We’re here for a purpose—to ensure that we raise standards and, thereby, transform the lives of every child in our schools.
We do this by putting students first every single day.
This handbook outlines what you need to know about working with us from your first day onwards.
It gives you a heads-up on how we do things, the kind of support you can expect and what we expect from you in return.
Note
Some resources linked from this site require an Outwood staff account to access.
We might update this handbook to keep up with the law or if we decide to do something different or new.
We’ll let colleagues know about significant changes.
1 - Who we are
We are an award-winning multi-academy education trust with passion, purpose and people at our heart.
1.1 - What we stand for
Outwood’s background, vision and employee values
Students First.
In 2009, we became a multi-academy trust with two secondary schools: Outwood Grange Academy and Outwood Academy Adwick.
We’ve come a long way since then.
We now have 42 schools across the North of England, including secondary, primary, post-16 and alternative provision.
We employ over 4,500 colleagues and serve over 30,000 children.
Our purpose and vision
Our vision: Students First Raising Standards and Transforming Lives.
This is our guiding vision as a trust. To achieve this, we ensure all Outwood staff:
Put “students first”: we care deeply about children;
Strive to be experts in our respective fields; and
Are obsessive about attaining the highest standards, thereby enhancing children’s life-chances.
We are committed to making a positive impact on the communities we serve.
By placing exceptional schools at the heart of the community, we strive to be deeply embedded in our local areas.
Our ethos: Ensuring a Climate of Success.
Ensuring Inclusion
Setting High Expectations
Building Strong Relationships
Promoting Diversity and Equality
Fostering a Praise and Achievement Culture
When all of the strands are combined we will achieve the sense of belonging and climate for success that we aspire to.
Our development plan
Every three years, we outline our strategic priorities in a development plan.
It captures where we are heading and how we aim to get there.
Our five employee values are the foundation of everything we do at Outwood.
They reflect the behaviours, attitudes and principles that guide how we work with our students, our colleagues and our communities.
In this video, colleagues from across the Outwood family share our employee values.
If you prefer to read them instead, each value is introduced below.
Ambition without limit
Setting high standards, and achieving them, is central to everything we do.
This applies to our teaching and learning practices, our approach to shared school services, and the behaviour of the young people in our family of schools.
Crucially, it applies to their outcomes.
We are obsessive about helping all of our pupils achieve to the best of their ability because we know this will open doors for them.
To make sure this passion translates into meaningful action we need to be honest with each other if we fall short, avoid making excuses on behalf of ourselves and our communities, and commit to self-examination.
We refer to this as the four Is: information gathering, identifying the problem, systematically intervening and measuring the impact.
We believe that if we do this repeatedly, consistently and with fidelity, our standards will improve.
The ultimate test of this approach, and our sky-high expectations, is whether our schools are strengthening the communities in which they are situated.
We break down barriers
Wherever there is a barrier preventing a child’s progress, we seek to remove it and take individual responsibility to do so with urgency. Done well, we believe this is one of the most fulfilling aspects of working here.
We know that moving swiftly and speaking honestly can sometimes feel challenging.
If you are new to our family, this directness can be disconcerting, but it is a manifestation of our commitment to the young people we work with.
We know that many of the situations that we find ourselves in will be difficult, even unfair.
When we make mistakes in service of this value we will apologise openly and quickly.
But we refuse to wait until next week, next month or next year to intervene.
We have seen how this has affected our communities in the past and we hold ourselves accountable for making sure this doesn’t happen in our family of schools.
We turn our best into normal
We know that the best ideas come from expert practitioners in schools.
So, when we see that something works—be it a lesson plan, financial procedure or behaviour practice—we record it and implement it for the benefit of our pupils and colleagues. We stop doing things that do not have a positive impact on pupils.
We go out of our way to share these insights, and to find ways to deliver training and support so that our colleagues can learn from them, evolve them and build them into systems.
We don’t do this because we seek control or standardisation.
Instead, we do it because we unapologetically believe that consistent, well implemented systems and processes will improve outcomes.
They make the young people in our communities feel happier and safer and allow us to spend more time caring for individual pupils.
We understand that some approaches work better in particular places, but we are committed to ensuring that excellence is shared across all our communities, not just found in lucky, isolated pockets.
Every interaction counts
We have always said that when we see litter, we pick it up.
It isn’t really about the litter, it is about our belief that the adults in our schools should always be acting as positive role models.
For us, small everyday interactions are crucial for this to be successful.
So; we dress smartly, we queue politely, we open doors, we communicate clearly, we exude positivity.
This can be demanding, but we want the young people in our care to grow up surrounded by evidence that the adults in their lives take pride in their physical environment, their classroom, their community, and their interactions with others.
We are a Family
We know that our strength is best shown by how we support those within our family that are struggling.
When an individual, a department, or a school faces a challenge or a setback we rally around.
We are not satisfied if our own students, school, department or subject is doing well, but there are difficulties elsewhere in our family.
This is rewarding but can be tiring: We sometimes need to cover for each other or spend time on the road supporting other schools.
In thinking like a family, we reflect the best of the supportive communities where we work, live and are grounded.
Like them, we treat each other and all the children in our care with respect, assuming good intentions, and we are always looking to build each other up.
We will work harder to celebrate our successes.
1.2 - Where we work
Our school communities across the North of England
Our registered office is in Outwood, a suburb to the north of Wakefield, West Yorkshire.
However, our schools serve communities across the North of England, from Derbyshire to the Tees Valley and from Wigan to Scunthorpe.
The map below shows the locations of all Outwood schools.
Our schools
We manage transformative primary, junior, secondary and post-16 schools, each celebrating very different identities but driven by a shared vision.
Each school is individually shaped around the community and children it serves.
Our schools are organised into communities that support one another.
Whether you’ve just joined or been with us for a while and need a quick refresher, this is all the basic information you’ll need to find your way at work.
Remember, if you have any questions, your team, your manager, and Human Resources will all be happy to help!
2.1 - Getting started
Introduction to working in the Outwood family.
Joining us
Ahead of your start date, we’ll let you know when to arrive on your first day and who will meet you.
Your first few days
On your first day, we’ll show you around your school, including where you’ll be based, the staff facilities, and who to contact with any questions.
Your line manager will work through an induction checklist with you to ensure you have everything you need.
We’ll also:
Give you your official staff ID and purple lanyard.
Give you login information to access our computers and any online systems you’ll need to use for your work.
Ask you to complete some statutory online training.
In your first few days, asking lots of questions and meeting as many of your new colleagues as possible are the most important things.
Your probationary period
You will have a probationary period to ensure everything is going well for you within your role when you start working with us.
For support staff, this is usually six months from the date your job starts; for teachers, this is within your Initial Teacher Training (ITT) year.
Right to work
Everyone needs to show documents, such as a passport or visa, when they start work to prove that it’s legal for them to work in the UK.
If your right to enter and live in the UK is limited by time, you’ll need to provide evidence to us that you can continue to work.
Before you start working with us, we will check your documentation.
More questions?
If you have any further questions or want to clarify anything about your job at Outwood, speak to someone in the HR and business team.
They can help with:
Employment policies
Legal queries
General disciplinary and diversity issues
Benefits and pay, including bonus and pension schemes and employee discounts
For all payroll queries, e.g. salary payments or tax reclaims, you can contact the payroll team directly.
How we work
Part of a family
When you join Outwood, you become part of our family of schools.
Our schools work closely together, sharing what works well and supporting each other to be even better.
There are often opportunities to collaborate with colleagues in similar roles at other Outwood schools, whether that’s sharing resources, solving common challenges, or developing new ideas together.
Behind our schools, we have our “Outwood Supports” teams—central support staff who provide expert help in areas like communications, finance, HR, and IT to make sure our schools can focus on what matters most: our students.
This family approach means there’s always someone to reach out to who understands your role and can offer support or guidance.
Key systems
Like most organisations, we use a variety of online tools to help us work.
These are some common systems you might see referenced in this handbook:
Google Workspace is what we use for email, documents, calendars and online meetings.
Outwood Plus is our employee rewards and benefits platform.
Outwood Helpdesk is where to go for help with IT systems and student data.
A comprehensive list of the systems we use can be found on our staff intranet.
We try to minimise the number of accounts you need to remember, and use Single Sign-On (SSO) so you can use one account to access most things you’ll need day-to-day.
How you’ll hear from us
Our schools hold a weekly briefing to share updates with staff, lasting no more than 30 minutes.
We’ll let you know about important information via several channels.
One is our half-termly email newsletter, which shares good news and updates from across the Outwood family and outlines the focus for the half-term ahead.
How we talk
When you start working for us, especially if you’re new to the education sector, you’ll likely come across unfamiliar terminology.
Whether it’s education-specific terms like “SENDCo” (Special Educational Needs and Disability Coordinator), or Outwood-specific phrases like “Praising Stars” (our system for tracking a child’s attainment and progress), there’s quite a lot to learn!
Our glossary of terms includes many of the acronyms and terms you might hear.
And remember, if you’re ever unsure what something means, just ask a colleague.
We all had to learn these terms at some point too!
Recognition and awards
At Outwood, we like to recognise the fantastic work our people do.
You can recognise colleagues’ work or just say “hi” via the e-cards on Outwood Plus.
We also have annual Employee Values Awards, which recognise colleagues who have exemplified one or more of our values through their work.
Details of how to nominate a colleague can be found in your school.
Working here
Working schedule
Your hours of work will depend on your job role and the school you work in, so take a read of your contract and speak to your manager.
However, we also believe in offering opportunities for our colleagues to work flexibly.
While, in putting Students First, we can’t always offer complete flexibility, we welcome part-time or job-share working arrangements.
We recognise that giving you these opportunities helps you achieve a healthy work-life balance that’s right for you.
Our flexible working policy outlines our commitment to considering flexible working requests for all our people.
It includes an application form to request flexible working.
For more information, speak to the HR team.
For staff who have “plus days” within their contract (e.g. term-time, plus 5 days), you may need to work overtime or outside of your normal working hours for things such as meetings, etc.
These should be agreed upon with your line manager; please don’t work overtime without letting your manager know beforehand.
Dress for your day
We want you to feel your most productive and creative at work, and we understand that being comfortable with what you’re wearing is a must.
However, we also act as role models when working in our schools.
Therefore, it is important that we dress as smartly as we expect from our children.
Our complete dress code is in the staff code of conduct.
In some roles, we also provide you with workwear.
This is usually where your role involves work where your clothes are more likely to get messy or protective wear we provide for your safety or protection.
If you are provided with workwear or protective wear, it is important that you wear it while at work.
Staff working in PE are also provided with PE workwear or can utilise a budget to provide their own appropriate sportswear.
It’s important we have up-to-date information about you.
If anything changes, such as moving home, you must update it on Oracle or with the HR team as soon as possible.
Oracle is also where you can access other information, including your payslips and job details.
Please read our employee privacy statement to learn more about how we use your personal information.
Regular performance conversations are a great way to ensure we’re supporting you in doing your very best.
It’s also a way to explore how you can develop for the future.
When starting with us, you should set a few simple goals with your manager.
These goals will give you clarity about what you should focus on and help you prioritise your time.
Twice a year, you and your manager will have a more formal conversation about your performance and look at your progress against your goals, your personal development and our employee values.
We call these conversations “performance management meetings”, which tend to occur around September/October and January/February.
Before you sit down for these chats, you should add a few points to discuss on the performance management form and self-assess where you are up to.
During your performance review, your manager will confirm your current pay and whether you are due to move up your scale over the next 12 months.
However, don’t worry about this, your pay progression is not linked to performance management unless concerns have been formally raised with you.
Your development
We recognise the importance of developing our people to ensure they have the right level of knowledge and skills to be able to shine.
The Outwood Institute of Education (OIE) is our training facility.
Their whole team is dedicated to learning and development, ensuring we develop the best talent, leadership, and technical skills within our family of schools.
We help develop our people in a number of ways, such as specific in-house development courses, external courses, secondments, career moves and further and higher education such as apprenticeships or national professional qualifications.
After school each week, there are two hours of learning and performance time (L&P).
It is usually on a Tuesday in secondary schools and Wednesday in primary schools.
During this time, there are professional development opportunities and time for meetings or any data inputting and analysis you need to complete.
In recognition of this time, we disaggregate three INSET days during the year, which are then taken as holiday.
Expenses
While at work, you may occasionally incur expenses that you have not been able to purchase directly through your school.
These expenses should be reclaimed via Oracle and have the approval of your finance team before being incurred.
We expect you to be careful with your expenses and make all spending decisions in the best interest of our students.
If you need to book travel and accommodation for company business, you should book it through your finance team.
You should travel by standard class only, and when you’re travelling in London, you should use the underground when you can.
If public transport is not available or appropriate, taxis may be used for travel to and from business meetings and functions.
The expenses policy includes full details about expenses when travelling and staying away.
Health and safety
Your safety matters at Outwood, and we are committed to minimising the risk of injury or ill-health to our people.
We have a duty—to both you and our children—to ensure that our schools are safe places to work.
Each of our schools has its own health and safety policy containing school-specific information.
You can access this on their website or via the school’s business and HR team.
If you have an accident or feel unwell at work, we have trained first aiders on every school site.
Find out your school’s first aiders by asking your school business manager or HR team.
We must keep records of all accidents and first aid treatment on the Medical Tracker system, which all first aiders can access.
Fire evacuation
A dedicated fire warden supports every department or group of departments.
Make sure you speak to your manager or team to learn who your team’s fire warden is.
In the event of an evacuation, the fire alarm will sound.
You should leave the building immediately, escorting any children you are responsible for, using the nearest fire exit route.
Please don’t return to your classroom or office.
For details on where your assembly point is, check your school’s health and safety policy.
2.2 - Pay and benefits
Pay, pensions, rewards and equipment.
At Outwood, we believe in rewarding our people for great work.
Along with competitive salaries, we offer fantastic perks and recognition programmes, including a benefits platform, sabbaticals, and salary sacrifice schemes.
You may want to check out the holiday and wellbeing sections, as these show some other benefits you’ll receive!
Our support staff roles are graded into job grades, ranging from Grade 1 to Grade 13.
Your job grade determines your salary and other benefits.
We follow the nationally negotiated salary points and pay awards under the National Joint Council (NJC) terms and conditions.
Similarly, we follow the nationally negotiated Teachers’ Pay and Conditions for teaching staff, including annual pay awards.
Current grades and pay scales can be found on the pay scales page.
For full details of our approach to pay and grading, refer to the pay policy.
We understand how important pay and grading are, so please speak to your school business manager or HR team if you have any questions.
You’ll be paid monthly, calculated as two weeks in arrears and two weeks in advance.
We’ll pay you by direct transfer to your bank account (or most building societies).
Our paydays vary depending on your base school.
If your pay date falls on a weekend or bank holiday, you will receive your pay on the previous working day.
You can update your bank details and download your payslip on Oracle.
We’ll try our very best to make sure there aren’t any problems with your pay, but if you think there are, you should speak to your manager or contact the payroll team.
Their websites provide information on your contribution rates.
Rewards and benefits site
Outwood Plus is our rewards and benefits site.
It’s where you can access many employee benefits and wellbeing services.
Discounts
Outwood Plus has exclusive discounts to help make your hard-earned cash go further.
Enjoy discounts on supermarket essentials, high street treats, days out, and holidays—over 1,000 offers and counting.
The site is updated regularly, and fantastic new offers are added all the time.
Salary sacrifice schemes
Cycle to work.
Whether you want a new bike, equipment or both, top-of-the-range or entry-level, cycle to work can save you 28% to 47% on the total cost.
A car lease scheme, with both brand-new and pre-loved vehicles available.
It includes more than just the car, with a single monthly payment covering insurance, maintenance, tyres, MOT, road tax, roadside assistance, and more.
Team-building
At the end of each term, if you have been involved in the delivery of after-school enrichment activities, you will be encouraged to participate in a team-building activity alongside colleagues in your team.
Your school pays for this.
Please speak to your Head of Department for more details.
Lunch
If you undertake a lunch duty (over and above your normal working hours), you’ll receive a complimentary lunch on each day of the week that you perform the duty.
Meals are provided in the school restaurant, up to the value of the daily meal deal.
Laptop and mobile phone
Depending on your role within Outwood, we may provide you with a laptop, tablet, and/or mobile phone.
We expect you to care for this equipment responsibly, use it professionally, and report any theft or loss to the IT helpdesk immediately.
For more information, check out our IT acceptable use policy.
Holiday entitlements, sickness, and the types of leave available.
Even though most of us at Outwood love our work, we all need time away.
For many at Outwood, this means taking school holidays, such as teachers and support staff on term-time contracts.
For support staff colleagues who work full-year contracts, this means using their normal annual leave entitlement.
However, there may be times when you need leave for other reasons.
You can apply for different sorts of leave, such as family-friendly leave, compassionate leave, and even sabbaticals.
Annual leave (holiday)
Note
If your employment transferred to Outwood under TUPE, please refer to your employment contract rather than the figures here.
Full-year contract staff
We know that taking regular holidays and breaks from work helps you be more energised and motivated.
At Outwood, we offer the below leave allowance, so you can take a break, switch off and relax.
Tip
Put an automatic response on your email and use the 🌴 on your Google Chat before you go!
Your annual leave entitlement depends on your point on the NJC salary scale and your number of years of service.
NJC point
0–4 years service
5–9 years service
10+ years service
1–9
26 days (192.4 hrs)
31 days (229.4 hrs)
31 days (229.4 hrs)
10–27
29 days (214.6 hrs)
31 days (229.4 hrs)
32 days (236.8 hrs)
28 and up
31 days (229.4 hrs)
31 days (229.4 hrs)
34 days (251.6 hrs)
Other points to note about our leave policy:
Outwood’s leave year aligns with the school year: 1st September to 31st August.
You should request your annual leave on Oracle as soon as possible.
We’d prefer you to do this at least four weeks in advance, but speak to your manager to check.
If you become eligible for a higher annual leave allowance midway through a year, your allowance will be prorated to account for the higher entitlement for the rest of the year.
Your annual leave entitlement can’t normally be carried forward to the next leave year, unless you were unable to take annual leave due to extreme circumstances.
If this is the case, you can carry up to 5 days forward (if you are part-time, this will be pro-rated).
Employees who have been on statutory leave, such as maternity leave, can carry over their leave entitlement to the following leave year.
Part-time staff
For colleagues who work part-time, your annual leave allowance and bank holidays will be pro-rata.
If you move from full-time to part-time, or vice versa, your allowance for the year will be pro-rated to reflect the change.
Any leave already taken will be deducted.
Term-time contract staff
One of the best flexibilities about working in a school is the ability to work term time and have the school holidays off work.
We know this can offer great help with childcare, family support, or just giving you regular breaks throughout the year.
Term-time salaries are calculated based on the total number of weeks you work during the year plus your annual leave entitlement.
The annual leave is included within your pay and is spread across the year to ensure you receive 12 equal monthly payments.
The result is that you receive pay during the school holidays and that all of your annual leave entitlement is considered taken within the school holiday periods.
Sickness absences
If you’re not well enough to work, you should call your line manager as soon as you can and tell them what’s wrong and when you’ll be likely to return.
We understand that sometimes you may not be able to make the call yourself.
If this is the case, you should get a friend or family member to let your manager know.
Make sure you keep your manager posted about how you feel and when you will likely return to work.
When you’re well enough to return to work, your manager will have a ‘return to work’ discussion with you.
It’s a chance to talk about how you are, to catch up on anything you’ve missed, and to think about what we can do to help you stay well.
Our staff attendance management policy includes full details of our sickness, absence and notification procedures.
You should self-certify your sickness up to and including seven days using the self-certification form available from HR.
You must complete this form and give it to your manager.
If you’re sick for over seven days, you need to get a fit note from your doctor to cover your absence from the eighth day onwards.
If you want to keep the original fit note, that’s okay—we can take a copy.
We may ask you to get a fit note from your doctor before the eighth day of your absence—but we’ll only do this in exceptional circumstances—and we will reimburse you if there’s a charge for this when you give us your doctor’s invoice.
Your manager should record all your sickness absence on Oracle.
Will I be paid while I’m sick?
Support staff colleagues are entitled to receive sick pay for the following periods:
Length of service
Sick pay entitlement
Under 4 months
Full pay for 1 month
Over 4 months
Full pay for 1 month and half pay for 2 months
Over 1 year
Full pay for 2 months and half pay for 2 months
Over 2 years
Full pay for 4 months and half pay for 4 months
Over 3 years
Full pay for 5 months and half pay for 5 months
Over 5 years
Full pay for 6 months and half pay for 6 months
Teaching staff colleagues are entitled to receive sick pay for the following periods:
Length of service
Sick pay entitlement
Under 4 calendar months
Full pay for 25 working days
Over 4 calendar months
Full pay for 25 working days and half pay for 50 working days
Over 1 year
Full pay for 50 working days and half pay for 50 working days
Over 2 years
Full pay for 75 working days and half pay for 75 working days
Over 3 years
Full pay for 100 working days and half pay for 100 working days
Family-friendly leave
We offer various leave schemes to provide real benefits to help you balance work demands with family needs.
We understand that returning to work after a period of leave can be daunting and/or difficult.
To support you on your return to work following family leave, please speak with your line manager, school business manager, or HR team.
They can offer information and changes to help you settle back in.
For further support, we use a programme called Maternity Teacher Paternity Teacher to help provide independent advice and guidance.
Maternity leave
We know that having a baby is an important and exciting time for you if you’re pregnant or a new mother.
We support our new parents from the moment you tell us your good news to when you give birth—and beyond.
You can take up to 26 weeks of ordinary maternity leave and up to 26 weeks of additional maternity leave, totalling one year off with your newborn.
It doesn’t matter how long you’ve worked for us, you will also receive occupational maternity pay as a “top-up” to any Statutory Maternity Pay already provided by the Government.
We’ll ensure you stay safe and healthy at work while you’re expecting, and you can take paid time off to attend your antenatal appointments.
Please contact the HR team to find out more.
IVF and fertility treatment
If you are planning IVF or fertility treatment, we understand that you may need time off work to go to medical appointments.
Tell your manager as soon as you find out that your treatment has been approved.
They’ll handle things in a sensitive way and treat it as confidential.
If adjustments are needed while you’re undergoing treatment, your manager will try to make sure that these are made.
Adoption or surrogacy leave
If you’re planning on adopting or using a surrogate, you can take up to one year of leave to look after your child, just like maternity leave.
Contact the HR team to find out more.
Paternity leave
Having a baby or adopting a child is one of the biggest things that can happen in your life.
If your partner is expecting, we want to ensure you have the support and flexibility to spend time with your new family.
From day one we offer two weeks of paternity leave and pay.
Contact the HR team to find out more.
Shared parental leave
Shared parental leave is similar to maternity or adoption leave but shared between two parents, including same-sex couples.
You can take up to one year off (in total) after your child has arrived and divide the time up to suit you both.
You can take time off together or separately and also potentially share pay.
Even when you’re back at work, caring for a child can take a lot of extra time—whether it’s to settle your little one into a new childcare setting or looking at schools.
If you’ve worked for us for at least one year, you can take up to 18 weeks (up to 4 weeks in a year) of unpaid time off to care for a child, including an adopted child, up until their 18th birthday.
Other leave
Medical or dental appointments
Sometimes, you may need time off work for dental or medical appointments.
Ideally, these will occur outside school hours, but if that’s not possible, speak to your manager to agree on the time you need.
Note
If you’re pregnant, you can take paid time off work to attend antenatal appointments.
Time off to train
To take time off for training, talk to your manager.
They’ll look at your development needs, the likely impact of your time off on the school and how this can be managed.
Jury duty
If you’re called for jury duty, let your manager know straight away so we can make the relevant arrangements.
You’ll continue to receive your normal salary while you’re on jury duty.
Sabbatical leave
Sabbaticals allow our people to take time out of their work lives, spend time with their families and friends, relax, and rejuvenate.
We know that this break can improve our team’s productivity, creativity, and wellbeing and increase their morale.
Speak to a member of the HR team to find out more about this exciting perk.
Compassionate leave
We know that the death of someone close can affect people in different ways, and having the opportunity to grieve is essential.
If a close friend or relative dies, please let your manager know as soon as you can so they can support you during this hard time.
You may also want to contact our employee assistance programme, which offers 24/7 advice and support.
Everyone deals with loss differently.
Please speak to your manager if you require further time off; they will do their best to arrange it.
Parental bereavement leave
We understand that losing a child is devastating, and we want everyone to ask for the support they need during this incredibly devastating and difficult time.
Regardless of service, you can take six weeks of leave if a child (under 21) dies and you are the parent, primary or kinship carer.
In the unfortunate event that you suffer a stillbirth after 24 weeks of pregnancy or lose a child after it is born, you will be entitled to 52 weeks of maternity leave.
Emergency leave
We understand that life can be unpredictable, so whatever the situation, we’ll always try to give you a reasonable amount of leave in an emergency.
We trust that you’ll only ask for emergency leave when you really need it.
It’s important that you speak to your manager as soon as possible if you need to take emergency leave.
Make sure you keep in touch with them so they know when to expect you back in work.
2.4 - Your wellbeing
Health resources and wellbeing benefits.
We care about your wellbeing—not just your physical and mental health, but also the people and personal priorities that matter to you.
If you require support, please speak with your line manager or trusted colleague.
Looking after yourself
It’s important to us that you try to look after yourself.
We know that’s easier said than done, but ensuring a good work-life balance, taking lunch breaks, and catching up with your manager can help.
The right foods, mindfulness, and exercise can all boost energy levels.
The wellbeing section on Outwood Plus offers tips on physical and mental health, relaxation, and fitness exercises, as well as discounts on gym membership.
Employee assistance programme
We know that life can sometimes seem full of challenges.
So it’s reassuring to know you’ve got somewhere to turn when things don’t run as smoothly as you’d like.
Our employee assistance programme (EAP) provides 24/7 access to telephone and online advice and support.
Information, support, and counselling are available for many aspects of life, including:
If you are a regular computer user (someone who uses a computer daily for continuous periods of an hour or more), then Outwood will contribute up to £50 towards an eye test every two years.
You may also be eligible for corrective glasses if the optician specifically requires them for using Outwood display screen equipment (DSE).
Please talk to your HR Assistant or Business Manager to check if you qualify.
Menopause is something that all women will experience.
So we’re aware that many of our female employees could be undertaking their role while enduring symptoms ranging from hot flushes to depression and reduced concentration.
Our policy sets out the support available to anyone experiencing the menopause.
Each school also has a menopause champion, who you can speak to if you’d like further support.
Transitioning
We want all our people to feel included so that everybody can add value and fulfil their potential without fear of discrimination.
This includes our people whose gender identity differs from the sex they were assigned at birth and who may identify as trans or transgender, and those who don’t identify in a binary male/female way and identify as non-binary.
We are developing a policy outlining how we will support our employees who identify as trans or non-binary.
In the meantime, if you have any questions, please ask a member of the HR team.
Reasonable adjustments
We want to ensure that employees who have a disability are treated fairly and have access to the same opportunities as everybody else.
We are committed to ensuring that employees are not disadvantaged at work because of a disability, so talk to your manager to ensure you get the support you need.
2.5 - Safeguarding
Policies, safeguarding procedures, and reporting concerns.
Our schools are committed to safeguarding and promoting the physical and mental welfare of every child entrusted to our care.
We pride ourselves on delivering a whole-school preventative approach to managing safeguarding concerns and ensuring that the wellbeing of pupils is at the forefront of all actions taken.
Safeguarding policy
All our schools have a Child Safeguarding Policy, which includes extensive information about how we protect children, what signs might indicate that a child is at risk, and our responsibilities if we have any concerns about the safety or welfare of a child.
It also outlines our legal responsibilities, both as institutions and as individual members of staff.
The policy is posted on every school’s website.
Safeguarding training
At the beginning of every academic year, we will ask you to complete safeguarding training.
This will sometimes inform you of updates to our Child Safeguarding Policy, reflecting any changes to the Department for Education’s “Keeping Children Safe in Education” (KCSIE) guidance.
When you first join Outwood, and then at least once every three years, you must complete a longer safeguarding course, usually delivered online.
You can download our guidance on safer working practices:
Our policy contains a lot of information.
However, the most important thing is knowing what to do if you’re worried about a child.
If you are concerned a child is being abused or a child tells you something, then you should report this immediately to the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) in your school.
Do not delay. You can report your concern on CPOMS, although if it is serious, you should speak to the DSL immediately.
If you are concerned about the actions of a professional who works with children, either employed by us or a visitor, you must report this to your Principal.
If you have concerns about the actions of your Principal or an executive leader, you must report these to their line manager.
Safer recruitment
We follow safer recruitment practices to help safeguard the children we are responsible for.
During recruitment, we asked you safeguarding-related questions and explained the checks involved.
These include:
Checking your identity
Completing Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks
Taking references
Undertaking an internet search on your name
This information is stored securely and confidentially on your school’s single central record (SCR).
2.6 - Professional standards
Code of conduct, standards of behaviour, and key policies.
At Outwood, we don’t expect everyone to be perfect—but we do expect you to take pride in your work and treat each other and our children respectfully.
We trust that you’ll always want to meet the high standards of conduct we expect of you.
But if your conduct falls below our expectations, we’ll discuss the issue with you in a fair way.
Wherever we can, we’ll try to resolve problems in the workplace informally, but if they are serious or repeated, we’ll need to take formal action.
Standards of conduct
We have a code of conduct outlining our responsibilities as members of the Outwood family.
This is not a complete rulebook that addresses every issue that might arise, or a summary of all laws and policies that apply to our schools.
It is not a contract, and it does not replace good judgement.
Instead, the code of conduct provides guidance and directs us to resources to help us make the right decisions.
Teachers and school leaders often receive gifts from children and families at Christmas and the end of the academic year.
It is okay to accept these gifts so long as they are not excessive.
If you are concerned about the value of a gift received from a child, please speak to your manager.
Additionally, some outside contractors or suppliers of goods and services may give you small gifts at Christmas and other times to thank you.
You may accept small token gifts in these situations if they comply with our gifts policy.
We strive to promote and sustain a working environment free from unlawful discrimination, harassment, victimisation, and bullying.
A respectful workplace encourages us all to feel safe at work, enjoy what we do, and get more satisfaction and enjoyment from being at work.
No one wants to be worried or concerned about coming to work or have less enjoyable working relationships, so creating a respectful, inclusive environment is everyone’s responsibility.
We aim to ensure that no job applicant or employee is treated less favourably because of their sex, age, marriage/civil partnership, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, disability, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief (known in law as “protected characteristics”) and that no one is disadvantaged by conditions, requirements or practices that cannot be shown to be just and fair.
Our recruitment and work practices should ensure that employees are selected, promoted, and treated according to their ability and that everyone has an equal opportunity to receive training and development.
We are committed to being an inclusive employer.
Therefore, we will always consider ways, within reason, to overcome difficulties at work due to an employee’s disability, chronic medical condition, or other personal circumstances.
This could involve, for example, adopting different working patterns or making other workplace adjustments.
Note
If you experience or witness inappropriate behaviour, don’t feel you must tolerate it.
Talk to your manager as soon as possible.
They will listen to your concerns and take appropriate action.
For more information, read our dignity in the workplace policy.
We all have personal interests we enjoy and causes we believe in.
To ensure that these do not conflict with any of our procurement activities, anyone who holds a budget (head of department and above) must complete an annual declaration of interest covering their own and their immediate family’s business interests.
Confidentiality and data protection
Many colleagues will handle personal information or encounter sensitive or confidential information at work.
We are all responsible for maintaining confidentiality and protecting personal information.
Whether about a child, their family, a colleague, our suppliers, or internal discussions and documents, you must not share any information you gain through your job with anyone, even if you leave the Outwood family.
If you become aware of any loss or unauthorised disclosure of data, you must immediately inform your manager and/or notify our Data Protection Officer.
Our data protection website provides further information, guidance, and training on protecting information and data.
Social media
Social media is a great way to stay in touch with friends, talk to colleagues, and network.
But we need to be careful.
Children, families, or journalists could see anything on the Internet—whether on Bluesky, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, forums, blogs, or LinkedIn.
We ask that you consider what you say and remember our employee values.
Never cause offence or harm to anyone when you’re online, and don’t speak on behalf of Outwood or do anything that might hurt our reputation.
Never post illegal material (words or images), jokes or derogatory comments about another person, or anything that could embarrass, offend, bully or harass them.
We know some teams use groups on platforms like WhatsApp to keep in touch.
Outwood doesn’t oversee or manage these groups, and your participation is voluntary.
Please don’t feel like you have to join if you don’t want to.
The IT devices we provide are intended for work use.
They should only be used for professional purposes unless permitted by our IT acceptable use policy.
The following is a summary of our acceptable use policy:
Only approved software should be used on Outwood devices or systems.
While you cannot install software on school devices, the IT team will be happy to review any new software you need.
Access to the Internet from Outwood devices is for professional use only.
Reasonable personal use is permitted as long as it does not interfere with your job and is in accordance with the policy.
Communication from Outwood email accounts or devices should be professional and maintain professional boundaries.
Email is the most common point of entry for viruses and malicious software to attack our systems.
Do not open emails or attachments from addresses you do not recognise, and report suspicious activity to the IT team.
Do not share laptops or other devices we assign to you without the approval of the IT team.
Using USB memory sticks or portable hard disks to transfer documents should be avoided and only used when absolutely necessary.
It is more secure to send information by email or secure portal with appropriate security measures.
Requests from the media
Outwood can attract attention from newspapers, TV and radio stations for information or interviews.
If the media contacts you, please refer them to our communications team.
Do not divulge any information to the media.
Even harmless comments can be taken out of context.
Work events & team-building activities
We’re always pleased to see our colleagues having fun off the clock as a well-earned reward for their excellent work.
Celebrations are important to us, and we encourage the use of “work dos” as a way to help motivate and engage with each other.
If you’re at a work event, rules around your conduct and behaviour still apply even if alcohol is involved.
Ahead of these events, take a read of our code of conduct.
Criminal acts
Criminal offences outside of work can harm Outwood’s reputation, or your right to work with children, and undermine our trust in you.
If you’ve been charged with a criminal offence, you must tell us about it straight away.
We’ll look at all the facts and decide what to do.
We might suspend you without pay until your case is heard.
Alternatively, we might progress to a disciplinary hearing, which could lead to your dismissal, depending on the nature of the allegations.
If you’re convicted, there’s a stronger chance you’ll be dismissed once we’ve investigated the issue and considered all the facts.
Convictions for criminal acts which occur outside of work and which are not spent convictions within the terms of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 but which are relevant to your employment (e.g. abuse, fraud, assault, sex offences or anything that is detrimental to us or our children) may mean you will be dismissed.
Whistleblowing
Employees are often the first to realise that there may be something seriously wrong within an organisation, such as children at risk of harm, theft, or fraud.
However, they may not speak up because they would feel disloyal or worried about harassment or victimisation.
Our whistleblowing procedure provides safeguards for employees who raise concerns about malpractice in connection with the organisation.
The aim is to provide a rapid mechanism to raise genuine concerns internally.
If you have concerns, we ask that you voice them as early as possible.
You can raise them via your manager, the HR team, or any member of the executive team.
Modern slavery is unacceptable within our organisation and our supply chains.
We have a responsibility to respect the rights of people who work for Outwood and to do business with contractors, suppliers, and business partners who respect the human rights of their respective employees.
We all make mistakes, and sometimes it’s not appropriate for you to be formally disciplined, especially if it’s the first time your conduct is not as expected.
On these occasions, we’ll usually give you an explanation of where things have fallen short and provide clear expectations regarding behaviour going forward.
We will also write up some actions, including any support, advice and guidance to help you improve.
Formal action
If an issue is serious or your manager thinks it’s not appropriate to use informal coaching and advice, we’ll move into a formal disciplinary process.
The disciplinary procedure comprises two phases: the investigation and the disciplinary hearing.
You may be suspended while the investigation takes place.
The purpose of the investigation is to gather all of the information but not to reach any conclusions or make any decisions.
The purpose of the disciplinary hearing is to review all of the information and possible disciplinary outcomes and make a decision.
Depending on the outcome of the disciplinary hearing, the seriousness of the behaviour and whether you already have a live disciplinary warning, there are various levels of action we can take:
Our policy document includes examples of misconduct which may lead to disciplinary action.
Appeals
If you are dissatisfied with any formal disciplinary action taken, you have the right to appeal against it by writing to HR within 10 working days of receiving the disciplinary decision.
Appeals may be raised on a number of grounds, which could include perceived unfairness of the action, the severity of the sanction, new information coming to light or procedural irregularities.
The full appeals process can be found in the disciplinary procedure.
Grievances
From time to time, you may have problems or concerns about your work, working environment or working relationships that you wish to raise and have addressed.
The first thing you should try is talking to your manager to see if they can help you sort out the problem.
But if that doesn’t resolve the issue, you can raise a formal grievance.
All grievance proceedings and documentation are confidential.
If an issue has to do with performance rather than conduct, we’ll follow the capability procedure.
If your manager has any concerns about your performance, they’ll discuss them with you in your performance management discussions.
Leaving Outwood: notice periods, references, and retirement.
We hope you like working at Outwood and want to stay, but we understand that sometimes people want to move on.
This section outlines everything you need to know if you’re considering leaving Outwood.
Notice period
If you decide to leave, you will need to work the notice periods below unless your contract says otherwise.
Outwood also reserves the right to terminate your employment without notice upon payment of the salary you would have expected to receive if you worked your notice period.
If we have to dismiss you for gross misconduct, we won’t give you any notice or payment in lieu.
Support staff
Please check your Statement of Written Particulars that were issued when you were employed, as the length of notice will vary based on your length of service and/or post grade.
Teaching staff
In line with Teachers’ Pay and Conditions, you need to give two months of notice or, in the summer term, three months of notice, to leave your post at the end of the term.
Inclusive of school holidays, broadly speaking, the dates of the three school terms are:
Autumn term: 1 September to 31 December
Spring term: 1 January to 30 April
Summer term: 1 May to 31 August
Therefore, if you wish to leave your job, you would be expected to give notice by the following dates:
To leave at 31 December: give notice by no later than 31 October
To leave at 30 April: give notice by no later than 28 February
To leave at 31 August: give notice by no later than 31 May
If you are a headteacher (principal), the Burgundy Book specifies a notice period of a minimum of three months and, in the summer term, four months of notice to leave your post at the end of the term.
When you leave
Please return all items issued to you (e.g. mobile phones, laptops, keys, and lanyard) as soon as possible.
You should also update online profiles, such as LinkedIn, to reflect that you no longer work with us.
If you have any documents relating to Outwood, you must give them back to us when you leave or ensure you permanently delete them.
Tip
If you have been issued with a mobile phone, it’s often possible to take the number with you.
Please speak with the IT team about this.
References
To get a reference, you’ll need to contact your principal or line manager.
Holiday pay
If you leave and have only worked for part of the calendar year, you will be entitled to paid holiday pro-rated to the number of complete calendar weeks worked.
An adjustment will be made in your final salary payment if there is a difference between the annual leave you have taken and the annual leave you’ve accrued.
This is based on your normal rate of pay.
If you have taken more than accrued, a deduction will be made.
If you have taken less than accrued, you will receive an additional payment calculated on a pro-rata basis.
Retiring
It is up to you to decide when to retire, provided you can still fulfil your duties.
You will need to work your notice period, but we would always recommend that you give your manager a heads-up as soon as you know when you want to retire.
Any accrued annual leave must be taken wherever possible.
In extreme cases where this is not operationally possible, annual leave will be paid when you leave.
Your pension
You are likely a member of a pension scheme while working for us.
Most staff will have been eligible to be auto-enrolled into either the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) or the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS; for support staff).
“Normal retirement age” is the minimum age at which pension scheme members can retire and have their pension paid without reduction.
For most employees, normal retirement age will be age 65, with the option to draw their pension with a reduction from age 55.
Tip
Give your pension provider 6 months of notice to ensure your pension payments are set up for when you leave.
Both TPS and LGPS have online guides about planning for retirement:
Please visit your scheme website for further advice and information about your pension.
3 - Appendices
3.1 - Glossary of terms
Some of the terminology you might encounter
0–9
4I model
Information gather, Identify the issues, Intervene systematically and measure the Impact.
A framework for systematic problem solving and improvement.
A
A Level
Subject-based qualifications for 16–19 year olds.
A&R
Audit and Risk committee.
Oversees financial reporting, internal controls, risk management and compliance.
AAP
Associate Assistant Principal.
AC
Academy Council.
Local governing body that provides oversight and governance for an individual academy.
AFM
Assistant Finance Manager.
AI
Artificial Intelligence.
Computer systems that simulate human intelligence.
AO
Accounting Officer.
Each academy trust must designate a senior executive as Accounting Officer, usually the CEO.
They are personally responsible for the trust’s financial regularity, propriety and value for money.
AP
(Education setting) Alternative Provision.
An education setting for children who are unable to attend a mainstream school.
(School leader) Associate Principal or Assistant Principal
APS
Average Point Score.
A way of measuring and comparing student achievement across different qualifications.
Analyse school performance.
Department for Education online portal for educational professionals to retrieve information about school performance.
AT
Academy Trust.
Charities that have responsibility for running academies.
ATH
Academy Trust Handbook.
Official guidance for academy trusts on financial management and governance.
AVP
Associate Vice Principal.
AWPU
Age-weighted pupil unit.
The basic unit used in calculating the funding of an academy, weighted according to the pupils’ ages.
Now known as Basic entitlement.
B
Basic entitlement
Used to calculate academy funding.
Previously known as AWPU, or age-weighted pupil unit.
BM
Business Manager.
Burgundy Book
“Burgundy Book” is a term for the conditions of service for school teachers in England and Wales.
Consolidated Accounting Return.
Annual financial return that academy trusts must submit to the Education and Skills Funding Agency.
CAPEX
Capital expenditure.
Spending on assets that will be used long-term.
CEO
Chief Executive Officer.
CEP
Community Executive Principal.
CFO
Chief Financial Officer.
CIC
Children in care.
A child in care is provided with care and accommodation by the local authority.
Also known as looked-after children (LAC).
CIN
Child in need.
CLFP
Curriculum-led financial planning.
Tools and methodologies to help schools and multi-academy trusts to plan their finances and staffing.
Follows the principles of integrated curriculum and financial planning (ICFP).
COLLECT
Collections On-Line for Learning, Education, Children and Teachers.
Department for Education online portal for schools and local authorities to process and manage data collection returns.
Community
Community is a union for those working in the education and early years sector.
COO
Chief Operating Officer.
CPD
Continuing professional development.
Ongoing learning and training to maintain and enhance professional skills.
CPOMs
A child protection monitoring service used in Outwood schools.
CTF
Common transfer file.
A standard file used to transfer pupil data between schools.
D
DBS
The Disclosure and Barring Service.
A public body that helps employers make safer recruitment decisions.
DEEPs
Areas of the wider education of children within Outwood schools.
Deep Experience, Deep Learning, Deep Support, and Deep Leadership.
DfE
Department for Education.
Government department responsible for children’s services and education in England.
Data Sharing Agreement.
Legal contract that outlines the terms for sharing data between organisations.
DSL
Designated Safeguarding Lead.
They take the lead on safeguarding and child protection.
E
EAL
English as an additional language.
Term for students who have a first language other than English.
EAP
Employee assistance program.
A program that provides support to employees who are experiencing personal or professional challenges.
Outwood’s EAP provides confidential support 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
EBacc
English Baccalaureate.
A performance measure for schools in England that tracks student achievement at Key Stage 4 in a set of core subject areas.
EBD
Emotional and behavioural difficulties.
EBSA
Emotional Based School Avoidance.
A term to describe children who experience challenges attending school due to negative feelings.
ECF
Early career framework.
A framework for the professional development of early career teachers.
ECT
Early career teacher.
A teacher in their first two years of teaching who undergoes a structured induction program based on the early career framework.
ECT 1 and ECT 2 refer to teachers in their first and second year respectively.
The term ECT has replaced newly qualified teacher (NQT).
EHE
Elective home education.
A term to describe when parents/carers choose to provide education for their child at home, or in some other way, instead of sending them to school full-time.
The system Outwood schools use to manage school visits.
EWO
Education Welfare Officer.
EYFS
Early Years Foundation Stage.
The framework that sets standards for the learning, development, and care of children ages 0–5.
In schools, this typically refers to nursery and reception classes.
F
F&R
Finance and resources committee.
FAP
Fair Access Protocol.
Local authority mechanism to ensure that children who are vulnerable or are having difficulty securing a school place are allocated a school place as quickly as possible.
FFT
FFT Education is a non-profit organisation that works with school data, literacy, and education research.
FM
(Service provider) Facilities Management.
(Role) Finance Manager.
FOI
Freedom of Information Act.
Law giving public right of access to information held by public authorities.
FoS
Family of schools.
Group of schools working together in partnership.
FSM
Free school meals.
FTE
(Student sanction) Fixed-term exclusion.
Also known as a suspension.
(Employment term) Full time equivalent.
Way of standardising workforce numbers accounting for part-time staff.
G
GAG
General annual grant.
Main funding allocation for academies from the Education and Skills Funding Agency.
GCSE
Subject-based qualifications for 14–16 year olds.
GIAP
Get information about pupils.
Department for Education portal for education professionals to retrieve pupil data.
Keeping Children Safe in Education.
Statutory guidance on safeguarding in schools.
KS 1–5
Key Stage one to five.
Stages of the education system, covering school years 1–13.
L
L&P
Learning and performance time.
Weekly time for professional development, briefings and admin tasks.
LA
Local Authority.
Local government body responsible for providing services including education.
LAC
Looked-after children.
A “Looked-after” child is provided with care and accommodation by the local authority.
Also known as children in care (CIC).
LADO
Local Authority Designated Officer.
Local authority role responsible for overseeing allegations against a person who works with children.
LBCT
Land and buildings collection tool.
Department for Education portal for academy trusts to submit information about their land and buildings.
LGPS
Local government pension scheme.
A public sector pension scheme for non-teaching staff.
LM
Learning Manager.
M
MAT
Multi-academy trust.
Organisation that operates multiple academy schools.
MDT
Multidisciplinary team.
Group of professionals from different specialties working together.
MIS
Management information system.
Used to manage information in an organisation.
Schools use specialised MIS to manage information about students, contacts, parental permissions, timetabling and more.
Number on roll.
The number of children registered at a school.
NPQ
National Professional Qualification courses.
Suite of professional development qualifications for teachers and school leaders, including specialised NPQs for leadership roles (NPQH, NPQSL, NPQML) and teaching specialisms.
O
oCloud
oCloud is Outwood’s internal portal to track student progress, behaviour and achievement.
Benefits platform for Outwood employees and governors.
P
PA
(Role) Personal assistant
(Student attendance) Persistent absence.
Student attendance below 90% of possible sessions.
PAN
Published Admission Number.
The maximum number of school places a school will admit to a year group.
PD
Personal development.
Non-academic aspects of education supporting student growth.
PEX
Permanent exclusion.
PFI
Private finance initiative.
A mechanism used to procure public sector infrastructure or services using private investment.
Some schools were constructed using PFI.
PGCE
Post-Graduate Certificate in Education.
Teaching qualification for graduates.
PLAC
Previously looked-after children.
A “previously looked-after” child is no longer provided with care and accommodation by the local authority.
PM
Performance management.
PP
Pupil premium.
Grant funding to improve the educational outcomes for disadvantaged children.
PPA
Preparation, planning and assessment time.
Time for teachers to prepare for lessons and to assess students’ progress.
PRU
Pupil referral unit.
Alternative provision for students not in mainstream education.
Praising Stars
Outwood’s system for tracking a child’s attainment and progress in school.
Children receive periodic Praising Stars reports, typically half-termly.
PS 1–6
Praising Stars (cycle) 1–6.
Praising Stars is divided into reporting cycles, typically half-termly.
PSHE
Personal, social and health education.
Q
QTS
Qualified teacher status.
Professional certification required to teach in England.
R
RA
Risk assessment.
Systematic evaluation of potential risks and mitigation measures.
RAG
Red/Amber/Green.
Traffic light system for rating progress, priority, risk etc.
Outwood maintains a RAG system for assessing student intervention needs.
RIDDOR
Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations.
Health and safety reporting requirements.
RSC
Regional Schools Commissioner.
Official overseeing academies in a region.
RSE
Relationship and sex education.
S
S2S
School to school.
Department for Education online portal for schools and local authorities to transfer student data.
SAT
Single-academy trust.
Organisation that operates a single academy school.
SATs
Standard assessment tests.
National curriculum tests taken in primary school.
SEF
Self-evaluation form.
SEMH
Social, emotional and mental health needs.
SEND
Special educational needs and disability.
SENDCo
Special Educational Needs and Disability Coordinator.
Session
The school day is split into two sessions: morning and afternoon.
Sessions are used to calculate a child’s school attendance.
SFA
School funding agreement.
Contract between academy trust and Secretary of State.
SI
Statutory instrument.
Form of legislation made under powers delegated by Acts of Parliament.
SLA
Service level agreement.
Contract defining services to be provided.
SLD
Severe learning difficulties.
SLT
School leadership team.
SM
Site Manager.
SORP
Statement of recommended practice.
Charity Commission guidance for financial accounting and reporting.
SSO
Single Sign-On.
An authentication method that allows you to access multiple systems/websites using one set of credentials.
SWC
School workforce census.
Annual statutory collection of data about school staff.
T
T Level
Technical qualifications for 16–19 year olds.
TA
Teaching Assistant.
TAC
Team around the child.
Meetings of multiple agencies to support vulnerable students and families.
TDP
Trust development plan.
Strategic planning document for trust improvement.
TEP
The Education Platform.
An online tool used at Outwood to survey employee satisfaction.
TLR
Teaching and learning responsibility payments.
Additional payments for teachers who take on additional responsibilities and accountabilities.
