UKAT Additional Information booklet 2022_2 single pages fina

Additional Information

Welcome Welcome to our UKAT Additional Information booklet which details further information about UKAT, some useful context around around the Lead Sponsor, the University of Kent, and a an easy to use list of FAQs that might answer any queries you might have about UKAT.

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Contents

4. University of Kent 6. UKAT Academies 7. UKAT Sixth Form 8. UKAT Governance

9. UKAT Governance Structure 10. Frequently Asked Questions 16. Contact Us

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University of Kent From a University that started in 1965 with 500 students and 150 staff.

The University of Kent has grown today into an institution that attracts thousands of students from across the world. The University produces world-class research across its entire academic community and a high proportion of our researchers (85%) contributed work to the Research Excellence Frameworks. We are extremely proud of our Lead Sponsor, the University of Kent and detail some of their outstanding achievements below: Prestigious • Kent was awarded Gold in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) • Based on the most recent Research Excellence Framework, Kent was ranked in the top 20 for research output and research intensity in the Times Higher Education (THE), outperforming 11 of the 24 Russell Group universities • Kent is ranked 48th out of 131 UK higher education institutions in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2021, a rise of six places from the previous year • Ranked in the top 10% of the world’s universities for international outlook, in the Times Higher Education (THE) 2021

• Awarded a Queen’s Anniversary Prize in December 2019 for the work of the Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE) Inspirational • Centre for Journalism (CfJ) graduate, Kenneth Sanchez, has won the Student Journalist Award at the Amnesty Media Awards 2020 • A second-year student studying Sociology and Social Policy at Kent School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research (SSPSSR) has received The Diana Award 2020 for her efforts to support mental health globally • Kent and Medway Medical School (KMMS), a collaboration between the University of Kent and Canterbury Christ Church University, welcomed its first students in September 2020 • Kent has retained its European Commission HR Excellence in Research (EIR) Award following its six-year review, validating its long-term commitment to the career development of its researchers • Winner of the Outstanding Library Team Award at the 2019 Times Higher Education (THE) Awards

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Engaged • As part of the University’s COVID-19 response Kent have provided specialist equipment and volunteers, and are working with Imperial College London to aid in research for COVID-19 therapies • Research at the University of Kent is making a difference across the world. Kent’s academics work alongside organisations outside academia, from media outlets to research partners in industry • Recent and current Kent PhD students have worked in areas including: the gig economy; wildlife trade; film and drama practice; autism, intellectual disability and community care; social justice; philanthropy; charting resistance activities in WW2 in Paris • The University attracts external funding that regularly exceeds £18 million per annum. Kent have doctoral training partnerships with a range of bodies which give students access to a range of funding Kent is committed to maintaining and developing good relations with local communities. Kent are very proud of their students and the positive contribution they make to the region. Last year, Kent students contributed over 77,000 hours of voluntary work.

• Kent is a recipient of a grant of over €1.1m to support student and staff mobility across Europe, under the Erasmus + scheme • Kent offers Dual UK and European qualifications (international double awards) at Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctoral level • Kent staff can apply for funding to undertake two to five days training/teaching opportunities at our Erasmus partner universities or other relevant organisations within Europe At UKAT we believe that the University of Kent is a Sponsor that genuinely invests whole heartedly in its schools/academies and wants to achieve the best possible outcomes for all of our students, parents, carers, staff and the wider community. The dedication and commitment to making UKAT schools unique, outstanding and leaders in education is 100% clear in the diverse and engaging number of thoughtful and intellectually challenging projects in place across UKAT education in the 21st century. Kent has been pivotal in the planning and overall setting of the cultural context within the UKAT academies and its wider community and continues to be a beacon of educational growth and challenge bringing long term benefits to the UKAT schools and their communities.

Globally • Kent has an extensive study abroad

programme with over 170 universities in 39 countries. Most of their programmes offer opportunities to study or work in Europe

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UKAT Academies

Brompton Academy Brompton Academy is rated ’Good’ as of latest Ofsted report. It provides education to approximately 1400 students aged 11-18. Brompton Academy is a co-educational academy, with Science and Arts specialisms. The academy has strong provision for students with SEN through the specialist Eliot Communications Centre. The Eliot Communications Centre currently has over 100 students with EHCPs. Brompton Academy has a shared mixed Sixth Form provision which offers students extensive curriculum opportunities, excellent shared facilities, a bespoke graduate and post-graduate Student Ambassadors Mentoring Scheme. The Academy is also part of the unique trailblazing project, the UKAT Teacher Training programme and the MSc Professional Practice with the University of Kent. Brompton Academy has been successful in setting up the Secondary Partnership Development Programme offering key programmes and activities to our students and families across both secondary schools. Brompton Academy has been pivotal in developing the unique wellbeing agenda across the Trust by embedding mindfulness programmes into the curriculm, introducing dog therapy and a new coaching and mentoring programme for students, Amazing Minds.

Chatham Grammar Chatham Grammar is rated 'Good' by Ofsted and since joining the Trust has attracted substantial amounts of external grants and funds to renovate existing buildings and build new state of the art teaching and learning spaces. examinations as Chatham Grammar is now in the top 14% of schools in England for student progress for GCSE results. Chatham Grammar has a shared mixed Sixth Form provision which offers students extensive curriculum opportunities, excellent shared facilities, a bespoke graduate and post-graduate Student Ambassadors Mentoring Scheme. Chatham Grammar were also winners of the Medway Council School Sports Awards, winning the Silver Award for student participation and enrichment of sports across the school. The Academy is also part of the unique trailblazing project, the UKAT Teacher Training programme and the MSc Professional Practice with the University of Kent. Chatham Grammar has been successful in setting up the Primary Partnership Development Programme and works creatively with a small group of local primary schools to develop learning and enrichment opportunities for their students, parents and carers. Chatham Grammar has seen a rapid transformation with regards to public

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UKAT Sixth Form As a UKAT academy, your students will be given the choice of applying for a bespoke fast track pathway to joining our UKAT Sixth Form.

Through the UKAT Sixth form, we are proud to be able to: • Lay the foundations for our young people to enter a successful career or further learning, by offering a range of courses for those wishing to go to university or pursue apprenticeships or employment • Offer Level 3 qualifications, including both BTEC and A level • Provide a foundation for collaboration with both our UKAT Academies • Take advantage of curriculum input by University of Kent lecturers and undergraduates, along with study skills support and unparalleled access to University of Kent facilities • Provide UKAT Sixth Form students with a unique insight into the world of Higher Education. The UKAT Sixth Form is currently providing an excellent educational package of a range of interesting and challenging opportunities for around 400 students across Years 12 and 13.

The unique offer of opportunities provided both by an established, leading University and through collaborative learning across both sites enriches the learning experiences of all our students. The UKAT Sixth Form offers a broad and exciting range of learning pathways for students to progress to level 3 courses. If your students go on to the UKAT Sixth Form, they will be connected with a wide range of university programmes and undergraduate facilities based at the Medway Universities campus, allowing us to offer exclusive and bespoke opportunities to engage with Higher Education. Curriculum input by the University of Kent lecturers and undergraduates, along with study skill support and unparalleled access to the University of Kent facilities means that UKAT students gain a personalised bespoke introduction into the world of Higher Education. Through our innovative careers service, we also promote and encourage students to consider the world of work and pursue dynamic employment pathways in this ever-changing world of work.

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UKAT’s Governance When joining UKAT, your school’s governance will become a part of a high-quality, collaborative and skilled governance structure.

Retaining your School’s/Academy’s Governance

Joining a MAT will always bring some changes to a school’s governance. UKAT ensures that as much governance as possible is retained at the academy level. Your school will retain: • Governing bodies, as Local Governing Bodies with genuine decision-making power • School principals and senior leadership teams, who will work with UKAT’s Executive Principals and Trust Board on a range of Trust-wide projects • Places for your finance lead on our Finance Committee We are open to discussing Hub governance models if this might be of interest to your school or academy.

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UKAT’s Governance Structure

Brompton Academy Governing Board Chair Vice Chair Principal Governors

Finance and Staffing Chair Vice Chair Trustees CEO Finance Director HR Manager Trustees Representation of local governing boards

Project Working Groups Trustee/governor involvement

Trust Board Chair Vice Chair CEO Trustees Representation of local governing boards

dependant on projects

Trust Members

Chatham Grammar Governing Board Chair Vice Chair Principal Governors

Conduct Panel Chair Vice Chair Rotating Trustee memberships

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Frequently Asked Questions The University of Kent Academies Trust (UKAT) is an established Trust focused on developing the life experience and opportunities of its students, parents, carers, and staff in Medway and Kent, and the surrounding community.

of Kent and the opportunities that this can provide to students and staff.

We are ambitious and courageous, as we want young people to aspire to reach their goals and aspirations above and beyond any limitations they might perceive. This means that each UKAT academy is different in its approach to learning and has its own core beliefs and values established. Why join a Multi Academy Trust? Schools and academies join Multi-Academy Trusts (MAT) for a multitude of reasons. Typically, these can include: • To gain efficiencies when procuring, e.g., for ICT or catering services, in order to keep more of the school budget for teaching and learning • To enter a collaborative network of staff who can support each other’s professional development • To receive support from a central Trust team across all areas of academy operation, from local governance, admin, recruitment and curriculum planning In addition to this, schools/academies may choose to join UKAT to benefit from our excellent relationship with the University

Fundamentally, UKAT believes that the Trust structure exists to serve our academies. UKAT strives to strike a balance between providing a central Trust and University relationship that supports, challenges and provides opportunities to educate their students in the way that they know best. When joining UKAT, you can expect to keep your local governors, Principal/Headteacher, and powers such as defining academy level policies. The MAT is sponsored and supported by the University of Kent, a leading University that provides academic and vocational opportunities for our students, and professional development opportunities for our staff. We are passionate about nurturing, growing, and developing people, so that the students and communities we serve have the best opportunities to thrive and flourish. We want to excite and motivate those who work with us and create real passion and joy around learning. Who are the University of Kent Academies Trust?

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our offer through integrating the expertise of more schools into the Trust. Our vision for growth can be found in the UKAT Prospectus. What can UKAT offer your school? In our Trust family, we understand that every school/academy is unique, and that every school/academy is at a different point in their personal journey to learning excellence. The UKAT Executive Team works with leaders, trustees and governors to assess every aspect of need, and form a complete picture of how we can best support your school or your academy’s needs. We will tailor our core offer to your needs, to create a bespoke package of support and improvement. We utilise our values to support schools in their improvement. As well as providing support in key areas from our UKAT Executive Team, we will identify strengths across all our schools to support and deliver appropriate expertise. What can UKAT offer your students? In addition to the educational provision at your school, your students will have access to Trust-wide projects, initiatives, and enrichment. This includes access to University of Kent led interventions and opportunities, forming an educationally rich and bespoke offer that develops the whole student. • University of Kent campus days • UKAT Partnership Development programmes • Tried and tested UKAT Wellbeing Hub model

UKAT has two academies: • Brompton Academy • Chatham Grammar Both academies operate a mixed UKAT Sixth Form.

Why was the MAT created? The University of Kent, UKAT’s Lead Sponsor, formed UKAT to support Brompton Academy and Chatham Grammar with school improvement, capital improvement and collaboration. The intention was to further UKAT’s vision to be a leading educator, outward looking and a collaborative MAT which has an ‘all through’ and strongly inclusive provision. Currently, our vision is to expand and grow our MAT with the aim of developing and supporting young people and their families throughout our local Kent and Medway communities. Why does UKAT want to grow? UKAT is ready and well placed to grow with two successful and thriving secondary academies established in Medway. UKAT is confident that the time is right to further our vision and values, as well as helping to positively improve our provision through growth. This will include achieving economies of scale that ensure that more funding goes directly to our students, as well as ensuring that our staff have more capacity to focus on teaching and learning, together with expanding

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our staff with their continuous professional development as we encourage them to become the best they can be. Wellbeing is a key strength of UKAT and we offer a range of forward thinking interventions and programmes for all staff. We invest heavily in our people. As an innovative and dynamic organisation, we are proud to offer our staff a number of opportunities for continuing professional development across the Trust and with the University of Kent. This includes: • Regular 360 degree reviews • A clearly defined leadership behaviours framework used throughout the Trust • Supporting staff in trailblazing projects, which have included mindfulness and wellbeing projects • Networking opportunities across Trust schools • Leadership development opportunities across Trust schools. • Opportunities to share best practice through teacher learning communities and leadership learning communities • University of Kent MSc (Professional Practice) – Teaching and Learning • ‘State of the Art’ ICT infrastructure and Learning Technologies This offer benefits new, through to the most experienced, UKAT staff - regardless of experience level, your school’s/academy’s senior and middle leadership and staff teams

• Science and Arts Da Vinci experiences • University lectures and workshops • Interactions with graduate and post- graduate university ambassadors • High-quality shared facilities across Brompton Academy, Chatham Grammar and the University of Kent • Arts Mark activities • Adult and Family Learning programmes We can also support your educational provision. UKAT currently has science and arts specialisms through Brompton Academy, which can support your in-school/academy provision where appropriate. In addition, our UKAT primary aged students will be prioritised in their applications to our secondary academies or the UKAT Sixth Forms as we build an all-through educational offer for our young people. As the MAT develops, this offer will develop too. We are particularly keen to work with local primaries to develop a transition offer for students and parents/ carers offering a seamless educational experience from the primary to the secondary phase of learning. What can UKAT offer your staff? We are a passionate family of academies that places great emphasis on working together and going the extra mile and collaborating to deliver the best possible standard of education. We are proud of our commitment to support

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What is the relationship with the University of Kent?

can, through UKAT, develop their practice and careers across multiple avenues. Whether working alongside our existing Principals, supporting Trust-wide initiatives, or learning new skills for their classroom, UKAT will be pleased to support your school/academy staff in the manner most effective for you. What can UKAT offer your governors? Local governance takes place in all UKAT academies and we look forward to welcoming your governors into our Trust. By working with UKAT, governors will have access to: • Governance training • Share best practice across UKAT • Engage with trust-wide skill audits and governance reviews • Work alongside trustees and University governance for the benefit of all UKAT academies In addition, UKAT’s governance clerking can support local governors in the creation and distribution of agendas, minutes, and information if appropriate. UKAT can also offer places on the UKAT Trust Board or trust committees upon discussion. Typically, the chair of each local governing body would be invited to become a member of the Trust board.

The University of Kent is a well-respected and established international university that attracts thousands of students from across the world. The University produces world-class research across its entire academic community and a high proportion of our researchers (85%) contributed work to the Research Excellence Frameworks. The University of Kent provides support and opportunities to UKAT across all levels of the Trust: • Governance – many of our trustees are University of Kent employees, who can support collaboration between the Trust and University • Students – as a UKAT school/academy, your students will have access to the University of Kent’s facilities and employment/careers offers • Staff – as a UKAT school/academy, your staff will have access to CPD opportunities through the University, and you will have access to the University’s ITT and ECT teachers.

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How can UKAT support your back- office functions?

• Compliance and Health and Safety support • Governance training and support These services aim to ease the stress of management infrastructure from school leaders so they can focus on improving the quality of education in schools. If you wish to discuss any of these services, or find out more, please contact us and we will be happy to discuss how we can help. What is UKAT’s school improvement ethos? In our Trust, we understand that every school or academy is unique and that each is at a different point in their personal journey of improvement and excellence. Our UKAT Executive Team are here to support you and your school or academy, to formulate a plan that best meets your needs for educational improvements for all students. We are dedicated to empowering our academies and improving learning and wellbeing outcomes. We believe that this approach will enhance our offer to our students, staff and the wider community. Through a focus on staff development and wellbeing, we will provide ongoing learning and development opportunities for leaders and for leadership teams. We will encourage you to think outside the box, maintain your uniqueness and strive to be the best you can be.

We know that managing schools/academies brings financial challenges and responsibilities that would not be considered in a local authority context. Our cost-effective infrastructure eases the burden on our academies and partners through our tailor-made Service Level Agreements (SLAs). Depending on your needs, we can provide the following services which might be required by your school/academy. • Finance – Preparing financial statements in line with the Department for Education (DfE) and Education and Skills Funding Agency (EFSA) requirements – VAT returns – Taxation advice – Budget preparation and monitoring – Monthly/quarterly management accounts – Software and processes training for school finance staff • Support with Academy Conversion from start to completion • Property management and asset management • HR support and consultancy, including recruitment, retention and succession planning • Marketing strategy and implementation • IT strategy and support

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How will we manage school and Trust finances?

Our diversity as a Trust enables UKAT to offer students a unique educational experience where students feel encouraged, supported and nurtured to be the best that they can be. Joining the Trust Joining UKAT will follow the usual conversion or merger processes, depending on the circumstances of your school/academy. These processes usually take approximately six months to complete, and UKAT will support you through them, including the drafting of the application to the RSC to convert or merge, and running the community and TUPE consultations required during the process. What are the TUPE measures UKAT expects to propose? Whilst Multi-Academy Trust is not bound by national pay and conditions, UKAT adheres to the Burgundy Book, the School Teachers Pay and Conditions Document, NJC conditions and the Green Book. As such, while there may be some TUPE measures depending on the circumstances of each school/academy most likely, for example, to bring all academies in-line with the UKAT pay date each month), we do not expect any significant changes to pay and conditions. We will work with the current employer, HR advisors, unions and staff to ensure that this is the case during the process of joining the Trust.

As part of UKAT, each school/academy contributes a top-slice, dependent on the bespoke service level agreements it opts into from the choice of Trust’s central functions. As part of joining UKAT, we will offer places on our finance committee for your school/ academy finance lead. How much autonomy does UKAT provide? UKAT offers collaboration, not prescription. We offer choice, not decisions made for you. To support this, we have ensured that: • Each UKAT academy has its own Principal, responsible for establishing the vision and ethos of each academy within the UKAT values • Each UKAT academy has their own local governing committee, and practices local accountability • Each UKAT academy is different in its approach to learning • UKAT’s Scheme of Delegation preserves the decision-making power of our schools. For example, it reserves the right, at academy-level, of approval of academy- level policies, appointments to the central team, appointment of the Principal, and more besides.

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What due diligence will UKAT undertake on a school looking to join the Trust? UKAT will commission financial due diligence on all schools and academies intending to join the Trust. This is in addition to the due diligence that the ESFA will carry out during all applications to the RSC. We will also be required to carry out HR due diligence during the process of joining the Trust, to ensure that TUPE information is correct for your staff. Depending on the school’s circumstances, we may also look to carry out capital, governance or curriculum due diligence. This is not intended to be an investigation – rather, we will be keen to work collaboratively with you to identify where UKAT can support the school/ academy and provide services to your staff going forward.

Contact details If you have any further questions or would like to discuss joining the Trust then please don’t hesitate to contact our UKAT Governance Office, Julia Culham on 01634 852341, or email us via ukattrustees@universityofkentacademiestrust.org.uk

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University of Kent Academies Trust Marlborough Road Gillingham Kent ME7 5HT T: 01634 852341 E: office@universityofkentacademiestrust.org.uk W: www.universityofkentacademiestrust.org.uk