Telephone: 01753 546 376
office@pioneereducationaltrust.org.uk

Our Schools

c/o Foxborough Primary School
Common Road, SL3 8TX

WorkWell & Benefits package

Pioneer’s WorkWell Strategy seeks to reduce unnecessary workload and promote staff wellbeing. We believe in treating our colleagues as professional adults who are encouraged to make positive choices in identifying how to manage their workload, achieve work-life balance and nurture their own wellbeing. To support this, we ensure policies, structures and projects are workload-conscious, research-informed, built in response to the stakeholder’s voice, co-constructed intelligently with a wide audience and worked through methodically to ensure consonance with the whole.

Each of our schools has a WorkWell Committee that aims to reduce unnecessary workload and promote staff wellbeing by:

  • Contributing positively to the implementation of Pioneer’s WorkWell Strategy
  • Collaborating with Trust and school leaders to make positive changes to improve working conditions for all
  • Being solutions-focused and committed to making a positive difference
  • Working in collaboration and partnership with Trust and school leaders
  • Representing the views of all staff in a professional and sensitive manner
  • Demonstrating consistently high standards of personal and professional conduct
  • Having proper and professional regard for the ethos, policies and practices of the Trust and individual schools

 

Our WorkWell Promises

Pioneer Educational Trust commits to 10 Pioneering Promises which underpin our efforts to provide all colleagues with a positive and enriching working environment

  • Paid employee Assist Programme
    • An employee assist programme is in place to support colleagues by providing independent and confidential advice and support.
  • Automatic pay progression for all
    where applicable (unless there is evidence to suggest otherwise)
    • Within our revised appraisal policy, it is assumed that, where eligible, pay progression is automatic (unless there is evidence to suggest otherwise).  The purpose of this is to remove any worries colleagues may have as to whether they will progress within their pay band.  In line with our ‘no surprises’ approach, unless colleagues are aware that there is evidence to suggest otherwise, no colleague should be entering into their appraisal discussions with concern regarding pay progression.
  • Annual cost of living increase for teachers adopted each year and applied for all (including support staff)
    • The school adheres to and applies any annual cost of living increase adopted by government.  In line with our pay policy, as an organisation, we apply the same annual cost of living increase for all support staff which is not a legal expectation but an indication of our commitment to treating colleagues equitably.
  • Long service awards
    • The Trust introduced Long Service Awards to recognise the commitment of colleagues who serve our communities so well over a period of time.  Long Service Awards are given for 3, 5, 10 and every five years after that period.
  • Flexible working arrangements in place, wherever possible
    • There is a clear system in place for colleagues to request flexible working and, wherever possible, these are agreed to.  These include: part-time working, job share, parental leave, co-leadership
  • Complementary tea and coffee
    • Complementary tea and coffee are provided for all colleagues.
  • Reward Gateway
    • The Trust subscribes to a reward scheme that provides cost discounts on a range of products and goods.  In the last year, colleagues across the Trust totalled savings of over £4000.  https://www.rewardgateway.com/uk/solution/employee-discounts-scheme
  • Early finish at the end of each long term
    • Schools across the Trust finish at 12.15 on the last day of the Autumn, Spring and Summer terms with the majority of colleagues able to finish their duties at 12.45.
  • Annual Flu clinic
    • Each year we offer a flu clinic so that colleagues can be provided with the flu vaccination conveniently in their own school and without charge.
  • Interest free travel to work loans
    • Enhanced maternity / paternity / adoption / leave of absence schemes
  • Corporate eye care scheme
    • Private medical cover, where Pioneer will pay for the first month’s membership
  • Access to CSSC membership
    • Pioneer subscribes to a scheme whereby members can enjoy discounts on family experiences, days out at popular attractions, fitness, gyms and much more
  • No meeting week
    • Provided to all staff every six weeks.  The purpose of this week is to enable colleagues to chip away at their to-do lists, take back their productivity and mindfulness and hopefully provide uninterrupted time to do your work.
  • Two week October half term
    • We do not do more days than other schools and fulfil the government’s expectation of 190.
  • Appraisal
    • Change to appraisal to spread out workload (end of year review/start of year objective setting)
      Removal of progress objective in new appraisal policy
      Appraisal and CPD focus on professional growth, new team objective, with access to leadership programmes, coaching, etc.
    • The revisit of the appraisal policy was driven by the workload and wellbeing strategy.  We believe wholeheartedly in all colleagues’ right to a fair and meaningful appraisal.  There was extensive staff consultation which fed into the changes in the policy.  The removal of the progress objective was actioned in response to feedback from teaching colleagues on the unnecessary stress caused by striving to achieve a numerical target.  The revised policy puts emphasis on professional growth, is intended to link more closely to individual and team priorities, should be used to bridge the different systems (QI and CPDL) and spread the workload more sensibly over an academic year.
  • Operational matters
    (finance, premises, HR, marketing, recruitment, etc.) led by Trust and removed from the remit of the senior leadership team so that they can focus on teaching and learning
    • By removing the main burden on schools with regard to the operational running of finance, premises etc. school leaders are able to focus on the core job of providing a first-class education
  • A workload and wellbeing committee established to channel and represent staff voice and to work with leaders on improvements
    • The purpose of the W&W committee is to contribute positively to the implementation the Trust’s wellbeing policy and reducing workload and wellbeing strategy, and to collaborate with Trust and school leaders to make positive changes that improves working conditions for all
  • Anonymous engagement survey to ascertain staff views at all levels
    • An anonymous engagement survey will be conducted each year providing Trust and school leaders with valuable feedback to act and improve the workplace.  The contents of the survey are analysed and appropriate actions identified and shared with all colleagues.  Demographic information is collected so as to analyse how engaged different teams / groups within the organisation are.  The data collected is processed independently and presented to Trust and school leaders to ensure anonymity.
  • Staff consultation and engagement on all major changes (e.g. change to school day, appraisal, QA & QI, student culture policy)
    • Staff are consulted on all major changes for example the change to the Wednesdays and the timings of the school day.  Focus groups and working parties are established when strategies or approaches are put in place to ensure that the change is implemented effectively and feedback sought.
  • Trust Pioneer Summit
    • An extra non-teaching day for collaboration and wellbeing, the Development Day is an opportunity for colleagues across the Trust to benefit from professional development including a keynote speaker.  In addition, it is time for colleagues to collaborate on a cross-Trust curriculum initiative in the form of the Themed Week.
  • Additional leadership CPDL opportunities including QI for leaders
    • These additional leadership development opportunities are provided as an optional extra.  They are used to provide additional training in new strategies or policies but equally to respond to requests from colleagues in leadership positions.
  • Change to Wednesdays to facilitate more time for department meetings/CPDL
    • The introduction of CPDL Wednesdays providing additional time for departments / teams to collaborate on team priorities.  This time also provides space for non-teaching colleagues to engage in collaboration and CPDL (in line with our belief that all colleagues are equal).
    • This was introduced after wide-ranging consultation including with staff who were overwhelmingly positive about the proposal.
    • It is important to recognise that the purpose of CPDL was to provide time for colleagues to collaborate which was the key message provided to parents / carers.
    • Feedback culture work being trialled to reduce unnecessary workload
    • Current cross-Trust focus group are working on an alternative approach to feedback.  Whilst this may not reduce the time spent analysing pupils’ work, the aim is for this to be more impactful and, therefore, better utilisation of the time.
    • Through CPDL Wednesday and other structures, the aim is to ensure that there are high-quality, well-resourced, collaboratively-planned schemes of work in place thereby significantly reducing the time spent on lesson-by-lesson planning.
    • If the feedback and reteach lessons are planned whilst analysing pupils’ books, the time spent on marking and then planning will be reduced.
  • We also offer the following benefits:
    • Free onsite parking
    • Lunch prices for staff offered at cost price
    • Enhanced employer pension contributions
    • Enhanced leave of absence policy
    • Enhanced parental bereavement package
    • Travel to work loans