Academy Conversions & MAT Formation In the last decade, the landscape of the English education system has undergone significant transformations, with a prominent shift towards the conversion of traditional state schools into academies, and the formation of multi-academy trusts (MATs). This movement has reshaped the way education is managed and delivered, offering a new paradigm that promised enhanced autonomy, tailored educational …
Trust Capacity Fund (TCaF)
The Trust Capacity Fund (TCaF)The Department for Education’s Trust Capacity Fund (TCaF) is designed to support the growth and development of academy trusts in England, offering financial assistance for trusts to enhance their capacity for managing more schools effectively. This funding aims at encouraging trusts to expand and improve, particularly by taking on underperforming schools in areas of high need, …
Play Sufficiency Assessments (PSA)
PSA: Play Sufficiency AssessmentOverviewIn 2022, PAG was commissioned by two Welsh local authorities, Pembrokeshire County Council and Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council, to conduct Play Sufficiency Assessments (PSAs) to evaluate the quality, sufficiency, and quantity of play areas for children in Pembrokeshire and Merthyr Tydfil. PSAs are designed to help ensure children from 0-17 have accessible, high-quality, diverse play areas …
Pre-Opening Project Management: Recruitment
Pre-Opening Project Management: Recruitment When it comes to the pre-opening of a new school, one very important factor to consider is the recruitment of your new staff. Often, people begin recruiting staff 3-9 months before the opening of their new school. Our partners at MyNewTerm can help you manage this process and support you in finding suitable candidates to ensure …
Pre-Opening Project Management: Compliance
Pre-Opening Project Management: Compliance Opening a new free school can be daunting. There are many important factors to consider during the pre-opening phase to ensure the smooth running of your new school and the safety of students and staff. Our partners at Handsam offer crucial pre-opening project management services to support you with this, such as their Fire Risk Assessment, Competent …
Capital Project Management
Capital Project Management In August, the Department for Education (DfE) released the results of applications for free schools in the Wave 15 round. As successful applicants embark on the next stages of their free school journey, they encounter the challenging and time-consuming pre-opening phase. For many schools in the pre-opening phase, the initial hurdles involve finding and securing suitable sites and …
PAG Explains: Pre-Opening Project Management
PAG Explains: Pre-Opening Project Management The Pre-opening Phase is a vital part of the free school process. Whether you’ve been successful via the central free school waves or via local authority competition, this is the next stage of your journey and far fewer schools emerge from this process than enter it. In many cases, schools do not pass pre-opening for …
The DfE announces the new Teaching School Hubs
The DfE announces the new Teaching School Hubs The DfE has announced the organisations that have been approved as Teaching School Hubs. Premier Advisory Group offers its warmest congratulations to all the successful schools, and are delighted that a number of our clients have succeeded in securing the Teaching School Hub status. The application window closed on 30th October 2020 …
Project Managing the Free School Pre-Opening Phase
Project Managing the Free School Pre-Opening Phase The free schools programme has created over 400,000 places for pupils over the past few years, with 507 open free schools and another 226 in the process of opening. Providers with a strong track record can use this process to extend their educational success and create much-needed school places, improving educational standards across the country. …
Ten Top Tips for Pre-opening Project Management for Free Schools
Pre-opening Project ManagementAt the end of last year, the DfE closed applications for another two waves of the national free schools programme. This included Wave 14 for mainstream free schools and Wave 2 for SEND/AP schools. Successful Wave 2 applicants have been announced recently and an announcement on the successful applicants for Wave 14 is expected in the coming months. At Premier Advisory Group, we have a wealth of experience in the pre-opening project management of new free …