or reasonable adjustments being implemented.
Occupational Health Appointments are part of the contract of employment and it is reasonable to request that employees attend during their normal working hours. Day to day medical appointments should be booked outside working hours wherever possible. Please follow the requirements of the Special Leave Policy where appointments are required during normal working hours.
Where an employee uses their own vehicle in relation to work, the employee should ensure that the vehicle is in good working order, fully insured with business insurance, taxed and has a current MOT. Where carparks are available at a school, employees may use these carparks free of charge, however no liability for damage will be accepted by the Education Partnership Trust.
Communication should be maintained during the normal course of the working day to allow for alternative arrangements to be discussed, this may include:
• if public transport is still operating, then it should be considered, even if the journey to work may take slightly longer than usual
• that it would also be appropriate (health, mobility and safety of roads and paths permitting) to walk a reasonable distance either to work or to the nearest public transport. Although individual levels of fitness and mobility and prevailing weather conditions could alter this
• to advise employees that the school has re-opened and they are required to attend work
• the possibility to travel to work a little later than usual is acceptable, if the travel disruption or weather is expected to improve, this may be agreed on the day with your Line Manager
• to undertake alternative duties that can still be carried out, this may include PPA time, or preparation for Ofsted or other duties that form part of your normal contract etc.
• to undertake work in an alternative location
In an emergency situation relating to adverse weather and or travel disruption involving a dependent, anyone with employee status has the right to take unpaid time off under the time off for dependants’ legislation.
Situations could include:
• their school is closed and emergency childcare needs to be arranged
• caring arrangements for a disabled relative are cancelled
• a partner is seriously injured as a result of bad weather.
An employee should talk to their schools as soon as they know that they may need to take time off, explaining:
• exactly what the issue is
• the likely length of the absence
• that they are taking the time off to look after dependants.
In any of these instances, please also refer to the Special Leave Policy.
Although social networking sites, such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube are good ways of staying in touch with friends, meeting new people and discussing shared interests, it is still important that staff remain safe, especially whilst online.
We must treat all such communications with respect as there can be a number of risks associated with social networking for a Trust, such as damage to its reputation, disclosure of confidential information and potential vicarious liability for any discriminatory behaviour or cyber-bullying.
It is important to remember that such communications:
• stay in the public domain for a long time and return/reoccur outside of your control
• can be copied, used and amended by others and be republished on other websites
• could be taken out of context or changed to misrepresent what was said
• can attract comments and interest from other people/the media
Nearly all social network websites allow an individual to control who can see your information and it is advisable that you take the time to look over your privacy settings.
Colleagues and pupils may see your online information, therefore, whether or not you identify yourself as an employee of the Trust, you need to think carefully about how much information you want to make public and make sure any information you post is professional, as you are personally liable for this information. You should never give out personal details like home addresses, telephone numbers, financial information or full date of birth, to prevent identity theft.
As Trust employees, and using Trust equipment you need to be aware that, the internet is used for Trust and business use and that whilst the Trust may allow access to social networking websites from its computers, this should not be done in work time if it is not work related and in line with the Trust policy and, as such, fair use, financial disclosure, libel defamation, copyright and data protection laws apply on-line, just as in any other media. (Please Refer to The Social Media Policy)
You should consider your obligations to pupils, partners and colleagues and to protecting the Trust’s reputation when using such sites. You should never give out details of colleagues, or partners without prior consent and should never make offensive or personal comments, ethnic slurs, personal insults, obscenity or behave in ways that are not acceptable in the workplace. This could bring the Trust into disrepute and leave you open to prosecution and/or disciplinary action.
It is not permitted to have current or ex-pupils as ‘friends’ on social networking sites as there may be a conflict of interest. This also includes any child up to the age of 18.
Should you have a family member who falls into this category who you would like to be a “friend/contact” on social sites you must inform HR of the pupils (Name) and reason for their access to your site. You need to ensure that the privacy settings of your “friends” are high enough not to show any comments that they may make on your account to their friends.
You are not permitted to speak for the School/Trust, disclose information, make commitments or engage in activities on behalf of the Trust, unless authorised to do so.
As members of the Trust you must remain professional as you are seen as representing the Trust. If people become aware of your links, even if not speaking on the School’s/Trust’s behalf. In these instances, staff should make clear that they are speaking for themselves and not on behalf of the School or the Trust.
You must also be aware that these things may attract media interest and that if contacted, they should take contact details and take appropriate internal advice before responding. Any concerns should be discussed with the individual’s Line Manager.
Ensure that your settings are such that you cannot be “tagged” in a photograph without your permission. Be aware that any images of you could be viewed by others if your privacy settings are not at the correct level. Give thought to pictures that you post/share and the context in which you may be giving people access. For full details, please refer to the Social Media Policy.
All staff, regardless of their role, are required to adhere to the LSCB Guidance for Safer Working Practice document 2016. This document is issued to relevant staff members on commencement of employment. Training sessions will be given to ensure all staff are aware of their responsibilities.
Every member of staff will be responsible for promoting a positive image of the Trust and therefore all members of staff will take a professional and safe approach to dress and appearance, cleanliness and personal hygiene. (this includes no denim, trainers, clothing with logos and or images which may cause offence and potentially inappropriate clothing for the position or job role). Expensive personal belongings should not be brought into school, however if it is necessary to do so, the employee should have in place adequate insurance cover as the EPT is not liable for any loss or damage.
Any interests in a group or Trust whose aims would be considered to be in conflict with the ethos of the Trust must be declared. Any personal relationship which may cause a conflict of interest should also be declared.
Any work developed or created by Trust staff, solely or jointly with others, during the course of employment or performing work for or on behalf of the Trust will wholly belong to the Trust.
Employees are permitted to take up secondary employment outside the Trust, as long as the activity does not constitute a conflict of interest or adversely affect their employment at the Trust. The secondary employment must be undertaken outside the working hours of the employee’s normal post and employees are required to keep the school informed of their employment at other Trusts.
School equipment and premises are available only for Trust-related activities and should not be used for fulfilment of another job or post or for personal use, unless authorised in writing and in advance by the Headteacher or School Business Manager.
This includes photocopy facilities, stationery, telephones and computers and premises. Any School equipment that is used outside the School premises, for example laptops, should be returned to the School when the employee leaves employment or upon request by the Headteacher or School Business Manager.
Your working relationships may bring you into contact with outside Trusts where it is normal business practice or social convention to offer hospitality, and sometimes gifts. Offers of this kind to you or your family can place you in a difficult position.
In every circumstance where a gift or hospitality is offered, the advice of your Line Manager must be sought, and this must also be recorded.
The Trust has a strict anti-bribery and corruption policy in line with the Bribery Act (2010). A bribe is defined as: giving someone a financial or other advantage to encourage that person to perform their functions or activities improperly or to reward that person for having already done so.
If you bribe (or attempt to bribe) another person, intending either to obtain or retain business for the Trust, or to obtain or retain an advantage in the conduct of the Trust’s business this will be considered gross misconduct. Similarly accepting or allowing another person to accept a bribe will be considered gross misconduct. In these circumstances you will be subject to formal investigation under the Trust’s disciplinary procedures, and disciplinary action up to and including dismissal may be applied.
You should not, directly or indirectly, engage in, or have any interest, financial or otherwise, in any other business enterprise which interferes or is likely to interfere with your independent exercise of judgement in the Trust’s best interest.
Generally, a conflict of interests exists when an employee is involved in an activity:
• Which provides products or services directly to the Trust, Trust employees or its schools.
• Which subjects the employee to unreasonable time demands that prevent the employee from devoting proper attention to his or her responsibilities to the Trust.
• Which is so operated that the employee’s involvement with the outside business activity will reflect adversely on the Trust.
Should you be in doubt as to whether an activity involves a conflict, you should discuss the situation with your manager.
The Trust has a right to monitor emails, phone-calls, internet activity or document production; principally in order to avoid offensive or nuisance material and to protect systems from viruses. Use of the School email for personal correspondence is not allowed. Many staff have access to the internet on their computers. This facility is for School use only. Inappropriate usage of School equipment could result in disciplinary action being taken against an employee. Passwords and access to computer systems are to be kept confidential.
Trust employees are expected to act in an open and transparent way that would not lead any reasonable person to suspect their actions or intent. Employees in School are in a position of Trust and have a duty to protect young people from discrimination and harm and to maintain appropriate professional boundaries. It is equally important for staff to avoid behaviour that might be misinterpreted by others in order to protect both young people and themselves. Staff are required to read and understand Trust policies on child protection.
Smoking, including the use of e-cigarettes is not allowed anywhere on Trust premises. This includes staff cars parked on Trust car parks. Staff who wish to smoke must do so within their official lunch times only. Staff leaving premises at lunch times to smoke must inform their Line Manager that they are leaving site.
EPT is keen to assist legitimate charitable and community activities, provided that they do not interfere with the operation of the business. To ensure that this does not happen and that the cause or activity concerned is genuine, any such collections and fundraising activity must receive the prior authorisation of the headteacher.
To safeguard you and ensure that there is no abuse with regard to the removal of EPT property or equipment, EPT may reasonably request to search any employee or the contents of bags/parcels coming into or leaving the premises. Such searches are random and do not imply suspicion in relation to any individual concerned. Any search will be conducted with respect to privacy, by a member of the same sex, in the presence of another person and you will have the right for another independent witness to be present. Any employee found in possession of EPT property without the appropriate permission will be subject to disciplinary action, and where appropriate, EPT may notify the police and / or other relevant statutory authorities.
The Trust acknowledges the benefits of having therapy dogs supporting our pupils within schools, if this type of therapy is required for targeted groups of children, this should be a bought in service. The dog should be certified and have undertaken the appropriate training (refer to https://www.therapydogtraining.co.uk/ ) The organisation should have the appropriate public liability insurance and risk assessments copies available for the school to review.
Directors, Governors, Headteachers and employees have a responsibility to ensure that fair and objective practices are carried out within the Trust, in accordance with Equalities legislation and best practice. For full details, please refer to the Equality Policy.
The purpose of the Dignity at Work Policy is to promote a culture of positive working relationships in which everyone is treated with dignity and respect, where harassment is known to be unacceptable and individuals have the confidence to deal with and challenge harrassment, sexual harrassment, bullying or victimisation without fear of ridicule or reprisals.
The Trust is committed to the elimination of all forms of bullying, harassment and victimisation in the workplace or where working with third parties during the course of their employment with the Trust.
Concerns should be raised to your line manager or Headteacher. Please refer to the Dignity at Work Policy, which can be found on the EPT Intranet, for further information and guidance.
Definitions:
Bullying is a particular form of harassment and may be characterised as a one off event or persistent, offensive, intimidating, malicious or insulting behaviour, possibly through an abuse or misuse of position or power where the intention or outcome is to undermine, humiliate, denigrate or injure the recipient.
Bullying may include: shouting at staff in public or in private; personal insults; ignoring or excluding individuals; persistent, excessive, unfair or unjustified criticism; setting impossible deadlines or targets / objectives or making inconsistent demands. This list is not exhaustive.
Harassment is, in general terms, unwanted, unreasonable and offensive conduct affecting the dignity of the individual. It includes verbal, non-verbal and physical conduct that may be related to age, gender, race, disability, sexual orientation, religion and belief, nationality or any personal characteristic of the individual, and may be persistent or an isolated incident. Examples of harassment include: unwanted physical contact, offensive jokes or banter, offensive emails, pictures or graffiti, unwelcome sexual advances, exclusion and victimisation. This list is not exhaustive.
Victimisation is treating someone less favourably than others because the individual has, in good faith, complained (whether formally or otherwise) that someone has been bullying or harassing them or someone else, or supported someone to make a complaint or given evidence in relation to a complaint. This would include isolating someone because the individual has made a complaint or treating them differently. For full details, please refer to the Dignity at Work Policy.
All communication with the media regarding the Trust or its operation must be directed through the Trust Central team.
Internal communications: any letters, notices and or emails that may be required for whole school review must be approved by either the School Business Manager or Headteacher and should be sent out by the School Business Manager.
External communications: any letters, notices or emails required for parents, guardians, professional bodies or partner Trusts etc. must be approved by either the School Business Manager or Headteacher and should be sent out by the School Business Manager.
References: any requests for references must be approved by the Headteacher prior to sending out to the requestor.
All employees at the School and the Trust come into contact with a significant volume of data and information in relation to pupils, staff, Trust activities and many other matters. There is an obligation to read and to observe the requirements of the Data Protection Act 2018 and any relevant updates to Data Protection Policies including the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR).
Staff should not disclose sensitive information about the Trust, its employees or the local authority to other parties, for example, parents, colleagues or social media such as Facebook. There are particular exceptions to this; for example, disclosure of suspected or alleged abuse of a pupil to Child Protection Officers; discussion with a person accompanying or representing an employee in a formal meeting or disclosure under the Whistleblowing procedure. All communication with the media must be directed through the Trust.
There are circumstances in which staff are obliged to release pupil data, for example, parents seeking information about pupil progress or other colleagues in the Trust.
“We work together to support and encourage our schools, share our thoughts and make the right decisions for our young people.”
Ian Kendrick, Director, EPT
This section of the Handbook governs personal relationships in the workplace. For the purpose of this section the term “personal relationship” means any emotional or romantic relationship which goes beyond the normal accepted professional relationships between colleagues. This will include formal, family relationships, for example where people are married or living together, or less formal situations where people may be “seeing each other”. This definition is not intended to be exhaustive and given the sensitive nature of personal relationships staff will be required to use their common sense to determine if this policy applies to them. If any staff member is unsure whether this applies in their circumstances, then they should speak to HR.
This applies to all personal relationships between members of staff, irrespective of whether they are working in the same department or school.
Education Partnership Trust respects the private lives of all our staff. We recognise that many people meet their partners at work and the purpose of this section is not to prohibit personal relationships in the workplace but instead ensure a consistent and fair approach is taken with personal relationships that might affect the Trust.
Any members of staff who are in a personal relationship are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner at all times in respect of their personal relationship. This means being considerate of their colleagues and students in their day-to-day dealings and being discrete in any discussions surrounding their personal relationship in the workplace.
Where the personal relationship involves those in either a direct or indirect reporting line, manager/subordinate roles, or involve a personal relationship between a staff member and a member of the SLT at the school which both parties work, both parties are required to disclose this to HR, in confidence, as soon as is practicable. Whilst there is no formal requirement for staff who are not in a personal relationship to disclose this to HR, staff should consider whether it may be best practice to do so to avoid circumstances such as perceived conflicts of interests occurring.
Colleagues who are in a personal relationship should not have manager/subordinate roles within the Trust. Where such relationships exist or arise, the parties should inform HR, in confidence, as soon as possible. The Trust will liaise with the staff members to minimise the impact of their personal relationship on the Trust, and this is likely to involve transferring one or both parties in the relationship from their current roles. If this is not possible then alternative safeguards will be put in place.
Any failure to disclose a personal relationship or to give preferential treatment within the Trust to someone who a staff member is in a personal relationship with, will be treated as a disciplinary matter and could result in disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal.
The Trust will ensure that nobody is disadvantaged, discriminated against or suffers a detriment as a result of a personal relationship. Any member of staff who has concerns about their treatment should raise this with their Headteacher or HR.
The Trust will not tolerate any form of harassment against our staff and will take any allegations very seriously, any members of staff being found to have harassed another member of staff may be subject to disciplinary action. Staff are reminded of their professional obligations in this regard towards their colleagues which may be particularly relevant at the beginning or the end of a personal relationship.
The EPT has a clear and effective governance framework. Further information regarding the Members, Directors and Governing Bodies can be found on the Trust website alongside our Governance Framework and Scheme of Delegation.
The Trust Board has overall responsibility and ultimate decision making authority for all the work of the Academy Trust. The Board of the EPT is determined to deliver the very best educational experience for our pupils with an ethos of collaboration and excellence.
Responsibilities of the board include:
• to set the overall vision and strategy of the Trust and its schools
• to ensure value for money and legal compliance across the Trust
• to ensure contractual, legal, financial and academic accountability across the Trust
• to take responsibility for the schemes of delegation and parameters for decision making for Local Governing Bodies
• to approve budgets and be the employer for all schools
• to monitor the performance of each school and hold Headteachers to account
• being the legal employer for all staff, responsibility for human resource policies and procedures and terms and conditions of service
• annual approval of the Trust budget including those of each school
Ian Brown is the Chair of the Board. Each school has its own Local Governing Body, where key decisions and duties are delegated in the operational running of the school.
Sharon Roscoe (Chief Executive) has delegated responsibility for the day to day operations of the trust.
The roles and responsibilities are delegated to Local Governing Bodies (LGBs) by the MAT Board. The board establishes a Local Governing Body for each school and delegates certain responsibilities to them, however the Local Governing Bodies are not legally responsible or accountable for statutory functions.
A school governing body has a key role in the performance of the school but does not become involved in day-today management issues – that is the role of the Headteacher.
The EPT Scheme of Delegation outlines the roles and responsibility of the Board, Local Governing Body and Headteacher.
Executive Team
Members
Board of Directors Audit, Risk & Finance
CEO
Local Governing Body Central Team
Headteacher
EPT Meetings Purpose and Frequency
Board of Directors
Overall responsibility and ultimate decision making authority for all the work of the Academy Trust.
Meets termly.
Headteacher Group To ensure good communication between all Trust schools and to provide support and challenge.
Meets termly.
Quality Improvement Groups
Local Governing Body
To raise standards in all Trust schools through collaboration, contributing to the achievement of the Trust Strategic Improvement Plan and school improvement plan priorities.
Meets termly.
• Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction.
• Holding executive leaders/headteacher to account for the educational performance of the organisation/school and its pupils, and the performance management of staff.
• Overseeing the financial performance of the organisation/school and making sure its money is well spent.
Meets termly.
Our staff, along with the pupils are our most important asset and we are committed to looking after you.
A happy workforce is vital to the success of EPT and the charter below underpins our determination to ensure that our schools are great places to work. The charter sets out our collective approach and how we work together to face the key challenges as professionals in the education sector.
Having the correct culture in our schools and, across the Trust is paramount. We recognise that the demands of the job should be reasonable, manageable and balanced with an enjoyable and rewarding working environment.
All leaders must set a good example in how they lead by example and try to reduce any issues and worries in the Trust.
The Trust supports the principle of working up to 1265 hours for teaching staff. Staff should only attend events that are applicable to whole school or their role, department or year group.
We encourage staff to speak to their Line Manager if support with their workload is required.
We recognise the importance of a work-life balance therefore there is no expectation that staff respond to emails outside of their working hours.
Some emails may be sent at a time and date convenient to the sender, please do not feel under any pressure to respond if this is outside your normal working hours.
There may be occasions where talking to a colleague is more suitable than sending an email. Please consider if this is an option prior to sending an email to reduce the quantity of emails being sent and received.
Every department has detailed curriculum thinking documentation that provides clarity on long term and lesson by lesson curriculum outcomes. Every teacher should be able to confidently craft their own lessons from these documents.
Exemplification of good practice across schools is facilitated by the EPT intranet.
Staff are not expected to submit daily or weekly ‘lesson plans’.
Marking and feedback approaches are created at a school level to ensure the needs of pupils and staff can be met.
Each subject may have a tailored approach developed to meet the needs of each individual school/department.
The Trust does not conduct ‘mocksteds’ that require teachers to provide lesson plans or that involve processes outside normal quality assurance activities.
We support schools and staff to be ready for inspection through establishing everyday strong practice and support ‘next steps’ through internal and external reviews that focus on pragmatic actions to improve.
Area The Heights Blackburn
Eden School Coal Clough Academy Pleckgate High School The Heights Burnley Atherton High School Burnley High School Carr Hill High School
Wellbeing Champion Karina Bullough Fliss Dodd & Barbara Morris
Katie Inckle, supported by Lisa Duckworth & Michelle Brown Claire Hopkinson & Louise Parkinson
Steve Farrell & Christine Gorton
Gemma WatsonMcNally Heather Cross Costello
SEND Louise Lowe Sophie Gooding Richard Burbery MarieClaire Langfeld Nikki Hudson Carl McNamara
Safeguarding Helen Morris Sophie Gooding
Nathanial Eatwell Rob Hamilton
Joanna Garvey Joanne Darkin
Omar Rafiq Laura Fazackerley Alex Isherwood Lisa Coulthard
Careers Ross Doohan Emma Frith Molly Sparrow Zehra Faruki Nicola Sneddon
Jen Doyle John Redman Nic Beale
SBM Helen Rawnsley Daniel Jones Stephanie Carter David Clark David Bury Laura Carruthers Michael Rigby Rachael Wilson
Site Supervisor Wayne Fallows Darren Swarbrick
Andrew Hill Mark Holden (Equans) Abbas Khan/ Zubair Desai
Darren Mazey
Catering Victoria Hawley Jayne Walder Nicola Andrew Sue Barton Christine Gorton Lesley Royle
Steve Walsh & Arron Mason
Sean Johnson
Taylor Shaw Ltd LCC (Jeanette Hunt)
Data & Exams Curtis McInerney/ Clare Holding Emma Bury Lucy Bibby James McKenzie Kelly Ward Sarah-Jayne Burke ONTO Ltd Kate Taylor (Exams) Julie Brewer (Data)
ECT Lead Louise Lowe Jen Ashworth Chris Whittaker Martyn Bajkowski Omar Rafiq Daniel Farrer Jon Haworth Michelle Aspden
Curriculum Louise Lowe Jen Ashworth
Chris Whittaker James McKenzie David Fisher
Debbie Gibson Owen Roberts Alex Jordinson
The categories of school workforce information that we collect, process, hold and share include:
• personal information (such as name, employee or teacher number, national insurance number)
• special categories of data including characteristics information such as gender, age, ethnic group
• contract information (such as start dates, hours worked, post, roles and salary information)
• work absence information (such as number of absences and reasons)
• qualifications (and, where relevant, subjects taught)
• medical information (such as occupational health reports and medical conditions)
Why we collect and use this information
We use school workforce data to:
• enable the development of a comprehensive picture of the workforce and how it is deployed
• inform the development of recruitment and retention policies
• enable individuals to be paid
• provide training and development for employees
The lawful basis on which we process this information
We collect and use workforce data under the following conditions contained within Article 6(1) of the General Data Protection Regulations:
(a) Consent: the individual has given clear consent for you to process their personal data for a specific purpose.
(b) Legal obligation: the processing is necessary for you to comply with the law
(c) Vital interests: the processing is necessary to protect someone’s life.
(d) Public task: the processing is necessary for you to perform a task in the public interest or for your official functions, and the task or function has a clear basis in law.
(e) Legitimate interests: the processing is necessary for your legitimate interests or the legitimate interests of a third party unless there is a good reason to protect the individual’s personal data which overrides those legitimate interests.
Where we process special category data we identify an additional processing condition within Article 9(2) of the GDPR:
Collecting this information
Whilst the majority of information you provide to us is mandatory, some of it is provided to us on a voluntary basis. In order to comply with data protection legislation, we will inform you whether you are required to provide certain school workforce information to us or if you have a choice in this.
Storing this information
We hold workforce data for a specified period which is detailed in the School’s Retention Schedule which is contained within the IRMS’s Information Management Toolkit for Schools. A copy of the retention schedule is available on request from the School’s Data Protection Officer.
Who we share this information with
We routinely share this information with:
• our local authority
• the Department for Education (DfE)
• Trust payroll provider
• SIMS
• Professional advisors
• SAMS
• Trust Occupational Health Providers
• Companies House
• HMRC
• Trust Disclosure and Barring Service Providers
• HSE
• Teacher Appraisal Applications (Blue Sky)
• Trust Recruitment Applications
Why we share school workforce information
We do not share information about workforce members with anyone without consent unless the law and our policies allow us to do so.
• Local authority - We are required to share information about our workforce members with our local authority (LA) under section 5 of the Education (Supply of Information about the School Workforce) (England) Regulations 2007 and amendments.
• Department for Education (DfE) - We share personal data with the Department for Education (DfE) on a statutory basis. This data sharing underpins workforce policy monitoring, evaluation, and links to school funding / expenditure and the assessment educational attainment.
Data collection requirements
• The DfE collects and processes personal data relating to those employed by schools (including Multi Academy Trusts) and local authorities that work in state funded schools (including all maintained schools, all academies and free schools and all special schools including Pupil Referral Units and Alternative Provision). All state funded schools are required to make a census submission because it is a statutory return under sections 113 and 114 of the Education Act 2005
• To find out more about the data collection requirements placed on us by the Department for Education including the data that we share with them, go to https://www.gov.uk/education/datacollection-and-censuses-for-schools.
The department may share information about school employees with third parties who promote the education or well-being of children or the effective deployment of school staff in England by:
• conducting research or analysis
• producing statistics
• providing information, advice or guidance
The department has robust processes in place to ensure that the confidentiality of personal data is maintained and there are stringent controls in place regarding access to it and its use. Decisions on whether DfE releases personal data to third parties are subject to a strict approval process and based on a detailed assessment of:
• who is requesting the data
• the purpose for which it is required
• the level and sensitivity of data requested; and
• the arrangements in place to securely store and handle the data
To be granted access to school workforce information, organisations must comply with its strict terms and conditions covering the confidentiality and handling of the data, security arrangements and retention and use of the data.
For more information about the department’s data sharing process, please visit: https://www.gov.uk/data-protection-how-we-collectand-share-research-data
To contact the department: https://www.gov.uk/contactdfe
Under data protection legislation, you have the right to request access to information about you that we hold. To make a request for your personal information, contact:
For Eden School : http://www.edenschool.org.uk/ For The Heights Blackburn: http://www. theheightsfreeschool.org/
For The Heights Burnley: http://www.theheightsburnley. com/
For Coal Clough Academy: http://www.coalclough.org/ For Pleckgate High School: http://www.pleckgate.com For Burnley High School: https://www.burnleyhigh.com/ For Atherton High School: https://www.athertonhigh. com/
You also have the right to:
• object to processing of personal data that is likely to cause, or is causing, damage or distress
• prevent processing for the purpose of direct marketing
• object to decisions being taken by automated means
• in certain circumstances, have inaccurate personal data rectified, blocked, erased or destroyed; and
• claim compensation for damages caused by a breach of the Data Protection regulations
If you have a concern about the way we are collecting or using your personal data, we ask that you raise your concern with us in the first instance. Alternatively, you can contact the Information Commissioner’s Office at https://ico.org.uk/concerns/
Contact
If you would like to discuss anything in this privacy notice, please contact:
Mr Lee Gardiner Schools Data Protection Officer Blackburn Town Hall, Blackburn, BB1 7DY or Schools.IG@blackburn.gov.uk
The Trust has its own dedicated Human Resources Department, Governance Department, Finance and Payroll Department and IT Department, which are located at the EPT Central Office, Pleckgate Road, Blackburn, BB1 8QA.
Human Resources:
For general HR queries you can contact the HR Department in the first instance hr@ept-uk.com.
Caroline Howarth | HR Director | (01254) 790027 | chowarth@ept-uk.com
Helen Appleby | HR Operations Manager | (01254) 790027 | happleby@ept-uk.com
Nicola Platt | Health, Safety & Wellbeing Manager | (01254) 790027 | nplatt@ept-uk.com
Governance:
Wendy Bridson | Governance Manager | (01254) 790027 | wbridson@ept-uk.com
Payroll & Finance:
The Trust buys in its payroll service from Services for Schools.
If you have a query with your salary, please contact your Line Manager to discuss.
Jonathan Georgy | Finance Director | (01254) 790027 | jgeorgy@ept-uk.com
Linda Clarke | Finance Manager | (01254) 790027 | lclarke@ept-uk.com
Kyle Robinson | Finance Officer | (01254) 790027 | krobinson@ept-uk.com
IT:
All IT issues should be raised at itsupportept.freshdesk.com in the first instance.
Talha Mulla | IT Manager | (01254) 790027 | tmulla@ept-uk.com
Asghar Hussain | Field IT Technician | (01254) 790027 | ahussain@ept-uk.com
Josh Andrews | Field IT Technician | (01254) 790027 | jandrews@ept-uk.com
Zubair Mulla | Field IT Technician | (01254) 790027 | zmulla@ept-uk.com
32
Education Partnership Trust Pleckgate Road Blackburn BB1 8QA
01254 790026 contact@ept-uk.com www.ept-uk.com